In late July, Biden announced a rule to strengthen access to mental health care for about 150 million Americans. Network nightly news broadcasts are the most-watched news format in the country, garnering anywhere from 4 to 7 million viewers each night, and not a single broadcast covered the mental health news.
What possible explanation could there be for this? Does America have a suicide epidemic? A teenage suicide crisis? A veterans’ suicide crisis? A middle-aged white male suicide crisis?
Check. Check. Check. Check.
"Does America have a loneliness epidemic? A massive mental health crisis?
Check. Check.
The important thing to remember though is this: presidential actions to help real people aren’t news.
Here is another razor sharp insight from Hamby that slices through the usual platitudes and nonsense regarding what is and isn’t news. Sensationalism sells. It always has."
I am going to use this as a Discussion Question in my Abnormal Psychology class. We are discussing Mental Health and the media
It’s all exhausting, frustrating and full of nonsense. I don’t have the TV on during the day, unless there is something extraordinary happening or Sunday football. I try to read articles that make sense. My personal favorite is Deadline White House, but I have found myself tuning out after the first 30 minutes or so. Even Nicolle is running the Trump show. I get it and I don’t. A couple of weeks ago Nicolle Wallace asked the question, how do the Democrats break through the 24/7 Trump show? What should the media being doing? As I watched, my thought was, just stop it. Stop the endless experts saying the same thing over and over. Give Trump 30 minutes and then move on. Dear God it is endless. That Biden is helping multitudes of Americans and our 3rd world infrastructure is finally being fixed, should be top of the hour news. But it isn’t.
I’m typing this sitting outside, as I do every morning, watching the ducks and the 2 fat groundhogs. All far more interesting than the news.
Really good, Steve. I felt your anger and frustration come through your words. Also thanks for elevating David Pepper. There is some great work going on in Ohio, fighting against the authoritarian GOP regime there. As a neighbor, in Indiana, I hope they succeed.
Susan. I came here to say just what you said about Nicole Wallace. I used to love watching her show but I find it’s turned into the trump show along with every other hour on the network. I can’t take it anymore. I know she must be feeling the same way, but her producer has chosen her topics I’m sure. I’m shutting off the TV and going for a walk in my beautiful neighborhood of Noe Valley in San Francisco.
I’m in Santa Rosa, Ron. I have a beautiful refuge in my back yard and understand the need for nature in such an unnatural time.
I have a similar disappointment about Nicole and even Rachel. The Trump show is way over for me. Until they walk that man to jail, I turn off 95% of it.
fyi: Susan Mackay's recent sub stack newsletter, "The Duckling", is inspiring along the lines of grounding ourselves into nature. Also, one of her earlier writings is called, "Ah, but what do you love?" I asked this question to myself yesterday and then lingered outdoors watching the birds, marveling over their joy for Life.
Lisa, I wish I could introduce you to our yard. An acre of pleasure for birds of all kinds. deer, and occasional varieties of 4-legged creatures, even a bear once or twice. There's a fish pond in the back patio, oak and maple trees, peach trees, elderberry and hazelnut bushes, cherry trees, blueberries and strawberries, a veggie garden, and flowers of all kinds, including my precious rose garden.
I read your posts all the time...I believe we are kindred spirits.
Celeste, how beautiful and uplifting! I have a stunning natural environment around me to enjoy, but it seems I've become dissociated over time. I feel inspired to re-pattern this, one step out the door at a time. Thank you!
I retired 2 years ago this month. While I always found refuge in my river and woods, I have found that my mornings sitting out among all of this helped to wash the grime of Corp America from me, along with other things. I can breathe
Thanks, Susan (and Ron). I, too, have become so frustrated with “Mainstream Media” that I turned off the TV. The “Barbie and Ken” talking heads are entertainers who are dependent on ratings - not informing. I ran out of things to throw at the TV. The advent of cable TV with the 24 hour news cycle, coupled with Social Media, have put us into “feel good” silos of endless noise. I’m old enough (73) to remember watching Cronkite and other news anchors bring us 30 minutes of news. We all got the same information. Conversations around the dinner table or the water cooler at work could vary, but we started with the same facts. I read Woodward and Bernstein during Watergate when gumshoe reporters followed the money and the Washington Post mattered. Until recently I loved the crinkle and smudged fingertips from reading the NYT and WAPO. I’ve cancelled both because I no longer trust the editors and publishers to allow reporters to follow a story and let me decide for myself. Instead, I put those dollars into paid subscriptions on SubStack, where I pick writers who I know are experts in their respective fields. I am impressed with the quality of information, the thoughtfulness of their insights, and the value of the readers’ comments (like both of yours). When talking with MAGA supporters I am disheartened by their inability to articulate anything beyond a sound bite on Fox News or a bumper sticker talking point. Whatever happened to critical thinking?
It is so difficult right now, Pete. I am so tired of the mess. I know there are bright, capable journalist, but they seem to fall into the trap. Probably to keep their jobs. Maybe if the money makers stood up, demanded certain principles be followed, things would change. I think it is important to be informed, so I too follow people on Substack and peak in on a couple shows on MSNBC.
