A NEWSLETTER FROM DAVID CORN |
A NEWSLETTER FROM DAVID CORN |
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The Best Political Video of 2024 (So Far) |
By David Corn April 6, 2024 |
Courtesy Erin Marshall for Congress |
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The other day I was chatting with a Democratic House member who recommended I check out the “best political video” of the 2024 campaign season so far. It’s the campaign launch video for Erin Marshall, a 29-year-old single mom, sales communications manager, and Democrat, who is challenging Rep. James Comer of Kentucky, the MAGA Republican chair of the House Oversight Committee, notorious for leading the coming-up-empty impeachment investigation of President Joe Biden—a meritless enterprise for many reasons but one that has partly relied on Russian disinformation. The video is called “Our Choice,” and before I say anything else about it, give it a watch:
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This video works on many levels—all centered on the idea of choice. The short film begins with Marshall talking to an image in a mirror of a younger version of herself. She tells this other Erin that five years earlier she confronted (and the younger Erin will face) a tough choice. When she was 24, her IUD failed, and that led to an unintended pregnancy. Comer, she points out, also had something of a choice. She is referring to allegations that an ex-girlfriend of Comer made in 2015, when Comer, then the state agriculture commissioner, was running in the GOP gubernatorial primary. That woman claimed that Comer was physically and emotionally abusive to her when they dated in the early 1990s. And when she became pregnant, she said, he took her to a clinic to receive an abortion. She maintained that Comer became “enraged” when he learned she had written his name as her escort home on one of the forms she was required to fill out. The woman’s mother and her college roommate confirmed key elements of her story. Comer, through a lawyer, denied the allegations. (Comer lost that primary by 83 votes.)
In Marshall’s telling, Comer is the ultimate abortion hypocrite. As a lawmaker, he would deny women abortions after allegedly assisting his college girlfriend in choosing that option. “For congressmen like him, it’s just a game,” Marshall says to the other Erin in the mirror. “To dehumanize women and put our lives in danger.” And she notes that in the aftermath of Dobbs—the Supreme Court decision that she rightfully blames on Donald Trump—more than 60,000 women have become pregnant after being raped in states that ban abortion. As a 5-year-old boy enters the room and Marshall picks him up, she tells young Erin, “You were in the same situation as James Comer, and this was the choice you made.” It’s her son Teddy.
This is a savvy jiu-jitsu move. Presuming the allegations are accurate, here is an advocate for women’s freedom who chose not to have an abortion juxtaposed with an aggressive supporter of banning the procedure who decades ago helped his girlfriend obtain an abortion. Who is principled, and who’s the phony?
Marshall has a steep uphill climb in this race. In 2022, Comer won with 75 percent of the vote. Though the Dobbs decision and subsequent efforts by Republicans to ban or severely restrict abortion, as well Alabama’s religiously inspired state Supreme Court decision to shut down IVF, have led to Democratic victories—including Democrat Marilyn Lands’ surprising win in an Alabama state House representative race in a GOP district—the abortion lift for Ds may not be enough for Marshall to close such a large gap. But with this ad, she and her team are showing the Democrats how to fight this battle without flinching.
During the contest in Ohio last year over a ballot measure to enshrine reproductive rights in the state constitution, supporters of the proposition ran smart ads emphasizing the values of freedom and privacy and assailed big government intrusion into personal decisions—often without even mentioning the A-word. They won with 57 percent of the vote. And in Kentucky last year, a viral ad appeared featuring a young rape victim named Hadley Duvall. In the spot, she addressed the Republican challenging incumbent Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear and said, “To tell a 12-year-old girl she must have the baby of her stepfather who raped her is unthinkable.” Many credit that ad with helping Beshear win with 52.5 percent of the vote in Sen. Mitch McConnell’s state.
Now that the Republicans, thanks to Trump, are the dogs who caught the car in terms of abortion bans and restrictions, there ought to be no tiptoeing around. Combining personal stories with meta-messaging involving freedom and privacy is a winning formula in many states and locales across the country. It could well add a few points to Democratic vote tallies, even within the presidential contest.
