Kamala Harris‘s campaign has kicked off as a joyous endeavor. She is drawing people to her constantly with her message, with her personality, and with her big, joyous laugh. I actually overheard a woman say “I don’t think I can take four years of giggling.” I think somebody was asking her what she thought about the current political situation. That shows a complete lack of critical thinking among many Republican voters. Four years of giggling? What does that even mean? I wanted to respond and say, oh, you like four years of vengeance, of hatred, of racism, of whining, and denigrating anyone who doesn’t agree with you. But it’s useless to talk to someone like that, with a zero evidence of critical thinking.
I love the way Kamala Harris is conducting herself, and yes, the press is baffled because for the last 8 to 10 years they’ve had easy pickings writing about trump. But I can’t believe the way they normalized him, I can’t believe the way they treat him as a normal legitimate candidate for the President of the United States. It’s shameful. I love that Kamala Harris is her own person, She calls the shots, she is controlling the narrative. I support her in every way, as well as her pick for vice president.
I’ve said it before that in the 2020 campaign, Biden largely ignored Trump. He was the first one who knew how to handle Trump, and it drove Trump crazy. Harris probably took note.
Excellent analysis, and an important lesson in how not to play into the opposition's game: Kamala Harris is so, so good at this! But as an editor, writer, and erstwhile journalist (weekly newspaper division), I'm more than a little bit obsessed with the question of how the mainstream media got this bad. Once upon a time, reporters on the ground tended to be an observant, skeptical lot. Has that changed? Or are the directives -- and the edits -- coming from further up? I really can't blame it all on "corporate ownership," though that has to be a factor. Dana Bash et al. aren't really reporters at all, and the ones on TV/cable seem to be chosen for their looks as much as anything else. Here's hoping that once the Trumpist miasma begins to dissipate, we'll see some informed analyses of what's been going on here.
You hitthe nail on the head when you said "Dana Bash et al aren't really reporters at all". Journalism has turned into infotainment, in which the players simply *opine* about things rather than *report* on facts or provide information. The argument has become the thing of "value" - and nothing feeds that flame like high-octane bull$$it. Glad Harris isn't playing.
I loved how she refused to take Bash's Trump-inspired bait about her not really being Black. Bash's confusion was visible to all. Maybe she and others will learn from the experience.
The Harris-Walz campaign is masterful. They know exactly what they're up against with corp media. I like to think they're using the Ali playbook. Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. Its and effective strategy and a fitting tribute to a legend and a fellow fighter for justice.
I also believe the invitations for over 200 content creators to attend the DNC, as well as giving them spaces to do their work (and food and drink), was not only brilliant, but forward looking. People get their news from many different sources now, not just the MSM. Those content creators made a huge number of videos that have been played over and over again on social media as well as essays on Substack and elsewhere. I also want to commend whoever it is who's doing the snarky, but accurate, memos. Very congnizant of how things have changed and they appeal to a younger audience. Instead of realizing that the game has changed, many in the MSM were upset. It's understanding to be upset when your profession changes but that won't help you manage the change.
Harris has a prosecutor’s laser-like focus on beating Trump and clearly knows who she is. She’s not going to be distracted by the non-serious questions coming from an increasingly irrelevant mainstream press. Harris showed America that both Trump and Bash are need not be part of our future… a future in which people have constructive (not destructive) relationships with each other.
I agree with your assessment of how Harris is handling the election, and I agree with Harris for taking this approach. She is showing her brilliance that has brought her this far in many ways. I feel like changing the way campaigns are run when you have a changed sort of medium, and we have not only learned lessons from past campaigns, and the experts on fascist propaganda, who are advising as well, but also from getting through covid and how much people need to connect. To create these venues is good. Unfortunately for the followers of Trump, his campaign is taking them down an path to deeper mental illness, and the amount of deeply disturbed people following him is disturbing in and of itself. I assume these people spend too much time on unhealthy stuff online, and their insular world is filled with hateful people. I am so grateful to Kamala Harris and her campaign, to elevate our spirits, even as we live with the reality of the Stress of waiting for the outcome. Here is a Lincoln Project video aptly titled Stress, that encapsulates how we are feeling and what we need to do. https://youtu.be/B9XTNcneynw?si=Pdh7MRlFP65HPwW2
Harris is successfully stopping the same old sexism and misogyny that destroyed Clinton's campaign. Misogyny in the press always attempts to put women on the defensive, and Harris does not respond to lame lines of questioning about her "past" (are men ever questioned about their sexual history? No), nor has she responded to puerile remarks about women who have not had children. Tim Walz has shared this wisdom of not taking the bait on "questions" about his military service or his teaching gig in China.
