The United States has never had an election like this: a felon runs for president, a presidential candidate lays out detailed plans for a dictatorship, an entire political party gaslights the public (e.g., the president claims he was behind state prosecutions of his candidate and pretends he won the last election), and a powerful leader of a political party refuses to accept a negative outcome in the next election. Yet coverage of the 2024 campaign has been surprisingly uninterested, if not downright indifferent, to the unprecedented nature of this election and its implications.
It is not just felon and ex-president Donald Trump and his MAGA cult followers who are given a heavy hand by the media. Almost no coverage in print, online, or on TV (other than Jordan Klepper on The Daily Show) confronts MAGA supporters’ idiotic and illogical conspiracy theories. (This is not to ridicule them, but rather to explore why millions of people have come to believe absurd things and to show that it is impossible to convince people on Earth 2.) Exaggerated polling coverage maintains the pretense that millions of MAGA voters care about Trump’s policies. (It is absurd to ask MAGA supporters whose policies they prefer on health care.) The political media, fixated on not offending the Republican Party or its supporters, ends up covering an election that bears little resemblance to the real election.
How can reporting be brought closer to reality? The obsession with early polls, which inevitably become irrelevant after a major event like Trump’s conviction (as they sometimes are!) and can’t yet predict who is likely to vote, should be set aside — or at least come with caveats so they don’t sway reporting.
What might help: A 1-2 minute unedited video of Trump’s incoherent, rambling and erratic rant. Rather than simply “fact-checking” this nonsense rant, a report could explore the nature of Trump’s unprecedented rhetoric, depict the deterioration of his thinking and speech, and discuss how such an apparently irrational and erratic leader manages to captivate such a passionate following.
The media can also reject MAGA’s ludicrous spin, such as claiming that convicting Trump would lead to an election victory. Polls have never reflected such unfounded, illogical drivel before, and, not surprisingly, the opposite has been true. When such an incident occurs, information journalism will examine what else the MAGA faction is lying about (e.g., crowd size) and how authoritarians rely on creating an aura of false invincibility.
When ordinary Republicans repeat Trump’s obvious lies and baseless accusations, interviewers must be prepared to expose them. Republicans cannot be allowed to ignore tough questions about election denial, false data, baseless attacks on the courts, and hypocrisy (the party of law and order?). Treating Republicans as innocent bystanders to a democratic catastrophe distorts reality.
And instead of rambling on and on about President Biden’s age, an honest comparison of Trump’s rambling, horrible interview responses to Biden’s detailed, policy-laden answers in the two Time interviews might reveal a stark difference in sharpness. As Trump unravels further, the forced comparison becomes farcical. (Really, what news value is it for former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to badmouth a president he once praised?) You can’t compare Biden’s detailed policy talk with Trump’s inability to get through a Newsmax(!) interview without sounding crazy.
Similarly, treating the Hunter Biden case (which has nothing to do with the president) as if it were just as important as convicting Trump reveals a lack of perspective and a hunger for clicks. To claim that this is a problem or embarrassment for Biden is tantamount to amplifying MAGA spin.
Finally, given voters’ misconceptions about the economy, the media should Focus on the consequences of Biden’s policies and the impact of his opponent’s shocking inflation plan. Focusing on the gap between public opinion and economic reality (which the media contributes to) exposes the media’s own shortcomings in unconsciously educating voters.
This week’s celebrities
As The New York Times put it, Mexico hosted “a landmark contest in a country long known for its culture of machismo and pervasive violence against women.” President-elect Claudia Scheinbaum is Mexico’s first female president, its first Jewish president, and holds a PhD in energy engineering. (Unfortunately, there’s far too much reporting that promotes sexist tropes.) What a strict boss! No warmth! (A problem that male candidates never face).
Sheinbaum has pledged to stick with the center-left economic policies of his mentor, outgoing President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. Known as AMLO, he has been praised for his efforts to reduce poverty and inequality. But he has been widely criticized for doing less to stem drug cartel violence, which has soared in recent years. (2023 marks the sixth consecutive year with more than 30,000 recorded homicides.) Sheinbaum, who helped cut Mexico City’s murder rate in half during his time as mayor, has vowed to do more to improve it.
She would never have come to power if Mexico had not committed to gender equality and inclusion. The Post reported last year that “after decades of rule by the Institutional Revolutionary Party, politicians changed the law in the 1990s to make elections fairer, and women’s rights activists seized the opportunity.” Gender quotas, first introduced in Mexico’s Congress, “were gradually expanded, and in 2019 Mexico passed a constitutional amendment with the goal of gender equality ‘in everything’ – in all elections for elected office and in appointments to senior positions in the judiciary and executive branch.”
Women have made a difference: “Female lawmakers pushed through legislation that would require domestic workers to receive social security benefits in 2022,” The Washington Post noted. Thanks to more women in local and regional positions, “abortion has been decriminalized in 12 of 32 states.” But increased female participation in government has not made any progress in addressing the epidemic of violence against women.
In short, Scheinbaum’s victory is both a personal victory and a victory for the national movement to increase women’s participation in government. Ultimately, her tenure will be measured by her success in tackling crime and cartels, maintaining relations with the United States, and achieving climate change goals. In the meantime, one must wonder: if Mexico can elect a woman president, why can’t the United States?
I grew up hearing the adage that ice cream isn’t a dessert because it contains milk (protein!). Either way, ice cream, gelato, and sorbet are some of my go-to foods. Now that summer has started, I thought I’d share some of my favorite ice cream places in DC.
Malayalam: The new DC branch of the Brooklyn sensation’s Indian ice cream brand doesn’t disappoint. An incredible variety of flavors awaits, from Cardomon Pistacho Crumble to Mango & Cream to Apricot Mace. Dairy and non-dairy options are available, and it’s all creamy. But you’ll have to wait in line, so bring a book or a friend.
Mount Desert Island Ice Cream: This popular spot in the Mount Pleasant area has a wide variety of inventive flavors (think: blueberry sour cream crumble, Thai chili coconut) and even offers dog ice cream for your beloved pooch.
Italian Bar: This authentic Italian hangout has my favorite flavor in DC: sour cherry gelato. Their rich hazelnut and fruity sorbets are also great. There’s nothing better than sitting on the patio and enjoying an Aperol Spritz and gelato on a hot DC summer day.
Honeys & Friends: This new shop just opened a few doors down from Politics and Prose Bookstore on Connecticut Avenue NW, and the fruit flavors (think blackcurrant, blueberry, and mango sorbet) are especially strong.
Thomas Sweet: This Georgetown institution boasts a wide selection of ice cream, yogurt, fudge, and more. Even when I swear I’ll try something new, I always end up with my favorite: the delicious peanut butter yogurt.
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