Middleboro Review 2: 06/09/22

Thursday, June 9, 2022

POLITICO NIGHTLY: Why many Republicans believe the Big Lie

Presented by the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living

Then-President Donald Trump waves to the crowd after speaking at a campaign event at the Kenosha Regional Airport Monday, Nov. 2, 2020, in Kenosha, Wis. | Morry Gash/AP Photo

NO, REALLY, BLAME THE MEDIA — While we wait for the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol and former President Donald Trump’s effort to overturn the 2020 election to begin its prime-time hearing, we have new research looking more closely at why so many people believe the lie that the election was stolen.

In short, it may be time for news outlets and their graphics departments to convene some hearings of their own.

Researchers at the Center for Media Engagement at the University of Texas at Austin interviewed 56 people who believed, falsely, that Trump most likely won the 2020 election.

What they learned, in a paper shared first with Nightly : These people do not exist in “tightly sealed, right-wing echo chambers,” and a majority “did not seem to subscribe to multiple conspiracy theories.” Instead, “It appears that election night visuals were particularly powerful in cueing some people’s suspicions,” says the paper, written by Talia Stroud, a professor of communication studies at the University of Texas at Austin, Caroline Murray, a senior research associate at the university’s Center for Media Engagement, and Marley Duchovnay, a research associate there.

It’s true that Trump had some unique things going for him in advancing his fraud. His portrayal of himself as a victim of the news media helped feed the idea that “actors on the left would go to extreme and illegal lengths to see that he was out of office,” according to the researchers.

And the rally sizes that Trump cared so much about? They made a difference in how people viewed the outcome, too. Some people who believed Trump won had a hard time reconciling his large crowds with his losing vote total.

But there was another factor that had nothing to do with Trump: how the lead on election night shifted from Trump to Joe Biden in some states as more ballots came in. Even though such shifts were expected — and explained by many traditional news outlets — the visuals on TV were difficult to overcome.

Nightly spoke with Stroud and Murray about the people who believe Trump’s election lie, how susceptible the country may be to such falsehoods in a future election and what they think the news media should do about it. This conversation has been edited.

Most people you spoke with don’t subscribe to other conspiracy theories. Why is the election lie so effective?

Talia Stroud: I think it’s because it’s so popularly discussed. So many elite figures are making this claim that it adds perceived legitimacy that the election actually was stolen.

Caroline Murray: I would add that this election in particular was actually more difficult to follow in real time than some elections in the past because there were new changes due to the pandemic. When people said, “I’ve never in my whole life experienced what happened in this election,” I think that that actually may be true. The newness and the unique circumstances that were present in 2020 did really open the door for people to be suspicious.

How susceptible to a lie like this do you think people may be in future elections?

Stroud: I think we’re really going to find out in 2022 and 2024, but I think there is a possibility that now that the groundwork has been laid and people think this is a possible narrative, that it’s actually going to be easier for those sorts of claims to take root. I think that there’s a good reason to be nervous about how this will play out in the future and a good reason for all of us to be attentive to the way in which we communicate.

Do you get any sense from the interviews you’ve done that people could be persuaded that they believe in a lie?

Murray: One of the things that made me a little bit hopeful after doing all of these interviews was that there are a lot of shades of belief here. Some people really believe this strongly and might be more susceptible to believing it again in future elections. But a lot of people were expressing uncertainty as they were sharing their thoughts with me, and they were saying that this felt so complicated to them.

It felt like they didn’t have a media home, so to speak, someone that they could turn to that they felt would explain to them exactly what was happening in an in-depth way. They seem to want to seek out very detailed and perhaps very complex information about the election. Because they are invested and they are consuming a diverse set of sources in some cases, I do think there is room here at the very least.

Is the news media contributing to the problem by showing vote totals as they trickle in?

Murray: There’s some evidence that that was the case — that it might not be the best way to sustain trust in elections if you show the numbers and the mechanisms behind them go unexplained. I think that adding some context there, particularly around how different states count mail-in ballots, would’ve been really helpful.

But lots of outlets did offer explanations for the shifts. If it’s getting missed, is there cause for a more drastic change in election night coverage?

Stroud: I definitely think there is room for rethinking what election night coverage looks like. In this particular case, maybe not everyone is listening to it to hear that information. If they’re just looking at it visually, maybe there are ways to convey election results in better ways on air, and in print for that matter. Should we be reporting as 10 percent come in and 20 percent come in? I don’t know. I think that it’s worth having a conversation.

Welcome to POLITICO Nightly. Reach out with news, tips and ideas at nightly@politico.com. Or contact tonight’s author at dsiders@politico.com or on Twitter at @davidsiders.

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WHAT'D I MISS?