As an entrepreneur, I know how hard it is for talented people who are comfortable within an organization to step outside of their comfort zone to go out on their own. But the people we follow on SubStack are taking that risk and sharing their experience and skill with us. They are free of the C-Suite influences and decisions. They call it as they see it - no pandering, no ads, and no BS - just honest insights through the written word. I find my morning reads much more enjoyable and informative than having the tube drone on endlessly with the same old stuff. And I gladly switch to “paid” to support their efforts. I think we are watching a pivotal moment in how people get their information. I’m sure those of us who still read are on the cutting edge of platforms like SubStack where educated people come to learn and share. I find hope in this community.
I no longer watch the people I followed on MSNBC unless something critical is happening. And I was the person that had to know what was happening all the time. Now I follow half a dozen people on Substack and happily pay for honest and thorough information. It's almost like having Walter back.
Do they "fall into the trap" or are they pushed into it by those who write their paychecks? Fox came to America and displayed how to make billions off of fake news (really, there is a "fake news" for profit!). Now, what used to be respectable news sources are making an effort to garner those huge profits from real news. But, real news is not sexy, it's not entertaining. It need not be dumbed down, or made entertaining and addictive. Sadly, I believe it's all about the $$$.
Pete, I did the same. I enjoy picking my authors/journalists.
I subscribed to a few here.
the nyt and wapo, long ago, lost my trust. Wealthy owned, propaganda spreading, media. Things change so fast, except when Old Congress fights to keep a younger Congress's progress.
Last 7-10 years reading most my news. Dry eyes and wrinkles.
My spirit unbroken, I love America and all Americans who knows what it means to be an American.
Kind not rude
Neighborly not Nosy
Helpful to others
Treating the elderly with respect, open those doors, carry the bag's in, tell them to have a good day!
Be mindful of the poor and if you can pay it forward. Work. Work. Work, the years roll by fast, before you know it you didn't save enough.
Stop and smell the roses!
I love Capitalism, not Greed as we see it now, Super-Pac buyoffs, I just don't want America ruled. Tax the Uber Wealthy already.
I feel exactly the same. The “news” on a daily basis is nonstop droning & endless repetition of the same news clips, same guests, same scripts & talking points. It’s mind-numbing and frustrating. They are playing to the fascist Trump base - all of them, in one way or another. Exhausting. I switch to Shark Tank or TCM or even reading a book when I need to escape!
Agreed. I love Nicole, but its two hours dissecting Trump’s psyche and breakdown his crimes. And then on to the next show; Teump ad nauseam. At some point enough is enough. And we never hear about anything else that’s going on. How can Americans be informed that Biden granted mental health access for 150 million Americans, when they don’t tell us, and Biden’s team doesn’t promote their wins effectively.
“A couple of weeks ago Nicolle Wallace asked the question, how do the Democrats break through the 24/7 Trump show? What should the media being doing? As I watched, my thought was, just stop it.”
I hope she was asking a rhetorical question, but apparently not! Instead, it’s wall to wall Trump! I find watching paint dry to be more interesting, and informative....:)
Me too! I read so much I don't need to really watch what Dems are talking about - I DO watch Nicole though (also Resolute Square YouTube) but she talks waaaayyyyy to much about Trump. Highlight the shit then move on. It's time to talk about Joe and all the accomplishements.
“What will be most obvious is that democracy dies at noon, in the plain light of day, slowly and painfully over many long tedious years.”
Never sager words. I would go a step further and quote Hutchins:
“The death of democracy is not likely to be an assassination from ambush. It will be a slow extinction from apathy, indifference, and undernourishment.” ---Robert Maynard Hutchins
As far as the media refusing to report on mental health and only focuses on sensationalism; I agree. Perhaps because the MSN is as mentally disturbed as Trump and his minions. We call Trump a transactional president, who only care about himself: True!
Yet, the MSN is corporate owned and they only care about ratings and profits; sounds transactional and selfish as well.
We rail on Fox for being fake news and telling their audience what they want to hear: True! Yet, the MSN decides what is best for all of us, rails when any administration fails, yet when a solution is found, they couldn’t care less, instead where stuck watching Giuliani hair dye drip down his face at the Four Seasons Landscaping. How quaint!
If America dies, it will have many fathers; and the MSN is more than complicit. That’s why having incredible independent writers, journalists and truth-sayers is more important today, more than ever and the reason I support substack....:)
"If America dies, it will have many fathers; and the MSN is more than complicit. "
Boy, you nailed it! I have never been able to understand why, after Trump constantly calls the MSM "the enemy of the people", they continue they wall-to-wall coverage of him..at the expense of protecting our democracy, including their freedom of the press! It's like they don't comprehend that he would love nothing more than shutting them all down; which he will surely do if he gets back in the White House!
Everyday I struggle between the need to stay informed and keep my sanity. I, too, find myself turning off the MSNBC & CNN talking heads half way through the video. (I don't have cable and have to watch replays on YouTube).
I find it extremely frustrating that even the media labeled "liberal",
has more coverage about all things Trump, and Biden's age, instead of reporting about the good things being done to help everyday American people, the country and the economy! Is it any wonder that a big portion of the American people have a negative opinion about the "right track wrong track" 🤷🏼♀️
CNN used to be my go-to 24/7 when it was NEWS all day and night. It catered to everyone's schedules. I wasn't interested in the analysis - just give me the facts so I can further explore the issues. Now, it's difficult to find programming that isn't an op-ed.
"The Warning" was my first substack subscription. It has been a life changing experience in numerous ways. I rarely, if ever, watch television any more.
