We're now two weeks out from the election. How do you feel? For me, the initial sting has settled into something of a low hum of cynicism. I rigorously avoid the news outside of work hours. I've barely talked about it with friends, even the most political among them. And I generally understand that everything is rotten.
It's quite a different experience from that of 2016, when the results hit like a gut punch and the instinct to resist felt instant. But while it might be true that the resistance is dead, as New York’s Rebecca Traister declared, that's not to encourage any acceptance of the horror to come. In fact, as David Corn writes, it's imperative that people, especially those in the media, keep the dangers of Donald Trump front and center in public conversation.
But we're already seeing so many fail at this imperative. Politico published a strange contest for readers to guess how Trump will fill his Cabinet. Selected winners would be treated to Politico swag. From David:
This was a stupid and small move that received scant public attention. But it symbolizes a shift in the media, as news outfits figure out how to contend with the new order. Too many, I’m afraid, will either purposefully choose or drift toward an accommodationist stance. I recently heard about the leaders of one online site that previously published hard-hitting stories on Trump and his allies informing their staff that it must pivot with Trump back in the White House. And it’s long been true that mainstream news organizations, particularly network television, have had to reach a modus vivendi with a White House to get the exclusive interviews and video footage they crave. That can be expected once again.
But David also sees a balance in how we move forward. I personally don't have much hope for it. But then again, I'm stuck in a cynical mudslide.
—Inae Oh
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