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CNN's 'Reality Check' Falls Apart
Townhall.com ^ | February 11, 2022 | Tim Graham

Posted on 02/11/2022 3:35:37 AM PST by Kaslin

Donald Trump-obsessed journalists can't help but notice some "cracks" in his "cult." Sen. Mitch McConnell declared the Jan. 6 riot was a "violent insurrection," and former Vice President Mike Pence proclaimed "Trump was wrong" about insisting Pence could overturn the Electoral College. One can question whether these statements are really "new," since they echo in sentiment what these men said on the day of the riot.

McConnell was moved to repeat himself by strange language in a Republican National Committee statement suggesting the Jan. 6 committee was persecuting "ordinary citizens engaged in legitimate political discourse." Rioting is never legitimate political discourse. Republicans taking a stand against rioting shouldn't be newsworthy. It should be routine if you want to be a law-and-order party.

Journalists mangled all this. On Feb. 7, CNN's John Avlon suggested in his "Reality Check" commentary that Fox News aerobically avoided Pence's speech. "This is big news, but you wouldn't have known it if you watch Fox," he boldly asserted. "Because as CNN's Oliver Darcy pointed out, transcripts showed that they totally ignored Pence's statement on primetime Friday, all day Saturday. You'd have to wait some 36 hours to see the clip."

This is wrong. Any search of Fox coverage shows that Martha MacCallum reported on it within minutes that afternoon. On "Special Report," fill-in anchor Shannon Bream carried a report, complete with a clip of Pence. Bream also reported on the speech on her own show in the first hour of Saturday.

"Reality Check" was "Pants On Fire."

Then Avlon had to double down with Soviet wisecracks: "It's kind of like Pravda remaining silent on the fall of the Berlin Wall, hoping that nobody would notice." This is sick stuff coming from CNN, which has played Pravda to the Soviets, the Cubans, the Nicaraguans and even Saddam Hussein.

Like a good CNN employee, Avlon thinks Reps. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger are the very best Republicans. He said the RNC statement "accuses Cheney and Kinzinger of trying to sabotage the GOP conference for trying to get the facts, which the RNC fears could jeopardize victory in November. So, investigating Jan. 6 is recast as efforts to destroy Donald Trump."

Earth to Avlon: This is not about fact-finding. Democrats are frank with reporters that the Jan. 6 committee is about defeating Republicans in November. See Jonathan Lemire on MSNBC, saying, "There is a hope among Democrats ... that the Jan. 6 committee, which they soon hope to have prime-time hearings ... will allow them to really paint Republicans as unfit for government."

Cheney and Kinzinger were so anti-Trump that they joined Nancy Pelosi's effort to defeat Republicans. But Avlon ranted that attacking them is "an Orwellian exercise designed to protect a cult-like cohesion around a party now committed to defending a lie. And that's the real deal here, because the reason cults hunt down heretics is to try to make an example of them."

Once again, this smack talk is strange coming from CNN, whose declining audience of fanatics wanted every dissenting conservative contributor like Rick Santorum dismissed from CNN, leaving only the occasional Kinzinger type to agree with everyone else.

One recent NBC News poll found 56% of Republicans now define themselves first as supporters of the Republican Party, compared with 36% who said they are supporters of Trump first. Trump's appeal is fading with his backward-facing election denialism, and incessantly attacking Republicans as Trump cult members didn't work in Virginia last year.

Can CNN really handle the dissolution of their "cult" narrative? Or will they keep their hourly obsession with Trump in their fervent belief that it's an electoral silver bullet for Democrats?


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial
KEYWORDS: bias; cnn; fnn; leftwingmedia; mediabias

1 posted on 02/11/2022 3:35:37 AM PST by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin

Some leaders only grow stronger during battle.


2 posted on 02/11/2022 3:43:03 AM PST by tired&retired (Blessings )
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To: Kaslin

The RNC statement didn’t say the January 6 frat party was legitimate political discourse. That is a lie the left is trying to turn onto a trope, like the “fine people” hoax.

And the GOPe is letting them.

This is where the stupid party wants to go, attack liberals and Trump at the same time. It’s a formula to lose.


3 posted on 02/11/2022 4:09:23 AM PST by Fido969 (45 is Superman!)
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To: Kaslin

The GOP top leaders have no guts. They go along to get along in their sacred cliques.


4 posted on 02/11/2022 5:34:38 AM PST by FreedBird
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To: FreedBird

There is no such thing as GOP Leader. GOP Leadership is an oxymoron.


5 posted on 02/11/2022 5:38:28 AM PST by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: Kaslin

The Lame Stream media is losing credibility every time they open their mouth. I think the lame streams are losing power to prop up Democrats. Democrats are hoping the Jan 6 “ investigation “ will carry them. The problem is inflation and crime are real problems in every day life. Paying for heating fuel, gas, groceries and not having to bury a child killed by a gang banger out on bail for the 12 th time. Not getting shot, car jacked or robbed is a problem. All this things are real and now. Jan 6 seems like a fairy tale and the longer the Democrats wait the less impact it will have. While you are trying to stretch dollars to feed kids some breathless panting bobble head news anchor acting like she is about to orgasm over a Mike Pence statement isn’t going to carry the day for Democrats. The other issue is there are a LOT of inconsistencies in what went on in DC n Jan 6. Epps is just the tip of the iceberg.


6 posted on 02/11/2022 5:48:44 AM PST by carcraft (Pray for our Country)
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To: dfwgator

OK. GOP leadership in name only. GOPINO.


7 posted on 02/11/2022 6:15:44 AM PST by FreedBird
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To: Kaslin

Everything trying to be done to President MAGA Trump is to keep him off the ballots come 2024.

Nothing more nothing less! Thank GOD he has enough $$$ to defend himself in court!


8 posted on 02/11/2022 9:20:06 AM PST by Harpotoo (Being a socialist is a lot easier than having to WORK like the rest of US:-))
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