@NormOrnstein @PaulSchmitz1 we need independents. Only way to fix a broken partisan system.— Matthew Dowd (@matthewjdowd) February 7, 2017
For the record, the DeVos vote was 51-50, with every single Republican but two voting to confirm this unqualified farce, and every single Democrat delaying the vote as long as possible and then voting against it. From the New York Times:
Betsy DeVos Confirmed as Education Secretary; Pence Breaks TieWASHINGTON — The Senate confirmed Betsy DeVos on Tuesday as education secretary, approving the embattled nominee only with the help of a historic tiebreaking vote from Vice President Mike Pence.The 51-to-50 vote elevates Ms. DeVos — a wealthy donor from Michigan who has devoted much of her life to expanding educational choice through charter schools and vouchers, but has limited experience with the public school system — to be steward of the nation’s schools.Two Republicans voted against Ms. DeVos’s confirmation, a sign that some members of President Trump’s party are willing to go against him, possibly foreshadowing difficulty on some of the president’s more contentious legislative priorities.It was the first time that a vice president has been summoned to the Capitol to break a tie on a cabinet nomination, according to the Senate historian. Taking the gavel as the vote deadlocked at 50-50, Mr. Pence, a former member of the House, declared his vote for Ms. DeVos before announcing that Mr. Trump’s nominee for education secretary had been confirmed...
The problem with our politics is not partisanship or political parties. The problem with our politics is that the Republican Party -- the party for which Mr. Dowd worked so obediently for so many years -- is fucking insane.
— Matthew Dowd (@matthewjdowd) February 7, 2017
But ABC's chief political analyst is either too psychologically damaged or too professionally dependent on the Great Big Lie of Both Sides Do It to ever admit this blatantly obvious fact. Which, in microcosm, is why Beltway media coverage of politics is so laughably awful.
2 comments:
The problem is "Both Sides Do It" is now a part of political branding.
To reach the widest possible audience to sell his "Country Over Party" T-shirts, coffee mugs, totebags, and other useless Middle America kitsch, Matthew Dowd has to claim "independent" territory and blame "both sides" for political dysfunction due almost solely to Republicans.
"Both sides" is such a comforting fantasy, in which Republicans can absolve themselves of their racism and misogyny and authoritarianism, because "Dems do it too," and squishy Leftists and political Know-Nothings can opt out of the political process entirely and enjoy wallowing in their impotence, to the enrichment of people (GG, Stein) who point out TEH MIND-BLOWING FACT that corporations and the government RUN EVERYTHING, MAN!!
"THEY EVEN TELL YOU HOW TO THINK!" scream people who have been told what to think, and run away to tell everyone they know to not bother to vote or participate because TEH MAN is in charge of everything, plus Hillary Clinton has the blood of Muslim children on her hands, so she's exactly the same as Trump and Putin because she isn't the magical "Independent" candidate who can transcend all ideology, fix all problems, and usher in a Maoist-Libertarian-Unvaccinated-Kindergarden utopia.
But I digress...back to Dowd...
The Superbowl ads tell the tale. Trump's brand is toxic. But for Dowd, Stein, GG, and other "Independent" luminaries, being a Democrat is toxic too, because you would lose a significant percentage of the population who has been brainwashed to avoid anything smacking of "liberalism" (like their Constitution) or "Democrats" (who must pay for the sin of speaking up for minorities and women).
In fact, the "Both Sides" dodge is a implicit admission that the majority of the Republican audience is brainwashed and unreachable by any other means. You cannot type in modern media statements like "The Democrats are right" or "Liberals stand up for individual rights" or "The Republican Party is a racist, misogynist, white nationalist goon squad" because that would make Republican news consumers have a sad. And corporations and soulless individuals like Dowd, because they want the widest market share possible, are so very careful to blame all of us, as if we're in Mass and we're all responsible for Father David raping the altar boys.
Because if everyone's guilty...nobody's really guilty. And nothing will change. So the grift can go on, and more peons can by "Country Over Party" T-shirts.
As our host has demonstrated repeatedly, Matthew Dowd is ridiculous. I won't spend any more bytes on him. The larger, more important point, which our host has made before is that the Democrats are not going anywhere and absolutely should not go anywhere: make Manchin and Heitcamp own to being real Democrats or go away and Democrats take vulnerable GOP seats. It's the end game now and Trump is actually a crucial knight to take down the Queen (Ryan) if he can be manipulated.
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