Steve Schmidt, this is an important, profound, bedrock, long article. Unfortunately, long tends to be a stopper for most Americans, whose response to visually noting "long" is, "Meh! Feed me bits and bytes, and make it snappy!" I know this to be true because I dwell among them. And sometimes, I AM them. You and Charlie Sykes and a handful of others (e.g., Joyce Vance, Heather Cox Richardson, Neal Katyal) are credible, informed truth-tellers and analysts to whom more people should pay frickin' attention.
So, what we have here are: (1) journalists; (2) truth-telling analysts; (3) people-pleasing, chit-chatting entertainers featuring BREAKING NEWS!!!; and (4) Fox-whatever-the-hell-it-is. Media do bear much of the burden of the empty podium syndrome. Everyone who reads here knows that. Think OJ Simpson and the recent Don the Don convoy coverage. I suppose there's a place for that. But your phrase "democracy dies at noon, in the plain light of day, slowly and painfully over many long tedious years" is/should be an eyeball-popping waker-upper for sentient/semi-sentient human beings in the U.S.A.
Where am I going with this (pauses for breath) long blather? Not sure. But of this I am sure. This foundering country needs better access to truth-tellers. I remember watching you, Steve Schmidt, speaking from your kitchen as part of The Lincoln Project. I knew you'd make eye contact, that you'd straight-talk, that I'd laugh out loud at your occasional snarky truths, and that you weren't following the money (curse of big media).
I've over-stayed my welcome here. Signing off to do a Big Ponder.
When Steve posts one of his powerful "The Warning" youtube videos (175,000 subscribers already), I've noticed that quite a number of people in the community comment that they only want written material from Steve. (Now there are written translations for Steve's podcasts and youtube videos.) I also love Steve's writing, but I can see that the youtube videos can take it TO MAGA and can potentially educate millions of people. It is only a matter of time before clips from "Schmidt Storm" videos go viral on social media. Steve has and will do significant damage to MAGA and will educate many more people. Democracy is on the line now.
Just to be clear (I do a lot of that after the fact), I was not criticizing Steve Schmidt's writing nor the length of article(s). I read and inwardly digest every word. The sad truth is that far too many people (BJ observation poll) ignore long reads because...well, because they're long. And if they don't shift to video, they miss extremely important info and analysis by credible individual(s). I get that video is a powerful reading alternative (for some). I confess to some troglodyte tendencies toward the written word. Bottom line: I wouldn't be a Steve Schmidt subscriber if I didn't believe in what he writes. Or says.
I agree about some people being turned off by long articles, which is why I prefer the video presentation because it is easier to share with the information with the general public.
I even experienced this with my local Dem organization, when I suggested that we forward a "Letters from an American", by Heather Cox-Richardson, to our members; I was told it was too long and people wouldn't read it!
I, too, always looked forward to hearing Steve on the various shows, and The Lincoln Project. I have been a huge supporter of LP since the inception, and continue to be a monthly donor. The Lincoln Project provides an extremely important service in the fight for our democracy, because they know how to fight Republicans! As with Steve, all of the LP members are no longer Republicans, but pro-democracy warriors!
excellent. I'm a former journalist myself and can attest to this sad state of the media. I blame the top editors more than the reporters; the top editors make the assignments, very often write the misleading clickbait headlines, and decide what goes in the lineup. As for "if it bleeds, it leads..." this has always been true of the press. A look back to the NYT a century ago displays this in full, and less lofty papers do the same thing. The mainstream media in general is one big fat lemming -jumping cliff, while the right-wing media is just one rolling conspiracy theory.
I have been so disappointed in the MSM for years now. Assume it has to do with all the DARK MONEY purchasing them. This was perfect …absolutely perfect. I particularly like the line…. How about half past never, ever.
"When will the next news conference be? How about half past never, ever?" (I think this referred to the White House Correspondent's Association). Half past never, ever, sounds just right for me! Biden has important work to do and they're not reporting on it anyway!
Thank you for this excellent post. Joe Biden has done some excellent things for the American people and almost no one is covering them. The press is too busy covering the Trump whisperers. No Edward R Murrows here.
And, Trump & his sycophants love the free air time, good or bad, given by the media. When will that light bulb come on? Recently I was watching tv news & I flipped through each news channel to see for myself. A Trump story was the lead story on every channel with the picture and/or video of him spouting off about something! If he doesn’t have to buy air time he can spend that money on legal fees! We keep feeding the monster!
In politics , in media , in corporations the challenge is no longer recognizing the bad apples among the many good . The challenge is to find the few good apples among the rot and rotting. To find the truth among the lies.
How is it that millions and millions of Americans have lost the will? the ability ? the tools ? to even try to discern between the truth and the lies?
This is a good question. What happened to all of those American citizens? Sometimes I believe that once the majority of the Greatest Generation were gone..too many people just forgot about their sacrifices and the power of Democracy.
A great and very important question! I’m afraid most people believe what they want to be true! They only read/watch what reinforces what they already believe!
Spot on Steve, we need the White House press corps like we need a hole in our head, I like the suggestion “how about never”. The sewer full of lies that MSM is producing has captured the attention of a huge number of our fellow citizens, who don’t know up from down anymore, that’s a fact plain and simple. Millions of Americans vote for people who have no interest in their wellbeing, because they can’t see the forest for the trees. If you didn’t get an education, and you live in a world where education is valued, whose fault is that? The world is changing, as it always has been, the maggots base is uneducated and wants desperately to turn back the clock to what they see as a simpler time that doesn’t exist, and never did, MSM makes billions pandering to that crowd. The lunatic preacher is emblematic of that audience, clueless in the extreme.
