Democrats are in a really interesting position right now. On one hand, they’re accusing Republicans of undermining the upcoming midterm elections by continuing to deny the results 2020 election. On the other hand, they’re pre-emptively denying the results of the upcoming midterm elections and continuing to deny the results of past elections. What a time to be alive, right?
@ComfortablySmug sure thinks it is.
Just a devastating takedown of propaganda press person @stevenmazie here by @ComfortablySmug and @ZaidJilani pic.twitter.com/wRs2FpI76I
— Mollie (@MZHemingway) November 3, 2022
Intrigued? You should be. Let’s go back to the beginning.
At a rally in Arizona yesterday, Barack Obama responded to a heckler with a warning about the dangers of election denial and how it can ultimately result in political violence:
Former President Barack Obama used an interruption from a heckler at a campaign rally in Phoenix on Wednesday as a teachable moment, denouncing divisive political rhetoric that he said had spurred a man to attack Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband.
“Wait, wait, hold up, hold on,” Mr. Obama shouted at a man who started yelling as the former president was stumping for Democrats running for some of the state’s top offices. “You have to be polite and civil when people are talking, and then you get a chance to talk.”
…
“This increasing habit of demonizing opponents, of just yelling and thinking not just that, ‘I disagree with someone’ but that they are evil or wrong — that creates a dangerous climate,” he said. “Because if your opponents are demonic, well, then there’s no constraint on what you think you can do to them.”
…
Mr. Obama’s warnings about democracy could carry particular resonance in Arizona. The top Republican candidates on the ballot have painted migrants at the nation’s southwestern border as dangerous and helped fuel lies that the 2020 presidential election was stolen. The state has since become ground zero in prolonged efforts by loyalists of former President Donald J. Trump to overturn the results. Many right-wing groups have organized to work the polls in this year’s elections, challenge ballots and station observers in search of wrongdoing at counting centers.
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Steven Mazie, who covers the Supreme Court for The Economist, was really glad that Obama said it, because it really needed to be said:
Glad he said this. Unfortunately it needs to be said. And the timing is right. https://t.co/8PtQ6veif2
— Steven Mazie (@stevenmazie) November 2, 2022
Timing is everything, you know. And the timing was right for @ComfortablySmug to sound off:
Journalism is pushing Obama's talkers right before election day https://t.co/NLBmI9PWq7
— Comfortably Smug (@ComfortablySmug) November 2, 2022
Real Journalism™ is, anyway. And Steven Mazie is nothing if not a Real Journalist™:
No I just think it’s important to preempt election denial, which is corrosive to democracy and increases the risk of political violence.
— Steven Mazie (@stevenmazie) November 2, 2022
Is it, Steven? Is election denial corrosive to democracy? Does it increase the risk of political violence?
https://twitter.com/ZaidJilani/status/1587960311771971585
February 6, 2019:
That SOTU response from Stacey Abrams was the best I've ever seen.
— Steven Mazie (@stevenmazie) February 6, 2019
Welp.
Wow
— Comfortably Smug (@ComfortablySmug) November 3, 2022
Huge wow.
Now, see, this would’ve been a really good time for Steven to do a mea culpa and admit that he’d made a mistake in not calling out a Democratic election denier. So, naturally, that’s not what Steven decided to do. He decided to double down instead.
Her election denial was wrong. All election denial is potentially corrosive. But she and her supporters did not attempt to stir up violent resistance. And there’s no pattern of Democrats preemptively saying they’ll only accept the result of elections they win.
— Steven Mazie (@stevenmazie) November 3, 2022
No pattern, Steven? Really?
https://twitter.com/ZaidJilani/status/1587965534104076289
https://twitter.com/FearTheFloof/status/1587967078367199234
Yeah they did. Democrats have done a lot of things that Steven seems to have conveniently forgotten they’ve done.
