How Can This Country Possibly Be Electing Trump Again?

🌈 Abstract

The article discusses the upcoming 2024 U.S. presidential election, which it describes as the most consequential since 1860. It highlights two key facts about the election: 1) Donald Trump, the likely Republican nominee, is highly unqualified to hold the presidency, and 2) Joe Biden, the current Democratic president, has been a remarkably good president despite some criticisms. The article explores why, despite these facts, Trump remains a serious contender, attributing it to the mainstream media's fear of being accused of liberal bias and the Democrats' inability to focus on a few key issues that would clearly distinguish the two candidates.

🙋 Q&A

[01] The 2024 U.S. Presidential Election

1. What are the two fundamental facts about the 2024 presidential election mentioned in the article?

• Donald Trump, the likely Republican nominee, is highly unqualified to hold the presidency.
• Joe Biden, the current Democratic president, has been a remarkably good president despite some criticisms.

2. Why does the article say Trump remains a serious contender despite these facts? The article attributes this to two main factors:

• The mainstream media's fear of being accused of liberal bias, leading them to repeat Trump's lies and misstatements without challenge.
• The Democrats' inability to focus on a few key issues that would clearly distinguish the two candidates and convince swing voters that the choice between Trump and Biden is "really no choice at all."

3. What are the three key issues the article suggests the Democrats should focus on to save the country? The article states that Biden and the Democrats must find a way to "herd those Democratic cats into repeating a single set of mantras" focused on three issues: abortion and two more.

[02] The Role of the Mainstream Media

1. How has the mainstream media's coverage of Trump contributed to his continued viability as a candidate? According to the article, the mainstream media has "lost their nerve" in the face of accusations of liberal bias. They have abdicated their responsibility to challenge Trump's lies and misstatements, often repeating them verbatim without correction. The article states that "fact-check" columns after the fact do little to undo the damage of the original lies, threats, and absurd statements.

2. What is the historical context for the mainstream media's fear of being seen as biased against conservatives? The article traces this fear back to the "nearly a half-century of Republicans 'working the refs,' complaining that liberal elites cannot understand or give fair coverage to the millions of Americans holding conservative views." It notes that this view was endorsed by Ben Bradlee, the former executive editor of The Washington Post, after Ronald Reagan's 1980 landslide victory.

[03] The Democrats' Challenges

1. How does the article characterize the Democrats' current position? The article states that the Democrats have "an embarrassment of riches in terms of issues" but an "inability to focus on the few—say, three of them—that would convince those famous swing voters that the choice between Trump and Biden is really no choice at all."

2. What does the article suggest the Democrats need to do to save the country? The article argues that Biden and the Democrats must "find a way to herd those Democratic cats into repeating a single set of mantras that force the mainstream media to focus on the fundamental sorts of future each man offers: the imperfect versus the apocalyptic." It suggests they should focus on three issues: abortion and two more.