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The echo chamber continues! The fact that a few positive comments are made by NRO writers about Trump is not the beginning of #NEVERTRUMP pivot. It is simply something that has been going on since the beginning. A great example of this can be found on Ben Shapiro’s podcast where he as a feature call “Good Trump/Bad Trump”. During this segment he lists the things that Trump has done which he sees as good and then the things which he believes are bad. This like the NRO coverage is simply ethical journalism, something you, obviously, are not used to since so little of it takes place in the media.
The thust of the original anti-Trump edition of NR was an attempt to keep Trump from gaining the nomination since the writers believed that Trump was no an appropriate candidate to represent the Republican party. Now that that is no longer an issue, the writers are simply pointing when Trump does something that increases his chances, dim though they made be, of winning the election. They also point out his inadequacies, as they do with Hillary. They are not changing their views or walking out of the “alley” that Michael visualizes.
Wish we had a chance to discuss this over a beer, Eugene. As I have said before, I may be pig-headed but I am not in an echo chamber (or else it is a pretty lonely echo chamber).
And my point about the NR writers is that by explicitly asserting that neither Trump nor Hillary is meaningfully better than the other that they have become, at one level, irrelevant. Opinion journalists are supposed to be advocates.
My real belief, however, is that they would prefer a Trump presidency to a Hillary presidency. My evidence is that they say (as you note) good and bad things about Trump but never make any consistent attempt to argue on behalf of Hillary.
I have to disagree that opinion journalist have to be advocates for one or the other. When both are so appallingly awful, they become advocates for staying home or voting down ballot, a completely legitimate stance in my opinion.
I, too, would very much enjoy a long discussion over a pitcher of beer. Next time you come out to the Pacific Northwest, perhaps we can do that very thing.
A conservative in Cambridge, MA, in an echo chamber?
You know, just because someone disagrees with you doesn’t mean they’re …xyz.
Max, the echo chamber I am talking about is not Cambridge, it is the discussion that goes on between Michael and Todd. There are no essential disagreements. They reinforce each others views in a manner that can be very frustrating to listen to. They are both decent men, but when you start with a concept that is 180º out of alignment with the real world, and neither member of the discussion sees the misalignment, but, rather, aids the other in ignoring it, that constitutes an echo chamber.
I’m not sure I understand Steve Bannon and I don’t read Breitbart.
I have read that the outreach to African American voters was his idea and he really pushed for it.
I think Mr. Bannon doesn’t believe in racial nationalism, but rather sees the future being economic nationalism. It will be interesting to see if a Trump administration will remain committed to bring capitalism and a strong economic message to the inner cities. I certainly hope he will.
I think more attention, strong economic message and opportunity, school choice, and the like could really play well with some communities and voters. I’m all for the GOP having a more inclusive and going after all voters. I think there is real opportunities in these places.