I am very politically active and try to stay informed everyday. Unfortunately, I know too many people, even friends, that have 🙉 to protect their "peace". Which leads to a lot of ignorance regarding what's actually happening in the State and Federal Governments.
When you canvass door-to-door you realize that many people are voting without a deep understanding of who/what they're voting for. It's very frustrating, because the majority of the time they have already made up their minds and aren't interested in consuming other information.
This was my question about the 23 August GOP event called a debate: will the mass appeal media and others focus on absence v any substance that occurs? Will snark and gotchas matter more for grabbing an audience (..member by .. anything) than any policy statement that I doubt and hope (this time, Lucy, don’t pull the football) occurs?
My wife, Shelagh and I and two friends just spent a stimulating week at the Chautauqua Institution, probably the first week in decades where no one turned on a television. Instead we listened to Bob Woodward, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, David Axelrod, Carl Rove (still the snake from the Garden of Eden), and a host of other bright minds. It couldn’t have been more clear that Liberals care about society and Conservatives care about themselves and America is doomed if Society does not become paramount. Gillibrand, in particular, with a history of beneficial initiatives and collaboration with others coupled with boundless energy and determination showed us how it should be. One hundred of her in the U.S. Senate and the world would be a far better place.
But we do regularly watch television and the example of Biden and Mental Health and no coverage is the story of Biden and no coverage. While in the knife fight that is U.S. politics, we need Biden’s many accomplishments to be celebrated, we should see “boring” as a compliment, somebody just doing their job. Certainly his predecessor was not boring, while being criminal, reckless, corrupt, incompetent and uncaring just for a start, one lingers for a look at a car wreck and he was a beauty.
Based on what he has done for people, Biden should have a 50 to 60 per cent approval rating and be a shoo-in for a second term. When you do things for 150 million people you are doing it for society, not just individuals, and Biden’s record rivals FDR given the hand he was dealt. So, who cares? I think Americans have been taught to put themselves ahead of their society just when it needs to be the other way around. As long as there is Fox News and its kind to stir the cauldron of hate, combined with the disastrous corrosion of the Republican Party, the American experience will be an endless string of car wrecks to distract from the compassionate, deeply beneficial actions of the Biden administration so essential to pulling America out of this morass. If they can just get passed Donald Trump, who descended the escalator to con America into the worst administration in the country’s history.
Sure, the media has had its head turned way too much in covering the Trump wreck, but it will be the media that gives thorough coverage to his undoing, especially if cameras can penetrate the courtroom. One can only hope that the more benign media can lead the way and America, like a responsible dog owner, learns how to pick up after itself.
And I should have added Ken Burns, who attended a large audience via Zoom and shared his new picture book celebrating America. Here is a man, both artist and philosopher of whom America should be deeply proud.
Just stop covering everything trump - except for his arrest, trials, convictions and incarceration That is news.. Everything else about the fat man is theatrics
Blame who you want, it’s about money. Media, whether social, print, TV etc, are looking for followers, ratings, and attention, cuz that’s where the money is. Democracy and the Constitution have gotten in the way of capitalism, and that my friends is what the real America is all about. Say and do whatever you want as long as it makes money. Why are depression and loneliness increasing? Because money is equated with happiness, and the economic inequality that is also expanding. I’m not a socialist, but revolutions occur when things become extreme. The “Let them eat cake” with the “Handmaids’ Tale” factions of the GOP and the SCOTUS, have brought us here and it will get worse and more violent I’m afraid.
I hope your prediction is false. It is my wish that the power of the Federal DOJ as well as the states’ law enforcement holds a strong and dependable front line against misinformation that pollutes our American common sense and reason.
Steve, you are a keeper of the lights that still shine, however dimly, upon our fair city upon a hill. God bless & let us know how we can help strengthen the light of truth so that it may never be extinguished. To hell with the cynics; cynicism never built anything.
In late July, Biden announced a rule to strengthen access to mental health care for about 150 million Americans. Network nightly news broadcasts are the most-watched news format in the country, garnering anywhere from 4 to 7 million viewers each night, and not a single broadcast covered the mental health news.
What possible explanation could there be for this? Does America have a suicide epidemic? A teenage suicide crisis? A veterans’ suicide crisis? A middle-aged white male suicide crisis?
Check. Check. Check. Check.
"Does America have a loneliness epidemic? A massive mental health crisis?
Check. Check.
The important thing to remember though is this: presidential actions to help real people aren’t news.
Here is another razor sharp insight from Hamby that slices through the usual platitudes and nonsense regarding what is and isn’t news. Sensationalism sells. It always has."
I am going to use this as a Discussion Question in my Abnormal Psychology class. We are discussing Mental Health and the media
Excellent! This is the quote I shared on FB with this piece.
It’s all exhausting, frustrating and full of nonsense. I don’t have the TV on during the day, unless there is something extraordinary happening or Sunday football. I try to read articles that make sense. My personal favorite is Deadline White House, but I have found myself tuning out after the first 30 minutes or so. Even Nicolle is running the Trump show. I get it and I don’t. A couple of weeks ago Nicolle Wallace asked the question, how do the Democrats break through the 24/7 Trump show? What should the media being doing? As I watched, my thought was, just stop it. Stop the endless experts saying the same thing over and over. Give Trump 30 minutes and then move on. Dear God it is endless. That Biden is helping multitudes of Americans and our 3rd world infrastructure is finally being fixed, should be top of the hour news. But it isn’t.
