Thanks for hearing my concern for wolf-in-sheep’s-clothing Sinclair Network. We are fortunate in having a latter day kinsman to Thomas Paine in you. Keep writing, keep speaking, keep fighting, keep the focus on objective truth amidst a torrential shitstorm of lies, mis-and disinformation, phony nationalistic propaganda and a “free” press which has been largely purchased, co-opted and consolidated by right wing, oligarchic money.
Yes, that stupid ad was clearly written by consultants. Yes they should hire you and people from The Bulwark and Rick Wilson. You guys are the only ones who get it.
An ad describing his fleecing of students at the phony "Trump University" might work well. The "University" failed and the people who were duped by this liar got a judgment for $25 million. A collection of other Trump scams could follow quickly, highlighting the $399 "golden sneakers" and the $60 bible that, in an attempt to show a false connection between our nation and the Judeo-Christian religions, included the Constitution.
The point could then be made that his entire election is a scam. aimed at making him a U.S. dictator. The last segment could show him saying he would be dictator for one day, followed by the statement a dictator for one day remains a dictator for life.
There should be quick ad on how the "business genius" was one of very few owners of casinos that failed, pointing out that he lied about the $1million small loan from his father wo actually passed on his money to his children by buying greatly overpriced building materials and supplies for rental property from their sham "corporations. This man is lower than whale poop.
An add quoting him referencing how the American Revolutionary Army successfully defended the airports, followed by a clip of him saying it wasn't his fault because the teleprompter failed, ending with him stating, as he has many times, that he doesn't use a teleprompter might get some of the undecided to understand what a confused liar he is and how unfit for the presidency this pathetic windbag really is,
The people running the Biden campaign are profoundly inept. Why can’t Biden see that and make a change? The fact that Biden seems clueless, as right wing propagandist would tell you, seems to be true if Biden can’t see the folly of those running his campaign.
Normal people who truly appreciate and want to continue our democracy seem to have no one speaking for or to them. We don’t want Trump or Biden!
Between the two , Biden is preferred but his campaign is so badly run that it seems to be pointless.
A right wing tidal wave of lies and misinformation is simply being met with a whimper instead of all hands on deck. How can Biden possibly win in this environment?
Agreed Steve, but a recent poll showed 21%’of independents (actual voters) won’t vote for a convicted felon. Maybe they’re making sure every independent voter truly knows, since it’s a very tight race where every vote in “some” states count.
That said, I’ll defer to your expertise on the subject…:)
I believe he will lose the popular and electoral vote but I also believe he will order violence, once again claiming the election was rigged. President Biden should use the Insurrection Act of 1807 to keep the National Guard on high alert and the military ready to put down MAGA violence with whatever means necessary. This political, social, and economic insanity must stop.
I don’t disagree. And I wouldn’t disagree with your analysis about having the national guard on standby, but I don’t think Biden will do it.
He’ll need consent from the applicable state governors (red states) prior to the election, and they’ll say he’s federalizing the guard to invoke martial law if he loses.
I believe the Insurrection Act of 1807 gives the president the power to call out the National Guard in all 50 states with no need for governors' consent in the case of insurrection,
I wonder if President Biden asserted , as would likely be the case, that domestic violence is immenint following Trump's calls for his gestapo to fight for the cause. After all, he has done it once already and Noem's statement about MAGA "patriots" arming themselves as did the Amercan revolutionaries portends far more widespread violence. In any event, the Guard should be on alert in states where governors are willing to cooperate and the military should be ready. It troubles me deeply to say we are and have been in a cold civil war; I think it may get hot in the near future.
Poll I just read declared 21% of Independents “were less likely” to vote for a convicted felon. I would hope 100% of ALL voters wouldn’t vote for a convicted felon.
Steve, the words and tone of many of the Biden ads are too high minded. Their media team is soft.
The message which you felt was ok, was not ok. Soft music playing and words scrolling requiring the viewer to READ about the GOP nominee is ridiculous.