— GOP candidate for Michigan governor arrested in connection with Jan. 6 attack: Ryan Kelley was arrested today on misdemeanor charges for participation in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Kelley, one of five candidates on the Aug. 2 Republican primary ballot, is being charged on four counts — all misdemeanors — including entering a restricted space and engaging in any act of physical violence against a person or property. Kelley is also charged with willingly injuring or committing depredation against any property of the United States. The FBI alleges Kelley can be seen in images ripping a cover off of scaffolding on the Capitol building during the riot.

— New York City scraps school mask mandate for toddlers: They won’t be required to wear masks in schools or day cares starting Monday, Mayor Eric Adams announced today in a move that lifted the public school system’s last remaining mask mandate. The city lifted the indoor mask mandate for New York City public school students in kindergarten through 12th grade in early March, but retained the requirement for toddlers — citing their ineligibility for vaccines, and the age group’s higher-than-average hospitalization rates.

— Biden’s ATF pick locks down key moderate support: Steven Dettelbach, President Joe Biden’s pick to be the country’s top guns regulator, appears headed to Senate confirmation after key moderate senators announced their support. Sens. Joe Manchin and Jon Tester announced today that they would back Dettelbach to lead the ATF.

— FBI: Navarro called arresting agents ‘Nazis’: Since his arrest last Friday on a pair of misdemeanor charges that he acted in contempt of Congress by defying a subpoena from the Jan. 6 House select committee, former Trump administration official Peter Navarro has been on a media tear, accusing the FBI of denying him a chance to call a lawyer and depriving him of food and water. But the Justice Department says all of those claims are false. DoJ documents filed in court today seem to mock Navarro’s priorities. The filing says FBI agents offered to contact an attorney for Navarro, but he wanted to use his phone to let a media outlet know he was likely to miss a scheduled TV interview.

— Florida Supreme Court hears gun law challenge: The Florida legal challenge has been in the judicial pipeline since 2018, when dozens of local cities and officials filed a challenge after the mass school shooting in Parkland, Fla., that left 17 dead and another 17 wounded. At issue before the state high court is a 2011 law that allows the state to fine local governments and officials thousands of dollars for approving strict gun laws. Local municipalities face fines of up to $100,000 and individual officials $5,000. The law being challenged is part of a decades-old “preemption” law approved by the Florida Legislature that prohibits local governments at the city or county level to pass measures stricter than those at the state level.

— Felicia Sonmez fired by The Washington Post: The paper has fired the well-known reporter after she complained publicly about a perceived lack of institutional willingness to confront misogynistic treatment of female staffers. Sonmez’s firing comes days after the paper suspended a fellow reporter, Dave Weigel, for a month after he retweeted a crude joke about women. Sonmez was highly critical of Weigel for the tweet, prompting a company memo reminding staff that criticizing fellow employees was a violation of company policies.

— NASA launches study seeking clues about UFOs: The goal of the study, which is due to be wrapped up in nine months, is meant to improve aircraft safety while gaining a better overall understanding of a series of unidentified aircraft flying in protected airspace in recent years, which the government refers to as “unmanned aerial phenomena,” or UAPs. NASA plans to share its findings publicly once the study is complete. NASA stressed the project will be conducted no differently than any other scientific investigation the space agency undertakes, and will cost no more than $100,000.

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AROUND THE WORLD

DEATH SENTENCES IN SHOW TRIALS — Kremlin-controlled authorities have sentenced to death two British citizens and a Moroccan national who all served in Ukraine’s military after a three-day show trial in which no evidence in their favor was presented, Christopher Miller writes.

British citizens Aiden Aslin and Shaun Pinner, and Moroccan national Saadoun Brahim, were convicted of being foreign mercenaries and partaking in “terrorist” activities when captured by Russian forces — the Brits were captured in the southeastern city of Mariupol in April while Brahim was captured in March in Volnovakha, south of Donetsk.

A court sentenced them in the self-proclaimed “People’s Republic” of Donetsk, a territory of eastern Ukraine that Russia controls and is unrecognized by the international community. They have one month to appeal and possibly receive a reduced sentence, the court said. Otherwise, they face death by firing squad.

Aslin, 28, Pinner, 48, and Brahim, 21, were active-duty troops serving regular contracts with the Ukrainian military; Aslin had recently re-upped his contract for a fourth year and had deep ties to the country. As regular soldiers, the men should be protected by the Geneva Conventions on prisoners of war.

Russia and its proxy forces in Donetsk are believed to be using the cases of Aslin and Pinner to secure the release of Russian soldiers held prisoner by Ukraine and convicted in Kyiv. Russian proxy authorities in Donetsk had pushed for the U.K. and Ukraine in the weeks ahead of the trial to negotiate a prisoner swap with Aslin and Pinner for Viktor Medvedchuk, a pro-Kremlin Ukrainian politician who is in Kyiv’s custody and charged with treason.

