Fuck McCain. He goes and talks a big game but when the rubber his the road he follows the rest of the party. He has a long history of being outspoken with zero action to back it up.
This is a big part of why we are completely, utterly fucked. Too much of the institutions of governance are a hodgepodge of agreements, interpretations of parliamentary rules that can easily be altered by a party in power, and conventions that were assumed would alway be followed (like releasing tax returns).
In an essay this weekend in the New York Review of Books, journalist Masha Gessen, who has reported extensively from Russia, argued that Trump doesn’t need to prosecute reporters to neuter them. She wrote:
The national press is likely to be among the first institutional victims of Trumpism. There is no law that requires the presidential administration to hold daily briefings, none that guarantees media access to the White House. Many journalists may soon face a dilemma long familiar to those of us who have worked under autocracies: fall in line or forfeit access. There is no good solution (even if there is a right answer), for journalism is difficult and sometimes impossible without access to information.
I agree with what he said, though. I’m not putting him on any pedestal. He did say something. I would encourage him to continue to. It may only be words, but it’s more than we are hearing from the rest of the boot-licking GOP.
I went and followed all of the barred media sources listed (even BuzzFeed). Hopefully it helps send a message that barring sources will just increase their readership.
if only there was a name for this rebound effect… /s
