The Atlanticarticle by Sarada Peri assumes an event will occur that is endemic. Trump has destabilized facts and their media frames. If he’s going to cheat what was he doing before this moment, starting with when he lied about the wealth inherited from his father.
Democratic primary voters care deeply about electability. What most want is simple: a candidate who can beat President Donald Trump in November. So they worry about whether former Vice President Joe Biden will inspire young people, and about whether Senator Bernie Sanders will scare away old people. They debate whether a political revolution is necessary to energize the base, or whether the revolution will dissuade independents. Will the historic candidacy of a woman or a gay man take off or implode?
But these concerns about policy and broad cultural appeal are secondary to the true “electability” crisis facing whichever Democrat wins the nomination: He or she will need to run against a president seemingly prepared, and empowered, to lie and cheat his way to reelection.
Factually, Trump’s position is ratherweak. A stronger candidate would be flying higher, given the economic recovery thatbegan(andyielded greater success) under President Barack Obama’s watch. While Trump remains an untouchable, vengeful god within the Republican Party and is competitive in crucial battleground states, he is relentlessly divisive. Hemust win backthe suburban voters who handed the House of Representatives to Democrats in 2018—an especially difficult task now that he’s released anAchilles’ heel of a budgetthat would cut Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, food stamps, and a host of other popular programs.
But—and this must be said out loud—the facts may not matter.
The cumulative effect of Trump’s efforts, of all the stains on his shirt, is to disorient the media and the electorate. Democrats, meanwhile, are fighting about how aggressive to get on climate change or whether debt-free college should be means-tested—bless their hearts. These are worthy questions, but not the question of the moment: How should they fight against a president who has no moral or legal compass, and who will use the full might of the executive branch to win?
If past is prologue, Trump will say absolutely anything necessary to attract and maintain support, including patent untruths. His pathological lying has been well documented and yet never ceases to stun. Byone count, he has told more than 15,000 lies since taking office. A small sampling: After falsely declaring that Hurricane Dorian was headed toward Alabama, he displayed a doctored map to cover his tracks, and his chief of staff made the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrationreleasea statement defending his lie. Trump also recently claimed that he rescued health coverage for people with preexisting conditions—even though he has gutted the Affordable Care Act and issuingto overturn it. One day after tweeting, “We will not be touching your Social Security or Medicare in Fiscal 2021 Budget,” his budget revealed cuts to both.
How can Democrats run against a candidate who will simply deny his unpopular positions and make up nonexistent accomplishments? No amount of fact-checking can counter his constant stream of mendacity, which has become white noise in our political culture.
You're right, but someone reminded us that it doesn't matter for the average Republican voter 😠pic.twitter.com/YsBgYAu68b— Pierre-Yves Lambert (@tractotheque) February 23, 2020
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In the two weeks since the GOP Senate refused to hold Trump accountable, he has:
—Intervened in the sentencing of his accomplice —Called for prosecution of his “enemies†—Punished those who spoke out out —Fired the DNI for briefing Congress
I'm so scared of a Democratic socialist who by the way will be reigned in by Congress and the courts but I'm so angry about the idea of medicare for all and tuition free colleges that I'm going to vote for a corrupt, racist, lawless authoritarian who puts kids in cages! Yeah!
“You’re not mopping fast enough. (Laughter) That’s a socialist mop. (Laughter and applause) Grab a mop — let’s get to work.” – Barack Obama (2009); “Soyez réalistes, demandez l’impossible!”
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