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NIGHTLY NUMBER

Probably 7

The number of days left in the session this month as senators head home for the weekend and work to negotiate a gun deal, POLITICO’s Burgess Everett noted today. There’s a full week of work next week, a short holiday week for Juneteenth after that and then lawmakers will be out for a two-week recess.

STEP INSIDE THE WEST WING: What's really happening in West Wing offices? Find out who's up, who's down, and who really has the president’s ear in our West Wing Playbook newsletter, the insider's guide to the Biden White House and Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details that you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today.

PARTING WORDS

NEVER TOO EARLY — As former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley crisscrosses the country ahead of an anticipated 2024 presidential bid, she is also fixated on defending her home turf — from an incursion led by her onetime boss, Trump, writes Alex Isenstadt.

Haley is putting her political muscle behind South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace, a freshman congresswoman who blamed Trump for the deadly Jan. 6 Capitol riot — and who is now facing a Trump-endorsed opponent, Katie Arrington, in next week’s Republican primary. Haley, a former South Carolina governor, has appeared in Mace’s TV ads, headlined a fundraiser that raised six figures, and is expected to close out the race by holding several events with the congresswoman.

The former governor’s top lieutenants are also pitching in, with a top strategist, Betsy Ankney, in regular contact with the congresswoman’s team. Jon Lerner, Haley’s longtime pollster, recently conducted a survey for a pro-Mace outside group.

Haley’s intervention in the primary represents a political bet: By throwing her political might behind Mace — a candidate derided by Trump as “nasty, disloyal, and bad for the Republican Party” — and risking a defeat in her home state, Haley is taking steps to distinguish herself from a former president whom she served and who, like her, is weighing a 2024 bid.

Those in Trump’s orbit concede it’s likely Haley will end up with the win, with public polling showing Mace ahead. While Haley is barnstorming the Charleston-area district for her candidate during the final days of the contest in a sign of confidence, Trump has opted against making an 11th-hour trip for Arrington.

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Cuellar voted against banning high capacity magazines

Yesterday, pro-NRA Democrat Henry Cuellar voted with Republicans against banning high-capacity gun magazines. This is the conservative Democrat that Nancy Pelosi and other top House Democrats supported against Justice Democrat Jessica Cisneros.

Why? Because Pelosi and corporate Democrats would rather protect a conservative pro-NRA incumbent than champion a progressive fighter willing to take on the establishment. That’s the reality, and it’s why we keep fighting so hard to count every vote in TX-28 and prepare for our next primary against the establishment on June 28.

Can you chip in $10 right now to help us fight back? We need every dollar we can get to finish our work in TX-28 and defeat the establishment in our next primary in IL-7.

Pelosi may have made the difference in our fight to defeat Henry Cuellar (he leads by just 280 votes).

She campaigned and donated to Cuellar after he voted against strengthening labor unions. She campaigned for him after his home and campaign office were raided by the FBI. She campaigned for him after he voted against abortion rights and received an award from an extreme anti-abortion group.

The truth is House Democrats don’t care if Cuellar obstructs their agenda — just as long as he’s not a progressive. Justice Democrats threaten the status quo, and that scares Pelosi and corporate Democrats more than an anti-abortion, pro-NRA conservative Democrat.

it’s up to us to change things. Donate $10 to Justice Democrats right now so we can elect BETTER Democrats, expand the Squad, and deliver for the people.

We can only compete with the resources of the Democratic establishment if a groundswell of our grassroots supporters chip in.

In solidarity,

Justice Democrats

Do not worry if you cannot afford to make a contribution — we understand that this is a difficult time. If you’re struggling, you can find a food bank here. We appreciate everything you do to keep our movement strong.

Please stay informed and follow the most up-to-date recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and your state public health department.

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We must defeat MAGA Republicans at the ballot box this year!

When I say we're on the ballot, this is about more than just a candidate or a name.

It means gun violence reforms are on the ballot.

Access to safe and legal abortions is on the ballot.

Our fight to slow and reverse the devastating impacts of climate change is on the ballot.

The rights of LGBTQ+ folks are on the ballot.

Our democracy is on the ballot.

This election is critical.

Never in my career have the midterms meant this much. MAGA Republicans believe they're poised to take the majority in the House and Senate. A Republican victory would be disastrous.

We must defeat them at the ballot box. Every grassroots donation goes toward electing a Democratic majority and addressing the issues that matter most to Americans.

We are ready to fight for the American people.

No more compromises. No more half-measures. No more candidates who refuse to take action.

But we can't do it alone- we'll need everyone's help. We can and must make a big difference in 2022. Join in and donate $3 today!