This week, the Biden campaign released an ad that quotes Trump boasting that he “terminated” Roe v. Wade. Biden looks straight into the camera and says, “Donald Trump doesn’t trust women. I do.” |
The campaign says it will spend at least $1 million to air this strong ad in swing states. But Biden and other Democrats should punch even harder on this front. Storytelling is a fundamental part of politics. For years, the foes of reproductive rights believed they could win the day with emotional appeals to save “babies.” Now the defenders of women’s rights have compelling narratives to deploy, as did their pre-Roe predecessors with horrific tales of back-alley abortions. We will see much more of this in the months to come.
Got anything to say about this item—or anything else? Email me at ourland@motherjones.com. |
The Tragedy and Absurdity of the World Central Kitchen Bombing |
For years, my family has been a supporter of José Andrés’ World Central Kitchen. This is not just because we relish his Washington, DC, restaurants or because I know José personally. His work overseas and at home—first in Haiti in 2010, then Houston (Hurricane Harvey) and Puerto Rico (Hurricane Maria), and Ukraine—has been intelligent and inspiring. He developed a smart formula for deploying relief in countries shattered by conflict or other natural disasters. Instead of handing out crappy bulk food supplies, he recruited chefs to prepare wholesome, nutritious food—usually native dishes familiar to recipients—and deliver it to those in need. And, as he often says, without having to contend with government red tape. Not only is he a hero; he’s an exceptionally good guy. One of the beauties of his operation is that donors can see how their contributions are directly helping those most in need. It was only natural that he and WCK would rush to Gaza to assist Palestinian civilians facing famine and living in a hellscape created by Israel’s massive and excessive bombing crusade launched in response to Hamas’ terrorist attack on October 7.
The Israeli strike that killed seven WCK volunteers raises a host of troubling questions. How could the Israel Defense Forces have screwed up so badly? Was it intentional? (It was not a bomb that went amiss. The convoy of three trucks was targeted for a series of strikes.) What does this say about the Israeli military’s terms of engagement? Why does the world react so strongly to this assault and not to the many other strikes that have killed Palestinian aid workers? Even Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu felt compelled to address the matter. (He called the strike “tragic,” insisted it was unintended, and called for an inquiry.) But this sad episode illuminates a cruel absurdity. At the same time that well-meaning Americans donate to WCK to help Gaza refugees, our tax dollars are being used to supply bombs and planes to the Israeli military, whose relentless assaults are causing this humanitarian crisis. This tracks with the broader absurdity: As the Biden administration presses for and assists relief efforts for Gaza—it is trying to arrange for a US-military-built pier in Gaza for aid delivery—it continues to send armaments to Israel, which, in turn, uses these supplies to worsen the nightmare and make relief endeavors even harder. The day after the airstrike that killed Andrés’ compatriots, the Biden administration approved the transfer of thousands of more bombs to Israel.
So, we’re helping Israel, as it kills tens of thousands of civilians and drives hundreds of thousands from their homes, causing a catastrophic health crisis and a possible famine, and, at the same time, we’re spending time and money (not enough!) to help some of these victims. I believe the technical term for this is crazy. The best way to help Gazans? Stop the bombing. Yes, that could benefit the genocidal terrorists of Hamas. But the morality of war—if there is such a thing—has always been based on the concept of proportionality. The Israelis blew past the conventional moral cost-benefit justification months ago.
It sounds so trite to say this, but perhaps the WCK strike—unlike the previous attacks that took the lives of aid workers—may yield a meaningful turning point. Perhaps it will shake enough consciences that Biden and others will use their clout to force an end to Israel’s ongoing annihilation of Gaza. Maybe it will even highlight this fundamental folly of causing devastation and simultaneously seeking to alleviate it. During a meeting this week with Muslim community members, Biden reportedly said that his wife, Jill, has told him, “Stop it, stop it now.” He should listen to her.
