CNN’s Biden townhall is Happy Days with Biden as the ‘Fonz’
July 22, 2021
CNN continued its downward slide, creating a townhall for President Joe Biden and the Democrats that can best be described as a variation on Clausewitz definition of war as a continuation of politics by other means
Townhalls as practiced by major media– once used by campaigns to get politicians closer to the authentic grassroots– is now just a continuation of campaigning by other means.
There was nothing about the CNN town hall in Cincinnati that actually qualified as journalism, authentic or grassroots.
From the questioners to the moderator to the rock star “applause” that seemed pre-scripted, the whole effort was a partisan TV play—kind of like “Happy Days” for politics featuring Joe Biden as the Fonz.
President Biden calls GOP efforts to curb voting rights “Jim Crow on steroids” while still maintaining his support for the legislative filibuster, which stands in the way of Democrats passing federal legislation on a party-line basis #BidenTownHall https://t.co/WThP2JLi1K
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) July 22, 2021
It should be declared by CNN as an in-kind contribution to Biden’s campaign as well as the campaign of a local, liberal school board candidate. The school board candidate, a Democrat, started the “bi-partisan” night by reading the first question to Biden; a question that was likely written by someone with either the teachers union or the Democrat National Committee.
The question will no doubt be featured in TV ads for the Cincinnati school board race, a traditionally non-partisan election.
Of course, Republicans were also in attendance, but by their questions, and the adoring glow they gave Biden, one could readily tell who they supported in the last election. And it wasn’t the GOP.
Biden’s notable gaffs– which would have already set Twitter afire if said by anyone in the GOP– included a claim that car prices are only higher because they went down during the pandemic; that the specific safety protocols for the current vaccines stretch over two decades; that inflation can be tamed if we just spend another $7-10 trillion on stuff Democrats want; and that burger joints have non-competes—probably with kitchen help?– which keeps wages down.
The solution to our problems, Biden seemed to be saying at one point, is taking $0.50 worth of ground beef and expecting people to pay $18.00 for it at Denny’s or McDonald’s. All of us, apparently, can afford it.
Biden also claimed that “We are ending all those things that are keeping people from going back to work” while at the same time claiming later to CNN facilitator Don Lemon that nothing in the stimulus package—like enhanced unemployment benefits– kept people from going back to work.
But what can you expect from an administration that says we have a labor shortage while unemployment still remains above 6 percent– or higher if you include discouraged workers. Or a President who claims that a person who makes $31,200 per year or $15 per hour is living below the poverty level, which is currently at $31,040 for a family of 5.
So continues the Democrat quest to bring the country together by deceptive and compliant journalism aided greatly by an effort to shout down the GOP opposition as a bunch of Jim Crowe racists on steroids who support the filibuster and want to overturn elections by using state legislatures.
Stay tuned. They’ll be back soon.