AP's take on conservatives demonstrating what democracy looks like 'is so loaded with bias'

Last night, we told you about how the Associated Press bent over backwards to paint the fact that Democratic Sen. John Fetterman is showing up to work dressed like a man who lives in his mom’s basement as “a sign of progress.”

Sen. John Fetterman used to walk the halls of the Senate stone-faced and in formal suits. Now, he’s more relaxed, in hoodies and gym shorts.

People close to Fetterman say it's a sign of progress after six weeks of inpatient treatment for depression. https://t.co/CZU3wqhcFn

— The Associated Press (@AP) May 21, 2023

When, exactly, did they make the decision to completely lean into the shameless partisan hackery? While we can’t pinpoint the moment, it’s probably safe to say that they’re not planning to reverse course anytime soon.

Call it a hunch. Or call it painfully, excruciatingly obvious:

Far-right conservatives have been targeting seats on local boards and commissions, in many cases to gain oversight of elections. The tensions are playing out in one Tennessee county where a local Constitutional Republicans group now controls a commission. https://t.co/uRug5UTEUG

— The Associated Press (@AP) May 21, 2023

More from the AP:

The tensions are similar to those playing out in communities across the United States where conservative groups have been running candidates for local offices in recent years and sometimes winning majorities, upending the way local governments operate.

They have been motivated by pandemic restrictions, false claims related to the 2020 presidential election, disagreements over race and gender education, or a desire to reign in what they see as unaccountable bureaucracies, with a goal of taking control of school and library boards, county commissions and city councils.

…

Census figures show the county’s population, now nearly 204,000, grew 22% between the 2010 and 2020, driven in part by transplants from California and Texas who were lured by a mix of conservative politics, lower housing prices and no state income tax. The county is dominated by Republicans and backed Trump with 69% of the vote in 2020.

The growth has led to a need for more government services, including schools and teachers, while providing an opportunity for a right-wing element within the local Republican Party to gain power.

“They appeal to people who moved here from other states saying, ‘If we don’t get elected, our Sumner County will become like your county that you came from, and you don’t want us to become like you, so you need to vote for our people,’” said Ring, a semiretired high school government teacher. “And that works in a lot of parts of the county.”