Update 1: As with all my stories, this is brought to you by groups encouraging massive youth voting, including Civic Influencers to help college voter activism and The Civics Center for high school students.
Update 2: Because this involves press critique, this is another in a series honoring and continuing the legacy of Eric Boehlert, the invaluable media critic who tragically died in April. The series carries the hashtag #Eric’sLegacy.*
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The New York Times and the usual suspects are concern-trolling Democrats again, clutching their pearls because Democrats are actually trying to win by using a longstanding campaign tactic of trying to get their weakest possible opponent. For the Times, this is a “cynical low.” Adam Kinzinger said it was “disgusting.” Megan McArdle, Queen of Concern Trolling and truly twisted logic, calls it “repulsive.”
Josh Marshall sees through this:
Marshall points out:
- It isn’t even true in some cases (e.g., PA Gov.)
- Even when it may be a tactic to get a weak opponent, it is also a tactic to define the Republican as an extremist at an early stage of the campaign
- The “noble” Republicans who may have voted to impeach Trump will still vote for McCarthy for speaker
- The offended pundits are imposing on Democrats a duty to help “moderate” Republicans, while the Republican “establishment” is not lifting a finger.
Let’s look at Peter Meijer of Michigan, a/k/a “Meijer the Martyr,” the idol of the “both sides” pundits. Yes, he voted for the second impeachment, but he also agreed with Madison Cawthorn on 84% of Congressional votes and with with Kevin McCarthy on 90% of votes. He is a champion of voter suppression and partisan gerrymandering:
The false premise of this “cynical Dems” trolling is that we “need” supposed moderate Republicans in Congress to preserve the two-party system. “To defeat moderate Republicans will not strengthen the nation,” wails the Times.
But you know what will weaken the nation exponentially more than that? If those Republicans enable a Republican majority in either House. This is the grave threat to Democracy, not the loss of a moderate Republican who is not even a moderate. The GOP is a Christian Nationalist Party and it must be kept out of power at all costs.
And a day after the election, what does Meijer the Martyr, who stood on his principles by rejecting the election-denying extremists do?
I rest my case.
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*Prior Eric’s Legacy Stories: