AG Report 11.7.2024

Trump won and I have 2 immediate thoughts:

1- Maybe it wasn’t the best idea for Democrats to skip a primary and designate a candidate with a serious authenticity problem and who was directly tied to the very unpopular incumbent administration….

But who could have predicted that might not work out?

2/28/2024: “Kamala Harris is perhaps the only other national Dem that would lose to Trump”

6/27/2024: “The problem for Dems is that Kamala Harris might be the only national Democrat who has a favorability rating that's almost as bad as Biden's. She might not be old, but she doesn't improve their chances.”

7/19/2024: “Persuadable voters have continually signaled they aren’t happy with the direction under this admin. They view the previous 4 years as preferable even if they don’t personally like Trump. Harris can’t escape that, another Dem might be able to.”

Donald Trump had serious flaws as a candidate. He had a very low ceiling, but voters were unhappy with the country's direction under Democrats, and the Democrats didn't do enough to convince them that it would change. The strategy of Kamala Harris refusing to answer tough questions turned out to be irresponsible and a political mistake. That gave Trump and the Republicans the opening they needed, despite efforts by the press to skew the race.

2- Jeff Bezos recently expressed fears about major news outlets becoming irrelevant due to a loss of public trust—a fear that has become a stark reality. This was particularly evident in the election outcome where Trump managed to sway late-deciding voters despite an intense late activist attempt to help Harris. This outcome should have served as a critical wake-up call for media organizations. However, the response from many in the industry has been telling. Instead of introspection, there's a noticeable outcry over audiences turning to alternative news sources.

The issue isn't just about competition; it's about why these traditional news brands have seen their value diminish so much that people actively seek out other options. While many newsrooms are staffed with talented and dedicated journalists, their efforts are frequently eclipsed by the more vocal activists within these institutions. Leadership, rather than curbing this imbalance, often seems to encourage it. This lack of self-reflection and accountability is not just damaging; it's ensuring that the decline of these news organizations continues unchecked. 

Press Went Full Activist Mode in the Final Week of the Campaign