'Dems In Disarray' Is Still Favorite Media Narrative

[babylonsister]

‘Dems In Disarray’ Is Still Favorite Media Narrative
Eric Boehlert
December 16, 2019


Poised to pass two articles of impeachment in the full House this week, Democrats have remained extraordinarily united throughout the process while nearly half the country stands in favor of taking the drastic action of removing Donald Trump from office. Yet press coverage in recent days has suggested (surprise!) that Democrats are in a state of disarray, a favorite fallback position for much of the Beltway media, where Democrats are constantly portrayed as scrambling and being outsmarted by Trump and the GOP. In the process of focusing on Democrats and the alleged struggles impeachment presents, news outlets continue to eliminate Republicans from the entire process. The GOP, apparently, faces no impeachment fallout, only Democrats.

Stressing “the quiet hand-wringing” that now consumes Democrats, The Washington Post last week insisted the party was bracing for Democratic defections when the articles of impeachment are soon voted on by the full House. Democrats are bracing? Really? From a political perspective, I’d suggest that if 10 or 20 percent of the Democratic caucus in the House balked on impeachment and voted no, that would represent a stinging defeat for party leadership. Ten or 20 percent of the 233-member caucus today would mean 20-40 Democratic no’s. But how many Democrats are poised to vote no on Trump impeachment? According to the Post, possibly six members will vote no, or roughly 3 percent of the Democratic caucus. Sorry, but that just doesn’t qualify as big news.

Yet the press seems obsessed with the idea of a sizable impeachment fracture among Democrats. Previously, when 231 out of 233 Democrats voted in favor of starting an impeachment procedure, one of the two Democrats voting no turned into a media darling overnight. Rep. Jeff Van Drew of New Jersey has been showered with media attention for months now (see: here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here) as the press doggedly tracks down one of only two Democrats not currently onboard with impeaching Trump. But again, that’s not news and it certainly doesn’t suggest Democrats are in disarray regarding Trump.

The truth is, Democrats remain extraordinarily unified on the question of impeachment—more united, in fact, than any other party overseeing such a inquiry. Back in 1998 when Republicans in the House impeached Bill Clinton, they offered up four articles of impeachment. In the vote on the first article, which accused Clinton of lying under oath while being interviewed by independent prosecutor Ken Starr, five Republicans voted no. On the second article, 12 Republicans voted no. On the third article, 28 voted no. And on the fourth article, nearly one-third of the Republican caucus joined with Democrats and voted no.

Can you imagine what the Beltway media meltdown would look like today if one-third of House Democrats decided to vote against one of pending articles of impeachment that Trump now faces?

more...

https://www.nationalmemo.com/dems-in-disarray-is-still-favorite-media-narrative/

[gratuitous]

1. Note also the lack of questioning addressed to Republicans

Republican members of the House and the Senate are allowed to get away with simply saying they're voting no on impeachment and voting no on removal (even before hearing the evidence). None of them are asked why beyond self-serving statements that the process is unfair or tainted or some other unsupported nonsense. Certainly no Republican being interviewed has the record laid out before him and asked, "Okay, you're still a no to the proceedings even with this evidence and testimony. What more do you, could you, want to say the President must answer to the American people?"

Is it because "everybody knows" why Republicans aren't demanding answers? Or because none of the Republicans wants to go on record with their specific opposition? I wonder why the media are cooperating in letting them off the hook?

[brooklynite]

2. Not that I've seen...

All I've seen is the media stating that our Presidential candidates have begun calling each other out on policy matters, apparently because.....they've begun calling each other out on policy matters.

Too many people see to feel that any critical news about their favorite candidate (or the field in general) is unacceptable.

[Iliyah]

3. Yep . . .

But Republicans are steadfast.

Steadfast in all the wrong places tho, but corporate media does not go into detail . . .

[PSPS]

4. This is why

[CatWoman]

5. preach it, Eric

I get sick of that crap, too

[brooklynite]

6. Not clear why people imagine there was a golden age of unbiased media...