I’m typing this sitting outside, as I do every morning, watching the ducks and the 2 fat groundhogs. All far more interesting than the news.
Really good, Steve. I felt your anger and frustration come through your words. Also thanks for elevating David Pepper. There is some great work going on in Ohio, fighting against the authoritarian GOP regime there. As a neighbor, in Indiana, I hope they succeed.
Susan. I came here to say just what you said about Nicole Wallace. I used to love watching her show but I find it’s turned into the trump show along with every other hour on the network. I can’t take it anymore. I know she must be feeling the same way, but her producer has chosen her topics I’m sure. I’m shutting off the TV and going for a walk in my beautiful neighborhood of Noe Valley in San Francisco.
I’m in Santa Rosa, Ron. I have a beautiful refuge in my back yard and understand the need for nature in such an unnatural time.
I have a similar disappointment about Nicole and even Rachel. The Trump show is way over for me. Until they walk that man to jail, I turn off 95% of it.
Enjoy your walks.
fyi: Susan Mackay's recent sub stack newsletter, "The Duckling", is inspiring along the lines of grounding ourselves into nature. Also, one of her earlier writings is called, "Ah, but what do you love?" I asked this question to myself yesterday and then lingered outdoors watching the birds, marveling over their joy for Life.
Lisa, I wish I could introduce you to our yard. An acre of pleasure for birds of all kinds. deer, and occasional varieties of 4-legged creatures, even a bear once or twice. There's a fish pond in the back patio, oak and maple trees, peach trees, elderberry and hazelnut bushes, cherry trees, blueberries and strawberries, a veggie garden, and flowers of all kinds, including my precious rose garden.
I read your posts all the time...I believe we are kindred spirits.
Now you know how I ward off depression!!
Celeste, how beautiful and uplifting! I have a stunning natural environment around me to enjoy, but it seems I've become dissociated over time. I feel inspired to re-pattern this, one step out the door at a time. Thank you!
I retired 2 years ago this month. While I always found refuge in my river and woods, I have found that my mornings sitting out among all of this helped to wash the grime of Corp America from me, along with other things. I can breathe
Ok, now I want to visit you!
I turned her off a long time ago. She should have had the backbone to stand for more than, "my producer made me".
It is so disappointing. Noe Valley. I became envious when I read that. Hope you have a good walk.
Thanks, Susan (and Ron). I, too, have become so frustrated with “Mainstream Media” that I turned off the TV. The “Barbie and Ken” talking heads are entertainers who are dependent on ratings - not informing. I ran out of things to throw at the TV. The advent of cable TV with the 24 hour news cycle, coupled with Social Media, have put us into “feel good” silos of endless noise. I’m old enough (73) to remember watching Cronkite and other news anchors bring us 30 minutes of news. We all got the same information. Conversations around the dinner table or the water cooler at work could vary, but we started with the same facts. I read Woodward and Bernstein during Watergate when gumshoe reporters followed the money and the Washington Post mattered. Until recently I loved the crinkle and smudged fingertips from reading the NYT and WAPO. I’ve cancelled both because I no longer trust the editors and publishers to allow reporters to follow a story and let me decide for myself. Instead, I put those dollars into paid subscriptions on SubStack, where I pick writers who I know are experts in their respective fields. I am impressed with the quality of information, the thoughtfulness of their insights, and the value of the readers’ comments (like both of yours). When talking with MAGA supporters I am disheartened by their inability to articulate anything beyond a sound bite on Fox News or a bumper sticker talking point. Whatever happened to critical thinking?
Without proper education in history, civics, and critical thinking skills, we're doomed.
You’re right, Lisa. The trifecta for effective, informed citizenship.
It is so difficult right now, Pete. I am so tired of the mess. I know there are bright, capable journalist, but they seem to fall into the trap. Probably to keep their jobs. Maybe if the money makers stood up, demanded certain principles be followed, things would change. I think it is important to be informed, so I too follow people on Substack and peak in on a couple shows on MSNBC.
As an entrepreneur, I know how hard it is for talented people who are comfortable within an organization to step outside of their comfort zone to go out on their own. But the people we follow on SubStack are taking that risk and sharing their experience and skill with us. They are free of the C-Suite influences and decisions. They call it as they see it - no pandering, no ads, and no BS - just honest insights through the written word. I find my morning reads much more enjoyable and informative than having the tube drone on endlessly with the same old stuff. And I gladly switch to “paid” to support their efforts. I think we are watching a pivotal moment in how people get their information. I’m sure those of us who still read are on the cutting edge of platforms like SubStack where educated people come to learn and share. I find hope in this community.
I no longer watch the people I followed on MSNBC unless something critical is happening. And I was the person that had to know what was happening all the time. Now I follow half a dozen people on Substack and happily pay for honest and thorough information. It's almost like having Walter back.
Karen, I couldn’t agree more.
Do they "fall into the trap" or are they pushed into it by those who write their paychecks? Fox came to America and displayed how to make billions off of fake news (really, there is a "fake news" for profit!). Now, what used to be respectable news sources are making an effort to garner those huge profits from real news. But, real news is not sexy, it's not entertaining. It need not be dumbed down, or made entertaining and addictive. Sadly, I believe it's all about the $$$.