There should be graphic novels of DJT on his knees giving Putin a *#%*, with insert the name any GOP sycophant tossing DJTs salad from behind. Or, DJT creeping in underage female dressing rooms ( with the soft narrator asking the viewer if they will defend their wives . Sisters or Mothers when he attacks them) or be a “Cruzkold”. Or, DJT the wonder years, to imagine the horror of what his early years must have been like in order to create this nut job. Or………
How about a political message comparing the disinformation tactics to disassemble democratic institutions in Germany prior to WW2. ( Timothy Ryback’s “ Takeover “. How will the common citizen be protected from the chaos, corruption and fallout
Steve, you keep referring to Trump as “this man”. This insults the entire gender. Try “vermin”.
Dunno about hitting him hard. Any person of goodwill knows how horrible he is and his supporters don’t care — for whatever aberrational reason. I’d say a new tack is in order, not to hit Trump but to appeal to the better angels of humanity, that we can be an extraordinary species who care about each other. Maybe all this assault humanity is under is to wake us up to that higher consciousness. “Are you by and large feel helpless, buried by capitalism that has outlived its usefulness? This is a call to the better angels of the extraordinary species we were designed to be, to become a force for the real good, which is not possible if Republicans prevail. There’s lots of work to do to make this a fair system but we only can do that if Biden wins.” Why don’t we work on some messaging in that perspective? See my Substack, that’s focused on that.
Steve, way to expose Sinclair! This is cyber-warfare, much more dangerous than "The Enquirer". Keep hitting hard on this. We need ongoing Warnings about corruption in the media. Thank you.
Hi all, Sam Urdank posted this link to a podcast a couple days ago (Greg Olear converses with Billy Ray). I'm posting it again because it is very much worth listening to. There is much needed perspective in this interview and a level of optimism that complements 'The Warning' very well.
Part of the conversation is about the need for Democrats to start 'reframing' the issues. One that stands out is on the abortion issue. Democrats need to use the term "Government mandated pregnancy" in place of "Choice". That is the correct term for what is going on.
(Thanks Sam, I hope Steve will have time to listen to this and comment, as you suggested.)
Biden is giving legal protection to undocumented spouses. This Christian says that is a very Christian thing to do. But I am sure the “Christians” will be howling with outrage.
Is anybody else noticing that none of his other felonies are mentioned in the ad ?just because the Supreme Court is protecting him doesn’t mean he’s not indicted for God sakes Biden Harris campaign talk about the documents. Talk about January 6.!
Steve, the Sinclair scandal should be the #1 news story in America. It sickens me. How is this possible for a media organization to outright lie to the American people and spread disinformation over and over again and get away with it?
I am now a subscriber to Judd Legum's Substack. Why? The Disinformation Machine has been gathering steam for decades. Rush Limbaugh surfacing in the early Eighties should make the history books as a plausible start date. Like the wheel, lying to the public has been around for a long time, but Rush made a RushMobile out of it thanks to radio broadcasting. Then came Fox News, the top rated cable network, spewing propaganda 24/7. Thanks to Steve, I am now aware of Judd's expose of Sinclair, a further extension of the right wing venom poisoning our country. Through Judd's work, I hope to learn more.
Here's a simple terrifying fact: the primary victim is the US adult population. Incredibly, it is mostly unaware of the devastating consequences of the pollution of our news sources. A prime example is Covid. Trump, instigated by Fox News, etc. and abetted by them, misinformed us about the seriousness of Covid, about the efficacy of testing, about masking, about the spread of the disease and how to cope with it. Due to Trump's deceit, many, many people died in misery from the effects of Covid unnecessarily. How many deaths can be attributed to Trump? We can estimate that number. It is clear that the Covid death rate was much higher in predominantly Republican regions of the country. That fact is largely unknown. You won't find it in the Wall Street Journal or on Fox News. Let' state it clearly: living in a community of Trump supporters increased the likelihood you would die from Covid.