Jim

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devastating, and racist news

BREAKING NEWS FROM POLITICO:“Florida Supreme Court locks in DeSantis-backed redistricting map”

This fight is not over, and we will do everything in our power to overturn these racist maps that strip political power from Black people and cut their representation in Florida in half. The conservative Supreme Court in our state is acting as an accomplice to Governor DeSantis efforts to make Black votes count less.

But it’s official, Florida’s gerrymandered congressional maps will not change in time for my race. I’m filing to run in the newly redrawn FL-10.

I always knew I’d be running to represent the community I call home, but I just didn’t know what the final district lines would be.

Now, I need to work harder than ever because these racially gerrymandered maps were designed to stop candidates like me from representing Florida.

I need you to step and become a Founding Donor of my campaign for FL-10 TODAY.

We need to raise $8,424 in the next 24 hours to launch voter outreach initiatives to new voters in FL-10. Getting as many new voters into our movement ASAP will determine whether I win or lose come Election Day. Please rush $27 now >>

DONATE $27

Make no mistake: these maps were drawn specifically to disenfranchise Black and Brown voters.

They want to silence us because they’re THAT afraid of our collective power and they’re THAT afraid of having a Progressive Black-Latino representing Florida in Congress.

That means we have to fight back harder than ever, but it won’t be easy. I have a lot more ground to make up in fundraising AND on the campaign trail.

So if I’m going to win come Election Day, I need to:

Travel across the newly drawn FL-10 district and connect with new voters,
Hire more dedicated staff within the district who share the same values as the community I’m running to represent.
And raise enough money to launch paid media ads on TV and social media to spread the message of my campaign to new voters.

But if 312 Democrats in your area become a Founding Donor, we’ll close our fundraising gap, launch an unstoppable outreach strategy, and win this race, together.

From day one, this campaign has been about bringing communities together to fight for a better future we all deserve. These new district lines will only make us fight harder, but I’m counting on you to step up and become a Founding Donor. Will you chip in $27 now? >>

Thanks for stepping up,

Maxwell Alejandro Frost

www.FrostForCongress.com

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Maxwell is an organizer, running to represent Florida's 10th Congressional District in Congress. He isn't taking any corporate PAC, corporate lobbyist, big sugar, or fossil fuel contributions. He needs your help to win this seat for poor and working-class people. Will you become a Founding Donor of this movement today?

CONTRIBUTE

❌❌❌

Rand Paul says he’s a representative of our state, but he’s failed Kentucky time and time again. Just look at his voting record:

❌ He JUST voted “No” on the Honoring Our PACT Act to improve health care and benefits for veterans exposed to toxic substances,

❌ Rand Paul voted against establishing the January 6th Committee, and JUST blocked the Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act,

❌ He attempted to BLOCK funding for Kentucky’s small businesses in the most recent COVID-19 package,

❌ He single-handedly blocked the Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Act from passing in 2020 which would have made this heinous act a federal hate crime two years ago,

❌ He voted against the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and denied basic voting protections for Black and brown communities,

❌ Voted “No” on extending funding to 9/11 First Responders Victim Fund,

❌ And unfortunately, that’s only a short list.

For Rand, doing the right thing is impossible when your political agenda is controlled by special interests and far-right donors. Meanwhile, as a people-powered legislator, Charles fought for lower prescription drug prices, expanded voting rights, true community safety, and stronger labor unions. And he will continue to be a champion for these issues in the Senate.

It's pretty clear who Rand stands with, and it’s not with the people of Kentucky. Charles spends his time working for the people of Kentucky. Can you donate or more to help Charles win? Our campaign is 100% funded by folks like you chipping in to help drive people-first change.

Let’s make this clear: 75% of Rand Paul’s campaign money comes from corporate money, rich people, and big business.

And when you look at his voting record in the ten years he’s been in office, it makes perfect sense. Rand Paul has catered his agenda time and again to the rich and powerful, leaving the rest of Kentucky behind.

Meanwhile, our campaign raised nearly half of our donations from Kentuckians – an unprecedented demonstration of the energy on the ground for this race. 98% of our donations were from grassroots supporters like you.

That’s why we’re able to fight for the issues that matter most to you. Frank, you deserve high quality healthcare with no out of pocket costs. You deserve Medicare for All. You and your families deserve to feel safe in your homes, schools, and jobs, without the threat of gun violence. Charles is running for the U.S. Senate to make that happen.

If you’re ready to replace Rand Paul, help Charles’ campaign for Kentucky by donating today. Every donation goes directly to launching digital ads, hiring organizers, and growing this campaign from the ground up.

Thank you, Frank.

Leo

Leo Daube Deputy Campaign Manager

Charles

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Email us: info@charlesbooker.org

Contributions to Booker for Kentucky are not deductible for federal income tax purposes. To contribute via check, please address to PO Box 4369, Louisville, KY 40204.

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June 09, 2022