Pete, I did the same. I enjoy picking my authors/journalists.
I subscribed to a few here.
the nyt and wapo, long ago, lost my trust. Wealthy owned, propaganda spreading, media. Things change so fast, except when Old Congress fights to keep a younger Congress's progress.
Last 7-10 years reading most my news. Dry eyes and wrinkles.
My spirit unbroken, I love America and all Americans who knows what it means to be an American.
Kind not rude
Neighborly not Nosy
Helpful to others
Treating the elderly with respect, open those doors, carry the bag's in, tell them to have a good day!
Be mindful of the poor and if you can pay it forward. Work. Work. Work, the years roll by fast, before you know it you didn't save enough.
Stop and smell the roses!
I love Capitalism, not Greed as we see it now, Super-Pac buyoffs, I just don't want America ruled. Tax the Uber Wealthy already.
Ah, this spoke to my soul. We are of one mind.
I feel exactly the same. The “news” on a daily basis is nonstop droning & endless repetition of the same news clips, same guests, same scripts & talking points. It’s mind-numbing and frustrating. They are playing to the fascist Trump base - all of them, in one way or another. Exhausting. I switch to Shark Tank or TCM or even reading a book when I need to escape!
Yep. I read, go outside, sometimes music is on. But have come to appreciate quiet.
Agreed. I love Nicole, but its two hours dissecting Trump’s psyche and breakdown his crimes. And then on to the next show; Teump ad nauseam. At some point enough is enough. And we never hear about anything else that’s going on. How can Americans be informed that Biden granted mental health access for 150 million Americans, when they don’t tell us, and Biden’s team doesn’t promote their wins effectively.
“A couple of weeks ago Nicolle Wallace asked the question, how do the Democrats break through the 24/7 Trump show? What should the media being doing? As I watched, my thought was, just stop it.”
I hope she was asking a rhetorical question, but apparently not! Instead, it’s wall to wall Trump! I find watching paint dry to be more interesting, and informative....:)
Me too! I read so much I don't need to really watch what Dems are talking about - I DO watch Nicole though (also Resolute Square YouTube) but she talks waaaayyyyy to much about Trump. Highlight the shit then move on. It's time to talk about Joe and all the accomplishements.
“What will be most obvious is that democracy dies at noon, in the plain light of day, slowly and painfully over many long tedious years.”
Never sager words. I would go a step further and quote Hutchins:
“The death of democracy is not likely to be an assassination from ambush. It will be a slow extinction from apathy, indifference, and undernourishment.” ---Robert Maynard Hutchins
As far as the media refusing to report on mental health and only focuses on sensationalism; I agree. Perhaps because the MSN is as mentally disturbed as Trump and his minions. We call Trump a transactional president, who only care about himself: True!
Yet, the MSN is corporate owned and they only care about ratings and profits; sounds transactional and selfish as well.
We rail on Fox for being fake news and telling their audience what they want to hear: True! Yet, the MSN decides what is best for all of us, rails when any administration fails, yet when a solution is found, they couldn’t care less, instead where stuck watching Giuliani hair dye drip down his face at the Four Seasons Landscaping. How quaint!
If America dies, it will have many fathers; and the MSN is more than complicit. That’s why having incredible independent writers, journalists and truth-sayers is more important today, more than ever and the reason I support substack....:)
"If America dies, it will have many fathers; and the MSN is more than complicit. "
Boy, you nailed it! I have never been able to understand why, after Trump constantly calls the MSM "the enemy of the people", they continue they wall-to-wall coverage of him..at the expense of protecting our democracy, including their freedom of the press! It's like they don't comprehend that he would love nothing more than shutting them all down; which he will surely do if he gets back in the White House!
Everyday I struggle between the need to stay informed and keep my sanity. I, too, find myself turning off the MSNBC & CNN talking heads half way through the video. (I don't have cable and have to watch replays on YouTube).
I find it extremely frustrating that even the media labeled "liberal",
has more coverage about all things Trump, and Biden's age, instead of reporting about the good things being done to help everyday American people, the country and the economy! Is it any wonder that a big portion of the American people have a negative opinion about the "right track wrong track" 🤷🏼♀️
CNN used to be my go-to 24/7 when it was NEWS all day and night. It catered to everyone's schedules. I wasn't interested in the analysis - just give me the facts so I can further explore the issues. Now, it's difficult to find programming that isn't an op-ed.
Perfectly stated
Well said...:)
"The Warning" was my first substack subscription. It has been a life changing experience in numerous ways. I rarely, if ever, watch television any more.
Great community here, too. Thanks.
Steve Schmidt, this is an important, profound, bedrock, long article. Unfortunately, long tends to be a stopper for most Americans, whose response to visually noting "long" is, "Meh! Feed me bits and bytes, and make it snappy!" I know this to be true because I dwell among them. And sometimes, I AM them. You and Charlie Sykes and a handful of others (e.g., Joyce Vance, Heather Cox Richardson, Neal Katyal) are credible, informed truth-tellers and analysts to whom more people should pay frickin' attention.