The devastating influence of these semi-organized propaganda machines is remaking our country. It is an appalling commentary on legitimate news sources that they choose not to expose this problem. To cite just one tiny example, "Morning Joe" typically refers to the disinformation on Fox News as something perpetrated by "one of the other cable news sources". That has changed in the last few months as these "news sources" have become ever more desperate to get Trump elected and ever more obvious in their methods. The WSJ video debacle is a fine example. Tracing the spread of the story throughout the echosphere tells us a lot about the coconspirators.
Our poisoned news is the single most significant news story in the last two decades. Judd is one of the very few commentators to recognize this. Of course, it is not news to Steve nor his viewers, though even they sometimes fail to appreciate the depth and extent of the problem. The organized attempt, on Fox and in the WSJ, to paint Joe Biden as a senile old man is a good example of how it is done. In just the last day or two, we get a fine display of their technique. The tentacles of this monster are spread far and wide in the body politic. Like Covid, to defeat it requires a massive effort.
Thanks for hearing my concern for wolf-in-sheep’s-clothing Sinclair Network. We are fortunate in having a latter day kinsman to Thomas Paine in you. Keep writing, keep speaking, keep fighting, keep the focus on objective truth amidst a torrential shitstorm of lies, mis-and disinformation, phony nationalistic propaganda and a “free” press which has been largely purchased, co-opted and consolidated by right wing, oligarchic money.
Steve, isn't there some way you could work for the Biden campaign? My god, we need someone who will hit that orange hemorrhoid hard!
YES. Steve Schmidt is needed on the Biden team. We need a hard hitter to take down MAGA.
There is nothing like a good "Schmidt Storm" to clear the air: knock the hell out of MAGA!
Yes, that stupid ad was clearly written by consultants. Yes they should hire you and people from The Bulwark and Rick Wilson. You guys are the only ones who get it.
Yes,Steve can you offer your services for the WIN? They are lacking the impact you can offer!
My thought as well.
An ad describing his fleecing of students at the phony "Trump University" might work well. The "University" failed and the people who were duped by this liar got a judgment for $25 million. A collection of other Trump scams could follow quickly, highlighting the $399 "golden sneakers" and the $60 bible that, in an attempt to show a false connection between our nation and the Judeo-Christian religions, included the Constitution.
The point could then be made that his entire election is a scam. aimed at making him a U.S. dictator. The last segment could show him saying he would be dictator for one day, followed by the statement a dictator for one day remains a dictator for life.
There should be quick ad on how the "business genius" was one of very few owners of casinos that failed, pointing out that he lied about the $1million small loan from his father wo actually passed on his money to his children by buying greatly overpriced building materials and supplies for rental property from their sham "corporations. This man is lower than whale poop.
Yes, there needs to be an ad that keeps calling TFG a "LOSER". Call him what he IS.
Repeat every chance presented. Just like Trump believes a lie repeated often enough will be believed, so should a truth like HE IS A LOSER.
Then specify each loss: 2020 election, court cases, and finally, his mind.
Yes! Trump = LOSER! Amplify non-stop in every way possible. Get him gone!
An add quoting him referencing how the American Revolutionary Army successfully defended the airports, followed by a clip of him saying it wasn't his fault because the teleprompter failed, ending with him stating, as he has many times, that he doesn't use a teleprompter might get some of the undecided to understand what a confused liar he is and how unfit for the presidency this pathetic windbag really is,
TFG is ONLY "The Grifter in Chief". He is a grifting thug. This needs to yelled out by the media!
TFG = The Fat Grifter?
YES!
The people running the Biden campaign are profoundly inept. Why can’t Biden see that and make a change? The fact that Biden seems clueless, as right wing propagandist would tell you, seems to be true if Biden can’t see the folly of those running his campaign.
Normal people who truly appreciate and want to continue our democracy seem to have no one speaking for or to them. We don’t want Trump or Biden!
Between the two , Biden is preferred but his campaign is so badly run that it seems to be pointless.
