Sane-washing (h/t Aaron Rupar)an old man's gibberish
Corporate media fucks up again and again
I’ve been watching two closely related phenomena over the past couple of days (weeks, months, years). Donald Trump says something so salad-y as to be incomprehensible. It could be about tariffs paying for childcare, denial of raping a woman b/c she wasn’t attractive enough, or trampling on a soldier’s grave for an illegal campaign video. In response, the corporate media, knowing he’s gone batty, summarizes his comments, thereby rendering them mildly understandable.
, whom I interviewed just about a full year ago, has coined the phrase sane-washing, and it has taken hold. It’s a brilliant characterization of what the corporate media is doing, and why we need to keep calling them out and supporting independent journalists.As we continue our work talking to our neighbors, knocking on doors, writing postcards, donating to downballot candidates, we need to lean in and demand better from the corporate media. We need more conversation about Trump’s age and cognitive state. We need to look more closely at Vance and his creepy and cruel views about breeders (ahem, women). And we need to be out there talking about Russian intelligence services running an active measures op to divide Americans, as detailed in a new DOJ indictment.
Let’s point out that Republican talking points copy the Russian instructions word for word. Let’s speculate on which congresscritter is taking money from Putin, just like the content creators who were carefully not named but clearly identified in the indictment.
And as we draw closer to the debate, we need to continue to have Harris’s back. The picture above is from a visit to Penzey’s spices, where she urged a little girl to thank her teacher and gave her a high 5, told a consumer protection lawyer she was doing good work, reassured a customer that it’s going to be ok, knelt to speak to small humans, told reporters she was honored by the Cheneys’s endorsement. She made a point to say the best part of debate prep is her trip to Penzey’s, and told the crowd that it was time to turn the page on divisiveness. That we have much more in common than what separates us. And that its time to chart a new way forward. It was beautifully done. She connected with everyone. She spoke respectfully to everyone. She paid attention to what they said. She gave hugs. And she stayed on message. That’s a lot to do, all at one time. No sane-washing needed here.
And if you care, and I won’t be offended if you don’t, I think she should respond to Trump at the debate by looking around and saying (after a gish-gallop rant), “Did anyone else understand that? It sounded like an old man’s gibberish to me.”
Here’s the entire 8 minute video at Penzey’s in Pittsburgh. It’s well worth watching.
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I told my husband the other day her answers at the debate every time, should be “I’m sorry he couldn’t answer the question you asked, but here’s my answer” and then answer. Or “ I don’t know what you just word salad was but let me answer the question you asked” or well those were the same ole tired string of words that don’t actually tell the American people about his policies but let me tell you how we plan to help”. Also throw in a few - we agree the border is so important that’s why it’s so strange you would come out against the bill and have it stall out because you didn’t want a win for our administration- that seems very much not for the people. There is not one time I would answer him or acknowledge he exists except to address the moderators and the American people and state - I see what you see; and here’s the ways we want to help you and that still requires all three levels of the government so vote blue up and down the ballot so we can get things done. No matter how much he gishes - the response should be how a mature adult addresses a whining toddler - you don’t engage
I appreciate your work. I wish I could view the video from Penzy’s but it takes you to X & I left that platform as soon as that hate mongering fascist took it over.