So, what we have here are: (1) journalists; (2) truth-telling analysts; (3) people-pleasing, chit-chatting entertainers featuring BREAKING NEWS!!!; and (4) Fox-whatever-the-hell-it-is. Media do bear much of the burden of the empty podium syndrome. Everyone who reads here knows that. Think OJ Simpson and the recent Don the Don convoy coverage. I suppose there's a place for that. But your phrase "democracy dies at noon, in the plain light of day, slowly and painfully over many long tedious years" is/should be an eyeball-popping waker-upper for sentient/semi-sentient human beings in the U.S.A.
Where am I going with this (pauses for breath) long blather? Not sure. But of this I am sure. This foundering country needs better access to truth-tellers. I remember watching you, Steve Schmidt, speaking from your kitchen as part of The Lincoln Project. I knew you'd make eye contact, that you'd straight-talk, that I'd laugh out loud at your occasional snarky truths, and that you weren't following the money (curse of big media).
I've over-stayed my welcome here. Signing off to do a Big Ponder.
Thank you, BJ! I will join you in pondering…
Steve
When Steve posts one of his powerful "The Warning" youtube videos (175,000 subscribers already), I've noticed that quite a number of people in the community comment that they only want written material from Steve. (Now there are written translations for Steve's podcasts and youtube videos.) I also love Steve's writing, but I can see that the youtube videos can take it TO MAGA and can potentially educate millions of people. It is only a matter of time before clips from "Schmidt Storm" videos go viral on social media. Steve has and will do significant damage to MAGA and will educate many more people. Democracy is on the line now.
Just to be clear (I do a lot of that after the fact), I was not criticizing Steve Schmidt's writing nor the length of article(s). I read and inwardly digest every word. The sad truth is that far too many people (BJ observation poll) ignore long reads because...well, because they're long. And if they don't shift to video, they miss extremely important info and analysis by credible individual(s). I get that video is a powerful reading alternative (for some). I confess to some troglodyte tendencies toward the written word. Bottom line: I wouldn't be a Steve Schmidt subscriber if I didn't believe in what he writes. Or says.
I agree about some people being turned off by long articles, which is why I prefer the video presentation because it is easier to share with the information with the general public.
I even experienced this with my local Dem organization, when I suggested that we forward a "Letters from an American", by Heather Cox-Richardson, to our members; I was told it was too long and people wouldn't read it!
I, too, always looked forward to hearing Steve on the various shows, and The Lincoln Project. I have been a huge supporter of LP since the inception, and continue to be a monthly donor. The Lincoln Project provides an extremely important service in the fight for our democracy, because they know how to fight Republicans! As with Steve, all of the LP members are no longer Republicans, but pro-democracy warriors!
excellent. I'm a former journalist myself and can attest to this sad state of the media. I blame the top editors more than the reporters; the top editors make the assignments, very often write the misleading clickbait headlines, and decide what goes in the lineup. As for "if it bleeds, it leads..." this has always been true of the press. A look back to the NYT a century ago displays this in full, and less lofty papers do the same thing. The mainstream media in general is one big fat lemming -jumping cliff, while the right-wing media is just one rolling conspiracy theory.
Lemmings, indeed.
I have been so disappointed in the MSM for years now. Assume it has to do with all the DARK MONEY purchasing them. This was perfect …absolutely perfect. I particularly like the line…. How about half past never, ever.
"When will the next news conference be? How about half past never, ever?" (I think this referred to the White House Correspondent's Association). Half past never, ever, sounds just right for me! Biden has important work to do and they're not reporting on it anyway!
Thank you for this excellent post. Joe Biden has done some excellent things for the American people and almost no one is covering them. The press is too busy covering the Trump whisperers. No Edward R Murrows here.
And, Trump & his sycophants love the free air time, good or bad, given by the media. When will that light bulb come on? Recently I was watching tv news & I flipped through each news channel to see for myself. A Trump story was the lead story on every channel with the picture and/or video of him spouting off about something! If he doesn’t have to buy air time he can spend that money on legal fees! We keep feeding the monster!
In politics , in media , in corporations the challenge is no longer recognizing the bad apples among the many good . The challenge is to find the few good apples among the rot and rotting. To find the truth among the lies.
How is it that millions and millions of Americans have lost the will? the ability ? the tools ? to even try to discern between the truth and the lies?
This is a good question. What happened to all of those American citizens? Sometimes I believe that once the majority of the Greatest Generation were gone..too many people just forgot about their sacrifices and the power of Democracy.
A great and very important question! I’m afraid most people believe what they want to be true! They only read/watch what reinforces what they already believe!
Spot on Steve, we need the White House press corps like we need a hole in our head, I like the suggestion “how about never”. The sewer full of lies that MSM is producing has captured the attention of a huge number of our fellow citizens, who don’t know up from down anymore, that’s a fact plain and simple. Millions of Americans vote for people who have no interest in their wellbeing, because they can’t see the forest for the trees. If you didn’t get an education, and you live in a world where education is valued, whose fault is that? The world is changing, as it always has been, the maggots base is uneducated and wants desperately to turn back the clock to what they see as a simpler time that doesn’t exist, and never did, MSM makes billions pandering to that crowd. The lunatic preacher is emblematic of that audience, clueless in the extreme.
Well said 👏🏻
The Veil Of Fears
Linda Sanford Wirt
Pondering political points of spears
I pose a passage of blatant fears
Foreseen darkened years gone by
A looming dooming patriot’s cry.
What then is truth if not a lie?
