Little did NBC News’ Dasha Burns know that when she was honest about John Fetterman’s struggles to get through her recent interview with him, she’d be kicking a hornet’s nest full of journalists who were suddenly very much against questioning the cognitive abilities of a political candidate.
In 24 hours we've gone from "there's nothing wrong with Fetterman, don't be crazy" to "sure there's something wrong with Fetterman but stop caring about that"
— Sunny McSunnyface (@sunnyright) October 13, 2022
Now, the same people who were calling for the 25th Amendment when Donald Trump held a glass of water strangely are defending a Democratic Senate candidate who can’t even reliably get through a sentence without outside help.
For those of you keeping track of all the white knights at home, go ahead and add the Washington Post to your pile:
Closed captions are a common tool for people with auditory processing or hearing issues, conditions which have nothing to do with overall intelligence, neurologists say. https://t.co/Bnlpsat8po
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) October 13, 2022
Well, literally no one has said that being hard of hearing is a sign of deficient intelligence or cognitive ability. Fetterman could be completely deaf, for all we care. Blind, too. Armless, legless, noseless, what have you. The issue is that he had a major stroke this spring and has clearly not recovered enough to be ready or competent enough to run for political office.
During his first on-camera interview since having a stroke, Fetterman used closed captioning, prompting Republicans to raise new questions about his health.
Disability advocates say that response shows a lack of understanding about accommodations. https://t.co/KfjthJRhXX
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) October 13, 2022
Republicans pounced on his incoherence and obvious cognitive impairments!
Jenna Beacom, a deaf media critic, said she was surprised at how well Fetterman was able to follow the interview even though he seemed to be relying on auto-captioning.
She sometimes uses auto-captioning but said it is often riddled with mistakes or lags. https://t.co/aXHVkdniD4 pic.twitter.com/ONUcypy1WZ
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) October 13, 2022
Did Jenna Beacom also have a stroke? We have to ask, since WaPo is seriously suggesting that losing one’s hearing is just like having a stroke.
When someone has auditory processing issues from a stroke, the usual pathways that language information takes have been interrupted, and the signals may need to take a detour.
But healthy parts of the brain can support an injured part while it heals. https://t.co/aXHVkd59oW
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) October 13, 2022
That’s great. But if the healthy parts of John Fetterman’s brain are supporting the injured parts, they’re sure taking their sweet time. And, quite frankly, voters don’t have time. The midterms are only a few weeks away and as of right now, Fetterman is in no condition to run for office, let alone serve in the U.S. Senate.
WaPo is throwing everything they’ve got at Fetterman’s critics. Straw men, false equivalencies, straight-up dishonesty … you name it.
All hands on deck. https://t.co/TucB5nUffH
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) October 13, 2022
You can actually smell the media’s desperation. It absolutely reeks.
Either he has brain damage from a stroke or he doesn't. Which is it? https://t.co/AFeQTEJfU9
— jimtreacher.substack.com (@jtLOL) October 13, 2022
It isn't his health, it's his dishonesty about it which disqualifies him. Same goes for the current President.
— James Hansen (@Mazer1138) October 13, 2022
Brain damage caused by a stroke is not the same as having hearing issues, you dishonest cretins. Thank you for coming to my TED talk
— Physics Geek (@physicsgeek) October 13, 2022
https://twitter.com/Heminator/status/1580579581769052160
Carrying water … and spilling it all over themselves.
This you?https://t.co/rsBglEwJUM
— Zaggs (@Zaggs) October 13, 2022
You know it.
Embarrassing stuff for you guys and that's saying something
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) October 13, 2022
Do these so-called “journalists” even hear themselves? Or do they need closed captioning, too?
***
Related:
***
Join the conversation as a VIP Member