A Referendum on Democracy

I was struck this morning by a journalist who decided to “expose” how the media has been complicit in advancing fascism in America by, of all things, treating the political parties fairly in press coverage.

Mark Jacob @MarkJacob16

I used to edit Page 1 stories for the Chicago Tribune, including many from Washington. In this thread, I explain why the media (including me) have been unintentionally complicit in the rise of fascism that threatens our democracy. 1/9

He truly believes this. He truly believes that by making sure Republicans are given a fair hearing, he was complicit in the advance of fascism. It has become a common trope among progressives that their insistence on covering Republicans with balance has led to fascism.

Actually, it is exactly the opposite. They might take the time to balance out quotes, but the media has, for some time, been more and more hostile to the GOP. Most Republicans insist the media leans left not because Rush Limbaugh long ago told them, but because they see it themselves. They see the abortion discussions always tilted left. They see the media’s current willingness to buy into the nonsense that this reconciliation bill costs nothing. They see the revolving door between Democrat offices and press jobs.

At this point, the media’s willingness to more openly do what it subtly did in the past is having some real world consequences.

A lot of conservatives are, in fact, now going down rabbit holes in search of news that confirms their own views instead of seeking out news that is fair, objective, and challenges them. But who can blame them when the alternative is news that drips with contempt for their faith, their unwillingness to live in urban enclaves, and for their lifestyles.

Now this is coming to impact the fights in Washington over the budget, debt ceiling, etc. The GOP knows the media is going to take the Democrats’ side. There is no chance the GOP gets a fair hearing. While a few reporters who try to be fair have pointed out the Democrats have had ample opportunity since January to raise the debt ceiling without provoking a crisis, most are all in on blaming the GOP now. By the way, I have to commend both Wolf Blitzer and Jake Tapper at CNN for pointing out the Democrats have largely backed themselves into this corner. They deserve praise for very fair coverage at CNN on this point.

Republicans in Washington understand the only way to penetrate the news cycle is to extract concessions from Democrats on the debt ceiling. The media might portray it all terribly, but the GOP will have forced cuts in spending. That message can’t be bottled up.

It is not that the media has been complicit in the rise of fascism by covering the GOP fairly. It is that the media has been complicit in the politics of crisis by constantly affirming the Democrats’ worldview. The Democrats knew they could steer the ship of state into a fiscal crisis and the media would take their side.

Thus we find ourselves two days from a government shutdown and a month from an alleged default on the national debt. In turn, the media talking heads will scream about how the Democrats’ plan costs nothing and the GOP is fascist.

Progressives now think everything is a referendum on democracy. Meanwhile, they cannot even acknowledge how their own side is busy censoring, silencing, and canceling anyone who dissents from their worldview. They call the GOP fascist and want to fire healthcare workers who have not been vaccinated, force toddlers into masks, fire CEOs for supporting Republicans, fail students who support conservatives, teach kids their skin color defines them, and force Christians to bake cakes.

There’ll be a referendum on all this in about a year and I suspect progressives will be the ones screaming about stolen elections, voter suppression, and any other excuse to avoid having to accept the voters rejected their hysteria.