Failing Trump administration. Sad!

Timex · 2019-07-11T20:33:49.517Z

One of the funniest things on CNN was Wolf Blitzer during one of the elections with a “CNN BREAKING NEWS ALERT”, which consisted of, “We do not have any news on this election yet.”

That was seriously the breaking news.

Papageno · 2019-07-11T20:34:12.116Z

Politico’s wording is “is dropping its efforts to include a citizenship question…”

HumanTon · 2019-07-11T20:35:51.024Z

They had to put that story up because they put up “Trump expected to issue executive order on census” stories earlier in the day. Then Trump snatched the football away.

In order to avoid being outsmarted by a toddler, you’d think news places would just put up stories headlined “Deranged, unreliable lunatic may say something later today, maybe” and not take the bait.

Matt_W · 2019-07-11T20:43:59.567Z

Timex:

One of the funniest things on CNN was Wolf Blitzer during one of the elections with a “CNN BREAKING NEWS ALERT”, which consisted of, “We do not have any news on this election yet.”

My favorite poltical article of all time (sadly now lost to the interwebs) was written by Matt Taibbi (sorry) reporting on the television coverage of election night 2006. Choice quote:

12:42 a.m. Wolf Blitzer on the Virginia Senate race: “It doesn’t get a whole lot more closer than that.” Hearing the words twist awkwardly out of his mouth, he frowns and scans the room looking like he wants to hit someone. Best moment of the whole evening.

vyshka · 2019-07-11T20:48:00.085Z

Who do we blame for the state of current journalism? Ted Turner and the rise of the 24/7 news cycle?

Menzo · 2019-07-11T20:52:04.686Z

Certainly the need to fill a 24-hour news cycle when there often isn’t anything to fill it with is one of the problems. That’s why you get huge breaking news alerts that are actually just rumors or information about something that may or may not happen.

Nesrie · 2019-07-11T20:52:39.821Z

Yeah 24 news, always on means always forcing new content, even if there isn’t any. Or talking heads that are little better than shock jocks for ratings.

I mean they could get some of that by talking about other countries, but heh…

nKoan · 2019-07-11T20:56:11.537Z

I was just talking about this earlier today, but if I remember correctly, there was an article from a decade or so ago that broke down how much news was in cable news. It found that CNN showed about 3 hours of actual news in a day, with the rest being talk shows and/or opinion shows. Fox News was about 90 minutes, IIRC.

sillhouette · 2019-07-11T21:44:37.174Z

Wrong thread, but Bruce Bartlett was tweeting about his speculation today in relation to the newest “insider” Trumpy news book:

twitter.com

Bruce Bartlett (BruceBartlett)

I wonder if one reason for the decline of newspapers is that reporters save their best stories for best-selling books rather than sharing them with readers of the publications that pay their salaries & gain them access to the corridors of power.

3:12 PM - 11 Jul 2019 46 9

twitter.com

Bruce Bartlett (BruceBartlett)

Let's face it, the stories that go into these books are uncovered because insiders granted access to the writers because they are credentialed reporters for major media. Without the access their press card grants them, they would have no stories to tell.

3:14 PM - 11 Jul 2019 10 2

twitter.com

Bruce Bartlett (BruceBartlett)

My copy of Tim Alberta's book has not yet arrived, but I wonder how many of the stories it contains would have had more impact had we heard them in real time when he first heard them?

3:17 PM - 11 Jul 2019 15

twitter.com

Bruce Bartlett (BruceBartlett)

Of course, it is likely that his access would have been cut off had he reported these stories in real time. But his sources knew their information was going to come out. Did they all think they would be gone from the WH by the time his book appeared or what?

3:19 PM - 11 Jul 2019 8

twitter.com

Bruce Bartlett (BruceBartlett)

I suppose it's possible that sources might insist that certain stories not be published contemporaneously, but are permissible to be told in book form. Perhaps this is to disguise the sources, which might more easily be uncovered if their stories appeared in real time.