"For over a decade, nearly every non-Trump candidate has played by the same rules in their interactions with the press. The first rule was the presumption that members of the “fourth estate” posed important and “tough questions” because the voting public needed answers to them. The second is that any politician who refused to fully engage with and answer the press’s questions was acting dishonorably and likely had something to hide.
But what those rules didn’t take into account is a reality that’s only grown more apparent in recent years — that the press often asks insipid questions, and indeed can easily by manipulated to serve as conduits for entirely bogus claims and theories pushed by GOP partisans."
This is the most crucial part of this piece. Corporate news media has delegitimized itself by relying on an archaic both-sides frame that serves the purposes of one party and the media bosses who prefer that party's plutocratic policies. Political campaigns that want to listen and serve people who are not in a certain income bracket need to respond accordingly by supporting real, independent journalism that isn't afraid to outline the story of our time, which is the outright dismantling of the party of Lincoln in favor of a reactionary political cult.
A great piece of writing which the MSM should study. If they want to play in the mud they need to understand that they aren’t as smart as they think they are and to enhance their own image should study Journalism 101: Fairness, accuracy and balance.
I think my favorite Harris statement so far is "Next Question." This election is not about race but about competence, and to assume her race has something to do with her competence is racist (not to mention woman/misogynist.)
How many time has trump, asked a policy question, said "we're looking at that and will say in two weeks...," and been headlined "Trump Evades Question."
Trump: We will have our infrastructure plan out very soon. You know I was talking to a student of my uncle, who is a very smart guy, a professor at MIT, and he said "sir, we all, the whole Department went over what you propose and we believe it is the very best plan to start planning an infrastructure plan that this country has ever seen. Sir, it's genius, sir."
Headline: Trump lauded by MIT professors on infrastructure.
It is a frustrating cycle - Trump says something, Fox et al report it, then he cites their reporting as truth and validation for his point of view. Over and over and over again.
I’ve always thought the Biden Administration writ large has some very astute people. Their expertise is showing. That was at least the second time Harris had to respond to the “just turned Black” comment and she held fast. Bash shouldn’t have been surprised. To give Bash the benefit of the doubt, maybe she was following up :)
Mr. Lurie, You say "Harris has upended presumptions about politics that have dominated during most of the past decade and that's a good thing." Your last sentence reveals your own bias, or perhaps I should say misrepresentation. In all fairness, I think you did this out of ignorance, not something deliberate.
"Politics" is not what Harris, Trump, Bash and all the rest of the "journalists" are engaging in. What they are doing is electioneering. "Politics" is about the legitimate use of power in society. electioneering has little to do with power. Electioneering is persuasion, propaganda. We observe politics when we observe a politician's exercise of power. When a politician implements a policy, a program of public interest; that is "politics." That is power.
It says a lot about our country when we mistake electioneering for politics. The Press has avoided discussing actual policy for so many years that most Americans mistake the overblown rhetoric and outright lies of electioneering for politics. We can blame the people like Dana Bash, with her empty headed questions, her puerile comments. We can blame her type for the dumbing down of American political savvy. People like her are as responsible for the hollow shell of Democracy we have left as is Donald Trump. Let us not forget, Trump is a recent politically, public phenomenon. People like Dana Bash have been around for decades, generations; spouting their nonsense which is geared more toward attracting viewers than elucidating genuine policy issues which the candidates may or may not believe in. I am reminded of Barbara Walters who was an expert at talking about nothing; but nevertheless getting the public to watch and listen. I have no doubt that Walters is a heroine and role model for Bash and other empty headed entertainers who call themselves "journalists." The closest these people get to journalism, is when they rap their garbage in paper.
I admire this strategy of hers. IT IS exactly correct because she's dealing with a narcissist and his supply. One cannot play the narcissist's game and win. She is savvy and she has our vote (2 in our household).
Kamala Harris‘s campaign has kicked off as a joyous endeavor. She is drawing people to her constantly with her message, with her personality, and with her big, joyous laugh. I actually overheard a woman say “I don’t think I can take four years of giggling.” I think somebody was asking her what she thought about the current political situation. That shows a complete lack of critical thinking among many Republican voters. Four years of giggling? What does that even mean? I wanted to respond and say, oh, you like four years of vengeance, of hatred, of racism, of whining, and denigrating anyone who doesn’t agree with you. But it’s useless to talk to someone like that, with a zero evidence of critical thinking.