???????? https://t.co/euAiy10G3b
— kaitlin (@thefactualprep) November 3, 2022
??????????????? https://t.co/ImS9wMlpTU https://t.co/nmWTYIjg6w pic.twitter.com/Slq88oObWp
— kaitlin (@thefactualprep) November 3, 2022
"No pattern of Democrats preemptively saying they’ll only accept the result of elections they win" https://t.co/EMv3qSOlTP pic.twitter.com/NRCsVWFGUR
— Comfortably Smug (@ComfortablySmug) November 3, 2022
Really? https://t.co/iVN7Et7RAV
— Michael Duncan (@MichaelDuncan) November 3, 2022
No pattern… pic.twitter.com/jarjnCb5sa
— Urbanite (@Urbanite107) November 3, 2022
Is this preemptive enough? https://t.co/ywzaH5CgsW
— lbarandky (@LeslieBarandky) November 3, 2022
This is dangerous election denial and I'm disappointed @stevenmazie remains silent https://t.co/k0TycwKJGw
— Comfortably Smug (@ComfortablySmug) November 3, 2022
Disappointed, i.e. not even remotely surprised.
Oh come on that was not in any way election denial. She was stating something obvious and true: Biden shouldn't concede on election night if the race is close, as absentee ballots will be counted later and may make him the victor. That's exactly what ended up happening!
— Steven Mazie (@stevenmazie) November 3, 2022
It’s not election denial when Democrats deny elections!
Now, it was kind of a stupid thing to say, as *of course* Biden wouldn't concede the election before all the votes were counted. But this cannot be equated with Trump–to this day! with no evidence!–saying the election was "stolen".
— Steven Mazie (@stevenmazie) November 3, 2022
Why can’t it be equated to what Trump said? Just because Steven doesn’t want it to be?
Journos now saying this is not election denial is absolutely incredible https://t.co/m5g7eBkoCv pic.twitter.com/vphhdaZ7fd
— Comfortably Smug (@ComfortablySmug) November 3, 2022
Would you like to read what she actually said and address the point I made, which is clearly true?
— Steven Mazie (@stevenmazie) November 3, 2022
Would you like to read what she actually said and address the dangerous election denial coming from the left that you're covering for? https://t.co/hktPVFtPOA pic.twitter.com/Mh6K5g1PBS
— Comfortably Smug (@ComfortablySmug) November 3, 2022
Yes! Let’s! https://t.co/vnu8tbolqS
— Ex Dr. BuzzFeed Reporter 🌹🏳️⚧️ (@BuzzfeedEx) November 3, 2022
Was 2016 stolen, Steven? pic.twitter.com/X4yokq4YxW
— Iron Ken – Lab Leak Truth Originalist (@IronKenX) November 3, 2022
Wut about these ones pic.twitter.com/KusCZ5S9Jt
— ⚡David Angelo⚡ (@MrDavidAngelo) November 3, 2022
No patternhttps://t.co/QkbnZqqxiH
— Dan Stringer, SEC Pimp (@Danstringer74) November 3, 2022
Or this one pic.twitter.com/9QByIkGE8G
— ⚡David Angelo⚡ (@MrDavidAngelo) November 3, 2022
Cool! pic.twitter.com/K9DL9hmAl7
— Art Bell’s Ghost (@EVPeenus) November 3, 2022
Don't have to read, here's the video: "Right wing extremists already have a plan to *literally* steal the next presidential election." – Hillary Clinton pic.twitter.com/nfPqf6RLXF
— SOMETHiNG WiCKED (@som3thingwicked) November 3, 2022
Ready to take that L yet, Steven? Now would be a good time.
There's a rare thing happening right now. People are getting you dead to rights and you keep finding new ways to dig deeper. Steven, please take the L, accept that you are propagandizing when you claim election denial is a GOP thing, and apologize.
— Phil (@RealPhillyP) November 3, 2022
Apologize? Never! Grab another dozen shovels? You betcha!
https://twitter.com/SederVCU/status/1588190813913337858
At least you're proving Cillizza wrong, so thanks! This is why people don't trust you, they hate you the second you step out from your Brooklyn bubble. You're incurious, and a narcissist. I just hope you get paid by them to be their lackey. https://t.co/50AAbIi0ZX
— Nah Bruh (@Queso_Matador) November 3, 2022
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