I've been thinking, since yesterday, about how political reporters missed Johnson's ascent. I heard one yesterday talking about how he'd had scant fundraising, thus making him an odd choice for speaker. But in 2017 I'd pegged him as a rising star. Why? Because political reporters are looking at... - ThreadSky

sarahposner.bsky.social • 538 days ago

I've been thinking, since yesterday, about how political reporters missed Johnson's ascent. I heard one yesterday talking about how he'd had scant fundraising, thus making him an odd choice for speaker.

But in 2017 I'd pegged him as a rising star. Why? Because political reporters are looking at...

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glamdamnit.bsky.social•538 days ago

It’s because republicans are so corrupt if they have any time in the spotlight at all they immediately become unpopular. Look at Ted Cruz, McCarthy, Jordan, etc. The only people who have a shot are no names because they haven’t been able to fuck up yet.

edwalker.bsky.social•538 days ago

Here's a good example on fund-raising point. https://wapo.st/408dMV7

sean2099.bsky.social•538 days ago

But it’s more luck than judgment, he wouldn’t have been speaker if not for three other people who failed. So the other reporters were right.

bwitkovsky.bsky.social•538 days ago

Johnson is the anti-Welton Gaddy and it makes me so sad not to have his voice in this moment.

antioccident.bsky.social•538 days ago

It is rather incredible how many political reporters are simply missing the movement of Christian Dominionism that's been in play for at least about two decades at this point

fstevenchalmers.bsky.social•538 days ago

Five decades?

I think it was there when Heritage cut that deal with some national evangelical leaders (deal with the devil, I'm just not sure which side was the devil) creating the "Moral Majority"

I think the dark money types promised the evangelicals eventual control of social issues...for votes

jennigma.bsky.social•538 days ago

Yes. this.

citizene.bsky.social•538 days ago

They don’t want to see it. Its very controversial (and hence could scare advertisers). It’s terrifying and the mainstream press aren’t in the business of providing oversight anymore. Just profits for some billionaire. Indie journos cover it well but they have limited reach and volume.

pathost.bsky.social•538 days ago

Why did it take so long for the GQP to nominate him? I can understand Jordan first because he's higher profile, but Johnson checks all the GQP boxes (Dump fealty, election truthing, evangelical beliefs) and yet they waited three weeks into the process to nominate and approve him.

goodiehowell.bsky.social•538 days ago

The fundraising metric strikes me as so willfully naive. He’s going to have money thrown at him by the tractor trailer load. How do so many journalists miss that?

cjlemire.com•538 days ago

Mainstream journalists have an almost pathological need to believe that "moderate, normal" Republicans are a real thing.

Because if they are, and they can be brought to the forefront, then the media can go back to their both-sides false-balance BS without being called out for enabling fascists.

sylvainsylvain.bsky.social•537 days ago

Been saying this forever-why on earth do you think Repubs always ‘come home’ and support the nominee? Because there’s an infinite amount of $ ready to be pumped into wherever it’s needed to convince the low-info voters. Harlan Crow, Koch Bros., and on and on. And the press *needs* that money.

sarahposner.bsky.social•538 days ago

far different factors and metrics. To them, he was a backbencher who didn't know how to do the main (?!?) work of Speaker: raise money.

sarahposner.bsky.social•538 days ago

But to me, he was an exemplar of what the base has been trying to elevate for decades, someone who is so steeped in the "Christian worldview" he's incapable of seeing outside of it. Thinks that everyone can--or can be made to--see as plain as day that the Bible should dictate law and policy.

gardenstatesman.bsky.social•538 days ago

In other words, his entire worldview is antithetical to the core principles of this country. He's an illiberal theocrat that shouldn't have any political home in America. And House Republicans voted for him.

Unanimously.

wistfulwitness.bsky.social•538 days ago

Well… yeah. That’s what they are and what they do now.

sarahposner.bsky.social•538 days ago

Political reporters have such a hard time understanding that this really, truly how elected Republicans want to govern and be governed. They think it's just a play to the base, and the real action is fundraising etc.

recombobulating.bsky.social•538 days ago

They both make the assumption that all valid humans must basically agree with them and anyone saying they don't must be lying.

noshoes.bsky.social•538 days ago

I was watching an interview recently with former members of Nirvana and they were recounting a story about when they met Gene Simmons of KISS, and how Gene Simmons was incapable of believing there were people who weren't massive KISS fans.

panarmstrong.bsky.social•537 days ago

My biggest concern a critical mass of national political reporters putting in the work to normalize Johnson's bizarre worldview the same way so many regional reporters for local & state politics all over the South.

fvehafric.bsky.social•538 days ago

Nah. They're not that stupid. They are carrying water for the rich and corporations who own the media, who would rather not endure taxes, unions and public education.

vjpsyverson.bsky.social•538 days ago

I think this is both/and. The kind of situation that the phrase “useful idiot” was invented for.

fvehafric.bsky.social•538 days ago

Fair point.

sarahposner.bsky.social•538 days ago

Johnson didn't need to raise money to ascend to this post. He just needed to be a true believer who not only checked off a bunch of boxes for House Republicans, but could be sold to the base as a godly choice.

robinmarty.com•538 days ago

I mean once you know he was an ADF lawyer you know everyy

amidprivilege.bsky.social•538 days ago

And he had to wear eyeglasses that make him look like he won't yell at you

sarahposner.bsky.social•538 days ago

Just want to add one more thing here, about this alarming finding from the PRRI report I wrote about Wed.

White evangelicals are the most reliable voters. They are an outsized part of the GOP base. Other demographics do not vote nearly as reliably as they do for Rs.

https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/trump-evangelical-supporters-political-violence-poll-rcna122023

wndlb.bsky.social•538 days ago

Ever been to a megachurch the Sunday before Election Day?

appletony3.bsky.social•538 days ago

If only they actually revered the teachings of Jesus…

mhairiforrest.bsky.social•535 days ago

I did make a bit of headway with an Evangelical GOP voter by pointing out Johnson is a Christian Dominionist. The person knows what they believe and was not happy to hear that.

auriette.bsky.social•538 days ago

Just goes to show that evangelicals don't practice what they preach. If they did, they would denounce Trwmp and his ilk for their very unchristian attitudes and treatment of others.

sarahposner.bsky.social•538 days ago

People are now going to start digging more into Johnson's past, and are going to start listening to his dozens of podcasts, past writings, etc.

Let me just predict that as shocking as a lot of that content will be to most people, it is absolutely commonplace among white evangelicals.

link.spacelawshitpost.me•538 days ago

@alt-text.bsky.social

carlaspeedmcneil.bsky.social•538 days ago

Although he is deep in with fossil fuel concerns in his home state already.

patrickcanning.bsky.social•538 days ago

Those two are hand in hand..

iisaw.bsky.social•538 days ago

That's a plus for the Republicans.

hgwood.bsky.social•538 days ago

I was making this mistake for sometime now. But I’m coming to see that this insanity has been rising for sometime, Trump just saw an opportunity to package it for money and throw it back at them.

mroliver.bsky.social•538 days ago

Who used whom?

hgwood.bsky.social•538 days ago

I think mutual. But it’s just “business” for trump, those psychos are true believers.

mroliver.bsky.social•538 days ago

Agreed

ddefries.bsky.social•538 days ago

Most missed it... Chris Hedges didn't -- American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War On America (2007)

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