Cascades downstream it’s blithe reply.
Come moment of damming gather
Would I not know or rather
Would I spout the blather of lion’s mane?
Would I succumb to silence again!
Go upward opposed to the flow
Of undertow.
No!
How is it that I fear?
What cauldron stirs my courage?
Why bring up discontent?
Why talk to another of truth asunder?
Why risk peace to purchase domination?
Why commune for democracy’s nation?
Wrested from mean grip of fear
Hilt of war? The heat of sear?
Will any sacrifice suffice?
Yay tho I walk through the valley
The shadow of death, I shall fear no evil.
As so many have marched through time
Forfeiting lives as victims, soldiers, wives.
I will stand up, Seize the day.
Dispel the lies! But still…
Am I not too old for this assignment?
Too busy? Too frail?
I must talk to my neighbors
Who are equally committed
To manufactured delusion.
Will I at least have courage to
Voice my intrusion?
Too old? Too busy? Too frail
Lifting this veil of fear
So heavy, so near.
Will I? I will.
Wow! Thank you for sharing this, Linda. Am I too old, too busy, too frail. I hope not!
Me too
Well Beth! I think yours is the first comment I have seen here! Thank you for reading my work!
Your “Wow” is my “How” and you unknowingly gave me a wonderful gift on my birthday! Thanks again!
I am very politically active and try to stay informed everyday. Unfortunately, I know too many people, even friends, that have 🙉 to protect their "peace". Which leads to a lot of ignorance regarding what's actually happening in the State and Federal Governments.
When you canvass door-to-door you realize that many people are voting without a deep understanding of who/what they're voting for. It's very frustrating, because the majority of the time they have already made up their minds and aren't interested in consuming other information.
This was my question about the 23 August GOP event called a debate: will the mass appeal media and others focus on absence v any substance that occurs? Will snark and gotchas matter more for grabbing an audience (..member by .. anything) than any policy statement that I doubt and hope (this time, Lucy, don’t pull the football) occurs?
My wife, Shelagh and I and two friends just spent a stimulating week at the Chautauqua Institution, probably the first week in decades where no one turned on a television. Instead we listened to Bob Woodward, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, David Axelrod, Carl Rove (still the snake from the Garden of Eden), and a host of other bright minds. It couldn’t have been more clear that Liberals care about society and Conservatives care about themselves and America is doomed if Society does not become paramount. Gillibrand, in particular, with a history of beneficial initiatives and collaboration with others coupled with boundless energy and determination showed us how it should be. One hundred of her in the U.S. Senate and the world would be a far better place.
But we do regularly watch television and the example of Biden and Mental Health and no coverage is the story of Biden and no coverage. While in the knife fight that is U.S. politics, we need Biden’s many accomplishments to be celebrated, we should see “boring” as a compliment, somebody just doing their job. Certainly his predecessor was not boring, while being criminal, reckless, corrupt, incompetent and uncaring just for a start, one lingers for a look at a car wreck and he was a beauty.
Based on what he has done for people, Biden should have a 50 to 60 per cent approval rating and be a shoo-in for a second term. When you do things for 150 million people you are doing it for society, not just individuals, and Biden’s record rivals FDR given the hand he was dealt. So, who cares? I think Americans have been taught to put themselves ahead of their society just when it needs to be the other way around. As long as there is Fox News and its kind to stir the cauldron of hate, combined with the disastrous corrosion of the Republican Party, the American experience will be an endless string of car wrecks to distract from the compassionate, deeply beneficial actions of the Biden administration so essential to pulling America out of this morass. If they can just get passed Donald Trump, who descended the escalator to con America into the worst administration in the country’s history.
Sure, the media has had its head turned way too much in covering the Trump wreck, but it will be the media that gives thorough coverage to his undoing, especially if cameras can penetrate the courtroom. One can only hope that the more benign media can lead the way and America, like a responsible dog owner, learns how to pick up after itself.
And I should have added Ken Burns, who attended a large audience via Zoom and shared his new picture book celebrating America. Here is a man, both artist and philosopher of whom America should be deeply proud.
Hi Lisa. Please see above, a regrettable omission on my part. Thanks again.
Bravo Steve.
Just stop covering everything trump - except for his arrest, trials, convictions and incarceration That is news.. Everything else about the fat man is theatrics
Blame who you want, it’s about money. Media, whether social, print, TV etc, are looking for followers, ratings, and attention, cuz that’s where the money is. Democracy and the Constitution have gotten in the way of capitalism, and that my friends is what the real America is all about. Say and do whatever you want as long as it makes money. Why are depression and loneliness increasing? Because money is equated with happiness, and the economic inequality that is also expanding. I’m not a socialist, but revolutions occur when things become extreme. The “Let them eat cake” with the “Handmaids’ Tale” factions of the GOP and the SCOTUS, have brought us here and it will get worse and more violent I’m afraid.
I hope your prediction is false. It is my wish that the power of the Federal DOJ as well as the states’ law enforcement holds a strong and dependable front line against misinformation that pollutes our American common sense and reason.
Powerful ! tRump is a lunar(y) module coming apart as it crashes into the swamp it crawled out of back here on earth! Good riddance psychos
Steve, you are a keeper of the lights that still shine, however dimly, upon our fair city upon a hill. God bless & let us know how we can help strengthen the light of truth so that it may never be extinguished. To hell with the cynics; cynicism never built anything.