A right wing tidal wave of lies and misinformation is simply being met with a whimper instead of all hands on deck. How can Biden possibly win in this environment?
I agree. Need to summon the ghost of Lee Atwater and then go lower.
Agreed Steve, but a recent poll showed 21%’of independents (actual voters) won’t vote for a convicted felon. Maybe they’re making sure every independent voter truly knows, since it’s a very tight race where every vote in “some” states count.
That said, I’ll defer to your expertise on the subject…:)
I believe he will lose the popular and electoral vote but I also believe he will order violence, once again claiming the election was rigged. President Biden should use the Insurrection Act of 1807 to keep the National Guard on high alert and the military ready to put down MAGA violence with whatever means necessary. This political, social, and economic insanity must stop.
This insanity is a Fascist-coup, an attempted tyrannical take-over. The waters are deep.
I don’t disagree. And I wouldn’t disagree with your analysis about having the national guard on standby, but I don’t think Biden will do it.
He’ll need consent from the applicable state governors (red states) prior to the election, and they’ll say he’s federalizing the guard to invoke martial law if he loses.
I believe the Insurrection Act of 1807 gives the president the power to call out the National Guard in all 50 states with no need for governors' consent in the case of insurrection,
Yes, if there’s an insurrection. However, you can’t federalize the guard in advance of an actual insurrection. He’d need consent of the governors.
Additionally, he’d let them know in advance what he was planning, which would allow them to spin a false narrative.
I wonder if President Biden asserted , as would likely be the case, that domestic violence is immenint following Trump's calls for his gestapo to fight for the cause. After all, he has done it once already and Noem's statement about MAGA "patriots" arming themselves as did the Amercan revolutionaries portends far more widespread violence. In any event, the Guard should be on alert in states where governors are willing to cooperate and the military should be ready. It troubles me deeply to say we are and have been in a cold civil war; I think it may get hot in the near future.
Agreed…:)
Poll I just read declared 21% of Independents “were less likely” to vote for a convicted felon. I would hope 100% of ALL voters wouldn’t vote for a convicted felon.
Agreed, yet here we are..:)
It is likely they will not vote at all.
The voters from the polling?
Steve, the words and tone of many of the Biden ads are too high minded. Their media team is soft.
The message which you felt was ok, was not ok. Soft music playing and words scrolling requiring the viewer to READ about the GOP nominee is ridiculous.
There should be graphic novels of DJT on his knees giving Putin a *#%*, with insert the name any GOP sycophant tossing DJTs salad from behind. Or, DJT creeping in underage female dressing rooms ( with the soft narrator asking the viewer if they will defend their wives . Sisters or Mothers when he attacks them) or be a “Cruzkold”. Or, DJT the wonder years, to imagine the horror of what his early years must have been like in order to create this nut job. Or………
How about a political message comparing the disinformation tactics to disassemble democratic institutions in Germany prior to WW2. ( Timothy Ryback’s “ Takeover “. How will the common citizen be protected from the chaos, corruption and fallout
Steve, you keep referring to Trump as “this man”. This insults the entire gender. Try “vermin”.
Dunno about hitting him hard. Any person of goodwill knows how horrible he is and his supporters don’t care — for whatever aberrational reason. I’d say a new tack is in order, not to hit Trump but to appeal to the better angels of humanity, that we can be an extraordinary species who care about each other. Maybe all this assault humanity is under is to wake us up to that higher consciousness. “Are you by and large feel helpless, buried by capitalism that has outlived its usefulness? This is a call to the better angels of the extraordinary species we were designed to be, to become a force for the real good, which is not possible if Republicans prevail. There’s lots of work to do to make this a fair system but we only can do that if Biden wins.” Why don’t we work on some messaging in that perspective? See my Substack, that’s focused on that.
Absolutely correct Suzanne! Love versus hate. Peace/war Fairness/ unfair Compassion/narcissism
Steve, way to expose Sinclair! This is cyber-warfare, much more dangerous than "The Enquirer". Keep hitting hard on this. We need ongoing Warnings about corruption in the media. Thank you.