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Palestinians inspect a World Central Kitchen vehicle wrecked by an Israeli airstrike in Gaza on April 2, 2024. Ismael Abu Dayyah/AP
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Dumbass Comment of the Week |
Last week, Robert Kennedy Jr., the independent presidential candidate, conspiracy-theory-monger, and anti-vaxxer, was a co-winner of the DCotW with his brand-new running mate Nicole Shanahan. And he’s already back in the running of our competition with a double entry. During a CNN interview, he said that President Joe Biden is “the much worse threat to democracy” than Donald Trump. Why? Because some social media platforms removed Kennedy's Covid disinformation from their platforms. But what first caught the judges’ notice was his interview with Chris Cuomo, who said to Kennedy, “Whether it’s 9/11, the Deep State, or vaccines, you believe wacky things.” Kennedy replied, “I don’t know what you’re talking about [regarding] 9/11. I don’t recall saying anything about 9/11 called a conspiracy.”
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Cuomo didn’t accept Kennedy’s dodge. He had receipts. “It came out of the Bergen interview,” he retorted. This was a reference to an interview Kennedy conducted with CNN’s Peter Bergen in September, during which he said, “I don’t know what happened on 9/11. I mean, I understand what the official explanation is. I understand that there is dissent. I have not looked into it.” He added some “strange things that happened,” including that one of the buildings in the World Trade Center complex, Building 7, collapsed though an airliner didn’t slam into it.
The false notion that the collapse of Building 7 was mysterious has been a cornerstone of 9/11 conspiracy theories. Yet, as Bergen subsequently noted, “The government’s official report of how Building 7 collapsed was that it was hit with debris from the massive north tower of the World Trade Center after one of the hijacked passenger jets had crashed into it, creating a giant fireball. The debris from the north tower landed on Building 7, causing fires, which led to Building 7’s collapse. There’s nothing ‘strange’ about it.” Once again, Kennedy was running away from—that is, lying about—extreme comments he has made in the past.
Also in contention this week is a first-time contestant: Jeremy Boreing, the CEO of the Daily Wire, the conservative online outlet that features popular right-winger Ben Shapiro. While holding a livestream conversation with white supremacist and Hitler fanboy Nick Fuentes, he praised the fascist influencer. He noted he listens to Fuentes’ show “quite often” and believes Fuentes is “very funny” and one of the “most talented” political influencers. He did allow that he’s “very concerned” about some of Fuentes’ comments, but he remarked he would be “thrilled” to have Fuentes appear on Daily Wire shows to debate its commentators. Platforming and hailing an American Nazi? Is this what the alt-right has become?
Elon Musk was back as a nominee this week with a tweet that seemed to diss the idea that we should keep in mind how previous Americans visited genocide upon Native Americans. He tweeted, “We live on stolen land. By ‘we’, I mean us mammals. We stole it from the dinosaurs.” |
It’s a dipshit move to make such an unfunny joke. (Musk needs better writers.) And, of course, it’s scientifically wrong. He really ought to spend more time on Tesla.
Seven House Republicans introduced a bill this week to change the name of Dulles International Airport to Donald J. Trump International Airport. One of the sponsors, Rep. Guy Reschenthaler (R-Pa.) told Fox News Digital: "In my lifetime, our nation has never been greater than under the leadership of Donald J. Trump. As millions of domestic and international travelers fly through the airport, there is no better symbol of freedom, prosperity, and strength than hearing ‘Welcome to Trump International Airport' as they land on American soil." Yes, the nation where Trump imposed a ban on Muslims, incited an insurrectionist riot, and managed the Covid pandemic so poorly that hundreds of thousands of Americans died avoidable deaths. It really is a cult.
