Tucker Carlson devoted 15 minutes of his show earlier in the week to a monologue inspired by Mitt Romney’s anti-Trump op-ed that in turn inspired David French to publish a response in National Review Friday.
Dynamite monologue from Tucker Carlson the other day: "Socialism is exactly what we're going to get, and very soon, unless a group of responsible people in our political system reforms the American economy in a way that protects normal people." https://t.co/oq6hUQXQEN
— Mark Krikorian (@MarkSKrikorian) January 4, 2019
There’s also a full transcript at Fox News’ website, but here’s a taste:
… In countries around the world — France, Brazil, Sweden, the Philippines, Germany, and many others — voters are suddenly backing candidates and ideas that would have been unimaginable just a decade ago. These are not isolated events. What you’re watching is entire populations revolting against leaders who refuse to improve their lives.
Something like this has been in happening in our country for three years. Donald Trump rode a surge of popular discontent all the way to the White House. Does he understand the political revolution that he harnessed? Can he reverse the economic and cultural trends that are destroying America? Those are open questions.
That monologue inspired French to compose what CNN’s media guy Brian Stelter referred to as a “fact-check.”
American public policies are flawed, yes. The American people are imperfect, yes. But any argument that American elites (a group that includes, by the way, enormous numbers of first-generation college grads and people who worked brutal hours to achieve economic success) represent an uncaring, indifferent, exploitive mass is fundamentally wrong. In fact, the better argument is that well-meaning Americans have spent their money poorly (on ineffective charitable programs and destructive welfare policies), not that they don’t care.
Carlson is advancing a form of victim-politics populism that takes a series of tectonic cultural changes — civil rights, women’s rights, a technological revolution as significant as the industrial revolution, the mass-scale loss of religious faith, the sexual revolution, etc. — and turns the negative or challenging aspects of those changes into an angry tale of what they are doing to you.
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Sorry; that’s a lot of text to get through, but what’s most interesting (scratch that; most predictable) is that Stelter was fully on board with French, once positioned by Bill Kristol to be the “true” conservative to run against Donald Trump. (Instead the conservative voter’s option turned out to be Evan McMullin … sigh.)
Of course Stelter would applaud anyone who “fact-checked” Carlson, who routinely grinds CNN’s ratings into dust.
This is an excellent fact-check and response to Tucker: https://t.co/vj0DtbLZsZ
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) January 4, 2019
+1, @DavidAFrench: "We must not create a victim class of angry citizens. We must not tell them falsehoods about the power of governments or banks or elites over their personal destinies. We must not make them feel helpless when they are not helpless…" https://t.co/ShnNgzUAtp
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) January 4, 2019
Yeah, because CNN’s nightly panels are all about making the American public feel empowered.
Brian – how come virtually every retweet or promotion of an opinion/position from you is critical of conservatives/Republicans? Do Democrats/liberals ever deserve criticism in your eyes? Can you see how your narrow focus confirms your clear bias?
— Guy Short (@Shortguy1) January 5, 2019
Have you ever enthusiastically fact-checked someone on the left or waved pompoms when someone else did? Totally serious here. https://t.co/ZX7O2XvXqN
— Carl Gustav (@CaptYonah) January 5, 2019
No, he never has and still pretends like this isnt a problem. His bias is a figment of everyone else’s imagination.
— Kris Kinder (@kris_kinder) January 5, 2019
Of course it’s an “excellent” fact check. French agreed with liberals so naturally you like it.
— ob1156 (@ob1156) January 4, 2019
24×7 pic.twitter.com/AGALk6FFgu
— Long Strand DNA (@longstranddna) January 5, 2019
Ever once have you fact checked your own network? Didn’t think so. pic.twitter.com/lMK7nTrVDq
— Mark (@markbuc47) January 4, 2019
When you dorks present your opinion as "facts" in cases of conflict of opinion, how the hell dare you then be outraged when people call you fake news and despise you?
— Mark (@haf_mark) January 5, 2019
That's an opinion dude… Like @TuckerCarlson is an OPINION show…
— Richard Lawrence (@RLawrence727) January 4, 2019
Nothing actually factual. It’s an opinion. Idiot
— Keith Beasley (@bama14rtr) January 5, 2019
You can't fact check with an opinion. Tell me Tater, does Mark Dice frighten you? When he uses your real voice on his post, it's magical. Have a great weekend Tater!
— LA Johnny Red (@lajohnnyred) January 4, 2019
Now do leftists.
— Bear XIII? (@FieryRedXIII) January 5, 2019
Dude why are you so obsessed with @TuckerCarlson and @FoxNews ? You’re F…. weird!!
— gun75 (@123jem) January 5, 2019
Fact-check: True.
Minutes until French is hired on by CNN as a commentator?
Related:
UH OH! CNN’s designated Fox News-watcher Brian Stelter alarmed by an Elizabeth Warren-related ‘racial slur right on screen’ https://t.co/8S6vMoyZvA
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) January 3, 2019
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