3:27 PM - 11 Jul 2019 7 2

twitter.com

Bruce Bartlett (BruceBartlett)

I know for a fact that Bob Woodward cajoled information out of reluctant sources by telling them that their stories would not appear in the Washington Post, but only in a book. Many of these sources assumed they would be gone from the administration before the book appeared.

3:41 PM - 11 Jul 2019 16 3

kerzain · 2019-07-12T06:50:51.161Z

sillhouette:

Bruce Bartlett (BruceBartlett)

I know for a fact that Bob Woodward cajoled information out of reluctant sources by telling them that their stories would not appear in the Washington Post, but only in a book. Many of these sources assumed they would be gone from the administration before the book appeared.

That’s pretty funny, because Woodward only seemed to rely a single source in his whole book, the constantly self-aggrandizing Steve Bannon.

HumanTon · 2019-07-12T13:56:59.074Z

… But the only story in any of these Trump-related books is, “Trump is an idiot and an asshole.” Nothing of actual, actionable substance (e.g. new evidence of crimes) has come out of them.

We already knew that. There was no shortage of reporting on Trump being an idiot and an asshole in 2016: it’s just that the media framed it as, “Trump is an idiot and an asshole, and is wildly successful and popular because of it. Clinton is diligent and hardworking, and everyone hates her. And but her e-mails.”

Strollen · 2019-07-12T19:41:29.929Z

kerzain:

That’s pretty funny, because Woodward only seemed to rely a single source in his whole book, the constantly self-aggrandizing Steve Bannon.

Did you read the same book Fear, that I did? There were a lot of sources, Mattis, Kelly, Preibus, to name a few. Yes, Bannon gave some of the juicy quotes

sillhouette · 2019-07-12T21:52:48.056Z

twitter.com

Kate Bennett (KateBennett_DC)

Acosta becomes the 13th Cabinet member to depart the Trump administration. By this time in the Obama admin, none had left. In the George W. Bush admin at this point, one had departed. https://t.co/Uzi5uXeG5q

2:58 PM - 12 Jul 2019 4.3K 3.3K

orald · 2019-07-13T11:54:49.572Z

Wonkette – 12 Jul 19

Pour A Few Gallons Out For The Trump Cabinet Fallen

A loving tribute to the doors that hit their asses on the way out.

Kirstjen Nielsen, Homeland Security Secretary. Shitcanned April 7, 2019 . Lasted 488 days, was reportedly on way out for 486 days. Was Cruel But Not Cruel Enough. Hated immigrants plenty, but had undue concern for “logistics” of mass deportations. Love for Trump probably unabated, knowing these people. Auditioning for role as child catcher in reboot of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

baddog007 · 2019-07-13T13:16:54.701Z

History should record this as “Departuregate”

Djscman · 2019-07-16T16:22:39.150Z

The Dow 36,000 guy that was leading the Council of Economic Advisors is leaving. A new guy is coming in to replace him, but of course he’s not a permanent head of the council. He’s just

https://www.npr.org/2019/07/15/731647850/trump-taps-health-care-expert-as-acting-top-white-house-economist

Timex · 2019-07-16T19:50:02.458Z

Mediaite – 16 Jul 19

EXCLUSIVE: Former Trump Aide Jason Miller Admits to Hiring Prostitutes in...

Jason Miller, a Republican operative and Trump communications chief, said he hired numerous prostitutes in a new deposition.

SlainteMhath · 2019-07-16T20:34:20.260Z

Holy shit, that guy is a bigger train wreck than initially reported. I remember the stuff about him having the affair and a baby with the woman from the Cruz campaign, but had no idea he’d had yet another affair after that with the conservative media chick, and now all this about strip clubs, escorts and massage parlors (all in the span of less than four years!).

This is a guy who has been employed in the inner circle of both the Trump campaign and Ted Cruz’s campaigns. Once again proving that the party of Family Values is anything but. I’m sure Evangelicals have some sort of excuse handy as to why God would send so many sinners to help Trump win elections.

ReptileHouse · 2019-07-16T20:55:36.583Z

They’re on the “sin more so that grace may abound” bandwagon.

Timex · 2019-07-16T21:03:09.232Z

The guy looks like someone painted a goatee and face onto a big toe, then dressed it in a suit.