Lots of tough competition this week, but Dawn Staley, coach of the University of South Carolina women’s basketball team, triumphed with a comment she made after her top-seeded squad beat third-seeded Oregon State on Sunday in the quarter finals. She declared, “If you don’t believe in God, something’s wrong with you. Seriously. I’m a believer. I’m a believer because He makes things come true. When you’re at your worst, He’s at His best.” |
The judges wonder if there are any atheists or agnostics on her team or staff. If so, she was insulting her own peeps, as well as millions of Americans who do not believe in God. A 2023 poll found that 10 percent of Americans are atheists or agnostic. Moreover, the judges point out that while it certainly is tough to prove the existence of God, it is even harder to prove that He (She, They, or It) cares who wins a basketball game—or a football game, or a baseball game, or a soccer game, or any sporting event. Staley’s bigotry placed her in the winner circle.
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In a recent newsletter, I voiced my frustration that so much of our politics in the Trump years are dominated by the inane—Trump selling Bibles!—instead of debates over policies and ideology. (Abortion may be an exception.) And guess what: Many Our Landers share that sentiment. Richard Knabel wrote:
Once again, David, you have expressed exactly my feelings, frustration, fatigue, and anger at how Trump manages to flood the zone daily with ever more outrageous bullshit (Steve Bannon style). And how the media has not learned since 2015 how to handle it or him. Thank you for articulating all that, but the underlying problems are probably insoluble. We just seem to be repeating 2016 in too many ways. Oh, I think you forgot about Trump Wine (his whining we know about all too well). Yes, in the list of products Trump has hawked I left out the wine. Probably a good idea for everyone to forget about Trump Wine. Carol Kast emailed:
I do read less news these days because I just get too angry at the NYT and WaPo (not quite as bad) for their normalizing articles. I read enough to know what’s going on, but that’s all I can take. I know what I need to do; contribute; write to infrequent probably Democrat voters; keep an eye out for any other way to help. Despite pretty much all of my friends having similar opinions about what’s going on, nobody wants to talk about it. After the first year of Trump, when everyone couldn’t stop talking about what was happening, most people stopped saying anything. I get it, but it leaves me lonely. And then I read what you have to say, and I feel a sense of community, which makes it easier for me to do what has to be done to try to rescue us from this monstrous outcome.
Glad to be of service. There are plenty of concerned Americans out there. It may even be a majority. They just have to pull together to keep the dystopian minority at bay. Harry McConnell picked up on that issue’s citation of Stephen Colbert as an important-truth-teller reminding his audience that Trumpian politics are not normal:
Of course, monarchs often relied on their jesters to speak the truth. No one else would dare, and the wise monarchs knew they needed to hear it. We claim that here the people are sovereign; whether true or not, we look to our jesters to convey the truth. The mainstream media must recognize the threat and take sides. It must speak and write the truth, especially about the threat and potential consequences. The lies must be refuted as they are spewed out, over and over, again and again until the truth takes hold. Thanks for your thoughtful writing.
I’m not sure the media must take sides. But reporters do have to prioritize the threat to democracy Trump poses and not treat him—or contextualize him—as a normal candidate. His continual lying about 2020, his support of violent insurrectionists, his authoritarian impulses—these are not tangents. They are the main show, and that is not always reflected in the mainstream coverage of the race. There also was a strong reaction to the issue that featured a lead item on former Trump lawyers—John Eastman and Jeffrey Clark—finally facing a degree of accountability for their participation in Trump’s attempt to overturn the 2020 election.
Dave Crowlie pointed out that disbarring Clark and Eastman won’t be sufficient: We've got a long way to go before Clark and Eastman reach the realm of accountability—using as a yardstick, let's say, a 17-year-old black kid doing five-to-ten or a gram of pot in his pocket.
Mary Bristow responded to the fact that Clark, a top Justice Department official, promoted the conspiracy theory that thermostats made in China were used to rig voting machines against Trump:
No, wait, I thought that was Italian thermostats. Or was it Italian satellites? Damn this is one deep rabbit hole we've dropped into. Great post today. As a person who still holds a (soon to be retired, I think) license to practice law, I am so glad to see some accountability on the professional front. Molly Romero asked this about NBC’s hiring (then firing) of ex-GOP chair Ronna McDaniel as an on-air commentator: And what about consequences for those decision-making executives who made the hire happen? Calling it “dumb” is inadequate. It is much more dangerous than the word “dumb” implies. That seems to allow an “Oops!” response and avoid an investigation into what really was, and likely still is, going on. Thank you for your reporting.