I love the way Kamala Harris is conducting herself, and yes, the press is baffled because for the last 8 to 10 years they’ve had easy pickings writing about trump. But I can’t believe the way they normalized him, I can’t believe the way they treat him as a normal legitimate candidate for the President of the United States. It’s shameful. I love that Kamala Harris is her own person, She calls the shots, she is controlling the narrative. I support her in every way, as well as her pick for vice president.
Superb. Totally agree.
Bravo! Well said!
I’ve said it before that in the 2020 campaign, Biden largely ignored Trump. He was the first one who knew how to handle Trump, and it drove Trump crazy. Harris probably took note.
Excellent analysis, and an important lesson in how not to play into the opposition's game: Kamala Harris is so, so good at this! But as an editor, writer, and erstwhile journalist (weekly newspaper division), I'm more than a little bit obsessed with the question of how the mainstream media got this bad. Once upon a time, reporters on the ground tended to be an observant, skeptical lot. Has that changed? Or are the directives -- and the edits -- coming from further up? I really can't blame it all on "corporate ownership," though that has to be a factor. Dana Bash et al. aren't really reporters at all, and the ones on TV/cable seem to be chosen for their looks as much as anything else. Here's hoping that once the Trumpist miasma begins to dissipate, we'll see some informed analyses of what's been going on here.
You hitthe nail on the head when you said "Dana Bash et al aren't really reporters at all". Journalism has turned into infotainment, in which the players simply *opine* about things rather than *report* on facts or provide information. The argument has become the thing of "value" - and nothing feeds that flame like high-octane bull$$it. Glad Harris isn't playing.
I loved how she refused to take Bash's Trump-inspired bait about her not really being Black. Bash's confusion was visible to all. Maybe she and others will learn from the experience.
The Harris-Walz campaign is masterful. They know exactly what they're up against with corp media. I like to think they're using the Ali playbook. Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. Its and effective strategy and a fitting tribute to a legend and a fellow fighter for justice.
I also believe the invitations for over 200 content creators to attend the DNC, as well as giving them spaces to do their work (and food and drink), was not only brilliant, but forward looking. People get their news from many different sources now, not just the MSM. Those content creators made a huge number of videos that have been played over and over again on social media as well as essays on Substack and elsewhere. I also want to commend whoever it is who's doing the snarky, but accurate, memos. Very congnizant of how things have changed and they appeal to a younger audience. Instead of realizing that the game has changed, many in the MSM were upset. It's understanding to be upset when your profession changes but that won't help you manage the change.
Harris has a prosecutor’s laser-like focus on beating Trump and clearly knows who she is. She’s not going to be distracted by the non-serious questions coming from an increasingly irrelevant mainstream press. Harris showed America that both Trump and Bash are need not be part of our future… a future in which people have constructive (not destructive) relationships with each other.
I’d like to know how Bash would have graded herself on conducting the interview.
She had an opportunity to ask the hard questions and instead chose the stupid ones.
With her “that’s it” declaration, Harris left Trump standing alone in the pit, covered in mud, with nobody to wrestle.
Harris also left Dana Bash and all other non-serious media people standing alone in the pit, covered in mud, with nobody to wrestle.
I agree with your assessment of how Harris is handling the election, and I agree with Harris for taking this approach. She is showing her brilliance that has brought her this far in many ways. I feel like changing the way campaigns are run when you have a changed sort of medium, and we have not only learned lessons from past campaigns, and the experts on fascist propaganda, who are advising as well, but also from getting through covid and how much people need to connect. To create these venues is good. Unfortunately for the followers of Trump, his campaign is taking them down an path to deeper mental illness, and the amount of deeply disturbed people following him is disturbing in and of itself. I assume these people spend too much time on unhealthy stuff online, and their insular world is filled with hateful people. I am so grateful to Kamala Harris and her campaign, to elevate our spirits, even as we live with the reality of the Stress of waiting for the outcome. Here is a Lincoln Project video aptly titled Stress, that encapsulates how we are feeling and what we need to do. https://youtu.be/B9XTNcneynw?si=Pdh7MRlFP65HPwW2
When we fight, we win! Viva la Kamala!
