Headline of an opinion piece on Washington Post:
The double standard for Harris and Trump has reached a breaking point
One candidate can rant about gibberish while the other has to be perfect.
Some extracts:
Something is wrong with this split-screen picture. On one side, former president Donald Trump rants about mass deportations and claims to have stopped “wars with France,” after being described by his longest-serving White House chief of staff as a literal fascist. On the other side, commentators debate whether Vice President Kamala Harris performed well enough at a CNN town hall to “close the deal.”
Seriously? Much of a double standard here?
Somehow, it is apparently baked into this campaign that Trump is allowed to talk and act like a complete lunatic while Harris has to be perfect in every way. I don’t know the answer to the chicken-or-egg question — whether media coverage is leading public perception or vice versa — but the disparate treatment is glaring.
This week, it became simply ridiculous.
Further down:
Let’s review: First, Harris was criticized for not doing enough interviews — so she did multiple interviews, including with nontraditional media. She was criticized for not doing hostile interviews — so she went toe to toe with Bret Baier of Fox News. She was criticized as being comfortable only at scripted rallies — so she did unscripted events, such as the town hall on Wednesday. Along the way, she wiped the floor with Trump during their one televised debate.
Trump, meanwhile, stands before his MAGA crowds and spews nonstop lies, ominous threats, impossible promises and utter gibberish. His rhetoric is dismissed, or looked past, without first being interrogated.
Imagine if Harris were promising to end the war in Gaza on her first day in office but wouldn’t say how. Imagine if she were proposing a tariffs-based economic plan that economists say would destabilize the world economy and cost the average family $4,000 a year in higher prices. Imagine if she were promising a “bloody” campaign to uproot and deport millions of undocumented migrants who are gainfully employed and paying taxes. And imagine if Harris were vowing to use the military to go after her political opponents, as Trump repeatedly pledges.
The article has more than 3,600 comments (virtually all in support), showing it has really resonated.
Truth doesn't matter anymore. One of generals mentioned that Trump didn't even know who Rommel was! There are so many examples of Trump's ignorance and cognitive failings Steve but that doesn't seem to matter anymore. I have no idea where this is heading but polling and betting wise in the last week Trump has made important gains. The betting markets have him a clear winner, the polling has him closing in on Harris, now so tight the difference is irrelevant.
ReplyDeleteYes it is not fair BUT
ReplyDeleteFemale voters are voting in much larger numbers and the ground operation is much more important.
I might add I do not think it will be close . The polling is not suspect but opaque