Sinclair may not be "cyber-warfare" but this is extreme, dark and dangerous propaganda.
Hi all, Sam Urdank posted this link to a podcast a couple days ago (Greg Olear converses with Billy Ray). I'm posting it again because it is very much worth listening to. There is much needed perspective in this interview and a level of optimism that complements 'The Warning' very well.
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/prevail-with-greg-olear/id1553506699?i=1000659007813
Part of the conversation is about the need for Democrats to start 'reframing' the issues. One that stands out is on the abortion issue. Democrats need to use the term "Government mandated pregnancy" in place of "Choice". That is the correct term for what is going on.
(Thanks Sam, I hope Steve will have time to listen to this and comment, as you suggested.)
Steve you have great experience in creating political ads. Why don’t you offer to create a hard hitting ad for Biden?
It would be a great opportunity for you and helpful for the campaign.
It’s never gonna happen is it? The dems aren’t going to fight back hard & dirty until it’s too late. We are so screwed.
Biden is giving legal protection to undocumented spouses. This Christian says that is a very Christian thing to do. But I am sure the “Christians” will be howling with outrage.
Is anybody else noticing that none of his other felonies are mentioned in the ad ?just because the Supreme Court is protecting him doesn’t mean he’s not indicted for God sakes Biden Harris campaign talk about the documents. Talk about January 6.!
Steve, the Sinclair scandal should be the #1 news story in America. It sickens me. How is this possible for a media organization to outright lie to the American people and spread disinformation over and over again and get away with it?
We are undergoing a tyrannical take-over. The waters are deep. The corruption is total.
I am now a subscriber to Judd Legum's Substack. Why? The Disinformation Machine has been gathering steam for decades. Rush Limbaugh surfacing in the early Eighties should make the history books as a plausible start date. Like the wheel, lying to the public has been around for a long time, but Rush made a RushMobile out of it thanks to radio broadcasting. Then came Fox News, the top rated cable network, spewing propaganda 24/7. Thanks to Steve, I am now aware of Judd's expose of Sinclair, a further extension of the right wing venom poisoning our country. Through Judd's work, I hope to learn more.
Here's a simple terrifying fact: the primary victim is the US adult population. Incredibly, it is mostly unaware of the devastating consequences of the pollution of our news sources. A prime example is Covid. Trump, instigated by Fox News, etc. and abetted by them, misinformed us about the seriousness of Covid, about the efficacy of testing, about masking, about the spread of the disease and how to cope with it. Due to Trump's deceit, many, many people died in misery from the effects of Covid unnecessarily. How many deaths can be attributed to Trump? We can estimate that number. It is clear that the Covid death rate was much higher in predominantly Republican regions of the country. That fact is largely unknown. You won't find it in the Wall Street Journal or on Fox News. Let' state it clearly: living in a community of Trump supporters increased the likelihood you would die from Covid.
The devastating influence of these semi-organized propaganda machines is remaking our country. It is an appalling commentary on legitimate news sources that they choose not to expose this problem. To cite just one tiny example, "Morning Joe" typically refers to the disinformation on Fox News as something perpetrated by "one of the other cable news sources". That has changed in the last few months as these "news sources" have become ever more desperate to get Trump elected and ever more obvious in their methods. The WSJ video debacle is a fine example. Tracing the spread of the story throughout the echosphere tells us a lot about the coconspirators.
Our poisoned news is the single most significant news story in the last two decades. Judd is one of the very few commentators to recognize this. Of course, it is not news to Steve nor his viewers, though even they sometimes fail to appreciate the depth and extent of the problem. The organized attempt, on Fox and in the WSJ, to paint Joe Biden as a senile old man is a good example of how it is done. In just the last day or two, we get a fine display of their technique. The tentacles of this monster are spread far and wide in the body politic. Like Covid, to defeat it requires a massive effort.