Harris is successfully stopping the same old sexism and misogyny that destroyed Clinton's campaign. Misogyny in the press always attempts to put women on the defensive, and Harris does not respond to lame lines of questioning about her "past" (are men ever questioned about their sexual history? No), nor has she responded to puerile remarks about women who have not had children. Tim Walz has shared this wisdom of not taking the bait on "questions" about his military service or his teaching gig in China.
Thank you for this very insightful piece.
"For over a decade, nearly every non-Trump candidate has played by the same rules in their interactions with the press. The first rule was the presumption that members of the “fourth estate” posed important and “tough questions” because the voting public needed answers to them. The second is that any politician who refused to fully engage with and answer the press’s questions was acting dishonorably and likely had something to hide.
But what those rules didn’t take into account is a reality that’s only grown more apparent in recent years — that the press often asks insipid questions, and indeed can easily by manipulated to serve as conduits for entirely bogus claims and theories pushed by GOP partisans."
This is the most crucial part of this piece. Corporate news media has delegitimized itself by relying on an archaic both-sides frame that serves the purposes of one party and the media bosses who prefer that party's plutocratic policies. Political campaigns that want to listen and serve people who are not in a certain income bracket need to respond accordingly by supporting real, independent journalism that isn't afraid to outline the story of our time, which is the outright dismantling of the party of Lincoln in favor of a reactionary political cult.
A great piece of writing which the MSM should study. If they want to play in the mud they need to understand that they aren’t as smart as they think they are and to enhance their own image should study Journalism 101: Fairness, accuracy and balance.
The Art of War … it’s a much better play book.
I think my favorite Harris statement so far is "Next Question." This election is not about race but about competence, and to assume her race has something to do with her competence is racist (not to mention woman/misogynist.)
How many time has trump, asked a policy question, said "we're looking at that and will say in two weeks...," and been headlined "Trump Evades Question."
Never. It's always something like "Trump Still Studying Policy Options".
Yep. Here is the scenario.
Trump: We will have our infrastructure plan out very soon. You know I was talking to a student of my uncle, who is a very smart guy, a professor at MIT, and he said "sir, we all, the whole Department went over what you propose and we believe it is the very best plan to start planning an infrastructure plan that this country has ever seen. Sir, it's genius, sir."
Headline: Trump lauded by MIT professors on infrastructure.
It is a frustrating cycle - Trump says something, Fox et al report it, then he cites their reporting as truth and validation for his point of view. Over and over and over again.
I’ve always thought the Biden Administration writ large has some very astute people. Their expertise is showing. That was at least the second time Harris had to respond to the “just turned Black” comment and she held fast. Bash shouldn’t have been surprised. To give Bash the benefit of the doubt, maybe she was following up :)
Mr. Lurie, You say "Harris has upended presumptions about politics that have dominated during most of the past decade and that's a good thing." Your last sentence reveals your own bias, or perhaps I should say misrepresentation. In all fairness, I think you did this out of ignorance, not something deliberate.
"Politics" is not what Harris, Trump, Bash and all the rest of the "journalists" are engaging in. What they are doing is electioneering. "Politics" is about the legitimate use of power in society. electioneering has little to do with power. Electioneering is persuasion, propaganda. We observe politics when we observe a politician's exercise of power. When a politician implements a policy, a program of public interest; that is "politics." That is power.
It says a lot about our country when we mistake electioneering for politics. The Press has avoided discussing actual policy for so many years that most Americans mistake the overblown rhetoric and outright lies of electioneering for politics. We can blame the people like Dana Bash, with her empty headed questions, her puerile comments. We can blame her type for the dumbing down of American political savvy. People like her are as responsible for the hollow shell of Democracy we have left as is Donald Trump. Let us not forget, Trump is a recent politically, public phenomenon. People like Dana Bash have been around for decades, generations; spouting their nonsense which is geared more toward attracting viewers than elucidating genuine policy issues which the candidates may or may not believe in. I am reminded of Barbara Walters who was an expert at talking about nothing; but nevertheless getting the public to watch and listen. I have no doubt that Walters is a heroine and role model for Bash and other empty headed entertainers who call themselves "journalists." The closest these people get to journalism, is when they rap their garbage in paper.
I admire this strategy of hers. IT IS exactly correct because she's dealing with a narcissist and his supply. One cannot play the narcissist's game and win. She is savvy and she has our vote (2 in our household).