As an MSNBC commentator, I am not sure I will be reporting further on this. I have no inside information about any after-action inquiry within the network. From the outside, it looks obvious: Some execs thought McDaniel was a catch and did not realize that signing her would result in an internal mutiny. That was a colossal miscalculation. Abby Arnold sent in this observation:
I’m wondering why none of the commentators I’ve seen have used an analogy to evaluate the various judicial gag orders on former president Trump. What if a person on trial as a Mafia boss made those kinds of statements on social media? What if statements were made by a Crips gang leader on trial for drug sales or other criminal behavior? Would they be allowed to go home and party with their pals? #DoubleStandards
Trump certainly is being treated differently than the usual indicted suspect. In some ways that may be unavoidable, as he is, after all, a former president and a presidential candidate. Issues of his free-speech rights might be more sensitive than with a gangster. The courts have generally trod gently but firmly. Let’s see how this develops.
Tom Cleaver took issue with how I characterized conservative commentator Victor Davis Hanson, when nominating him for the Dumbass Comment of the Week prize for having blamed the Baltimore bridge accident on DEI:
As an actual military historian, I'm on my knees, begging you: Please, please, please! Never use the name “Victor Davis Hanson" and the term "military historian" in the same sentence, referring to each other. Hanson's "work" has been bullshit ever since he got his first academic gig at Cal State Fresno. He has been nailed by actual military historians for fudging facts, creating "facts", and for his general bullshit ever since then. He is the absolute worst of all the "conservative intellectuals" But I gotta give him credit. He hit a new bottom with the crap about the bridge disaster.
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“Sorry, Moxie, we can’t go out and play today. It’s pouring and the yard is a mess of mud.” “So what?” “You’ll get filthy. And even if I clean you, you’ll track dirt through the house.” “That sounds more of a you problem.” |
Read Recent Issues of Our Land |
April 2, 2024: Trump Bibles and other stunts—the absurdity of now; The Freaks Came Out to Write joyously chronicles the Village Voice; Lost Ox’s “Ripsaw Review”; and more.
March 30, 2024: Accountability time for Trump’s henchmen; Dumbass Comment of the Week (Robert Kennedy Jr. and Nicole Shanahan); the Mailbag; MoxieCam™; and more.
March 26, 2024: Donald Trump and the United States of Amnesia; No Labels, RIP?; Bad River’s inspiring ride; “Tennessee Rise” lifts up a Senate campaign; and more.
March 23, 2024: Trump Normalization Syndrome—a threat to the USA; the most important 1 percent in 2024; Dumbass Comment of the Week (Ari Fleischer); the Mailbag; MoxieCam™; and more.
March 19, 2024: It’s time to start worrying about Christian nationalism; Constellation is lost in space…and time; the wonderful musical party Karl Wallinger left behind; and more.
March 16, 2024: Time to unleash Kamala Harris to trigger Trump; Our Land needs you; Dumbass Comment of the Week (Dwight D. Opperman Foundation); the Mailbag; MoxieCam™; and more.
March 12, 2024: Jared Kushner and the award that’s not good for the Jews; old cops versus new cops in Criminal Record; James Grady delivers a different mystery with The Smoke in Your Eyes; and more.
March 9, 2024: Trump’s back on top, and this is not fine; Dumbass Comment of the Week (Mark Robinson); the Mailbag; MoxieCam™; and more.
March 5, 2024: The threat to democracy from white rural rage; the common flaw of Maestro and Napoleon; Tierney Sutton’s jazzy take on the racial wealth gap; and more.
March 2, 2024: Barbara McQuade on disinformation in 2024; Richard Lewis, RIP; Dumbass Comment of the Week (Sen. Tommy Tuberville); the Mailbag; MoxieCam™; and more. |
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Got suggestions, comments, complaints, tips related to any of the above, or anything else? Email me at ourland@motherjones.com. |
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