Media overplaying its anti-Trump hand – statistics and an anecdote about a lifelong Democrat
Media Russia-mania disconnected from people’s reality, and turning off at least one lifelong Democrat.
There has been a lot of attention in the past couple of days to the statistical disconnect between what is of importance to the media versus what is important to the public.
Not surprisingly, the media is all Russia, Russia, Russia. The public not so much.
Jon Gabriel at Ricochet originated the analysis, though many outlets ran with it, What Americans Care About vs. What the Media Cares About:
Bloomberg released a poll Monday in which they gauged Americans’ mood six months into the new presidency. While Trump didn’t fare too well, Americans are quite optimistic about the economy in general and their personal financial health. As part of the study, Bloomberg asked respondents what they think is the top issue facing the country. Here are the results….
Not surprisingly, health care tops the list of concerns, followed by jobs and security issues. These findings are pretty typical, though the collapse of Obamacare and the GOP bills to fix it have caused health care to surge higher than usual. But look toward the center of the list. Russia, the issue that has dominated press coverage since the November election, scores a paltry 6 percent on Americans’ top concerns.
This lack of interest reminded me of a June 27 Media Research Center survey in which they calculated the amount of network news coverage of major issues. The results were radically different than the Bloomberg chart above ….
Despite the American people caring far more about health care than any other issue, the media has swamped the airwaves with Trump/Russia conspiracies to the detriment of nearly everything else.
The difference between the people and the press was so jarring, I created a chart comparing the two studies. Granted, these studies were conducted by two different organizations using very different methods, but the juxtaposition was remarkable.
Jon then compiled the stats in a chart:
This analysis came to my mind when I had a conversation today that anecdotally supports how out of touch the media is.
The conversation was with someone I’ve known for almost 20 years. He’s a lifelong Rhode Islander and Democrat who has expressed strong hostility to me toward Trump in the past. We speak every couple of months, and I’ve never heard him say a good word about Trump.
The political part of the conversation started by him asking me how the blog was going, and how we must be busy with all the Trump stuff. I was non-committal, something along the lines of “sure, things are always busy.” I fully expected a truck load of anti-Trump stuff to be dumped on me next. But that didn’t happen.
He then volunteered how frustrated he was with the media, and how they “won’t let Trump do his job.” He said he still doesn’t like Trump, but was very angry at the media particularly the Russia coverage. He said (paraphrasing), give me a break with that meeting, if someone offered any campaign dirt on their opponent, of course they’d take it. The conversation continued for several minutes along the same lines, but he kept coming back to Trump not being permitted to “do his job.”
It’s just an anecdote. But it’s meaningful to me because this friend was the last person I would have expected to have such a reaction to media coverage of Trump.
Between the statistical disconnect between media coverage and what matters to people, and this anecdote, I think 2018 may not be the Democrat romp many people are predicting. The media is so obsessed, and Democrats are so much a part of that obsession, they may be overplaying their hand. If nothing else, their voters may stay home in 2018 out of disgust.
DONATE
Donations tax deductible
to the full extent allowed by law.
Comments
That’s a great article Professor!
“I think 2018 may not be the Democrat romp many people are predicting.”
Never forget that the people making that prediction are the same people hyperventilating about the RUSSIA RUSSIA RUSSIA!!! nonsense.
& the same people who said Hillary had a 97% chance of winning the next election. & the same people who said Ossoff would win in a landslide.
Agreed!
Since 2008 and the 2009 crime of Obamacare, the American Citizen Patriots have been getting stronger and stronger.
FYI
“General Tony Thomas speaking at the Aspen Forum on July 21, 2017 reveals the New York Times ran a story from leaked intelligence that foiled the capture of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.”
https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2017/07/22/general-tony-thomas-reveals-new-york-times-leak-foiled-al-baghdadi-mission/
FYI
Donald J. TrumpVerified account @realDonaldTrump 8h8 hours ago
“A new INTELLIGENCE LEAK from the Amazon Washington Post,this time against A.G. Jeff Sessions.These illegal leaks, like Comey’s, must stop!”
As much as your friend is exasperated concerning President Trump and the obstacles to do his job, mine is magnified with disgust for our Do-Nothing-Congress, one that is also an obstacle to his effectiveness. I never thought that the road ahead was going to be easy and rosy, but these past six months are simply disgraceful.
Exactly right.
Americans don’t care about the Russia story, but the press covers it.
Americans do care about healthcare, and the impotent Republicans cannot act.
“Handful of senators don’t pass legislation.”
Trump needs to really talk about the lack of approval for his nominations – Administrative and Judicial.
Perhaps the new Comm Dir will work on that point.
With Anthony Scaramucci on the scene as White House Communications Director, Sarah Huckabee Sanders promoted to White House Press Secretary, and changes to President Trump’s legal team, I hope this is signaling a new phase for this administration. Hopefully, this will include replacing Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, as well as “Mr. Smooth” Scaramucci improving identifying what’s working well, what’s not, and what and who are the obstacles to the administration’s policies, all this to the benefit of the nation.
The Donald has a new project, and its called the presidency. He’s mastering it like he’s mastered most other endeavors in his life. Now that he’s understanding where the all the levers are, he’s loving it.
McCain is exiting, Sessions will be soon gone, and Mueller will be soon fired. Then the sights of the DOJ and the office of a special prosecutor will zero in on the likes of hillary clinton.
The democrat media has blown its wad. The vibe is with us and Trump. The worm has turned.
OK.
Let’s watch and see.
Heh…!!!
…. and that we will. Just as we watched Trump campaign and win an election that had odds greater than what we’re seeing now in regards to total collapse of msm credibility.
When your own polls, which are weighted to 7+ points Democrat (I read the entire poll) show that you are very out of touch with everyone else, including your own fellow ideologues (remember the weighted poll), your time just might be drawing nigh.
Heh, indeed.
I have no idea WTF you are drooling about here.
But I’ll play for a little.
Is Sessions “soon to be gone”? Is that a good thing?
Will T-rump fire Mueller? Is that a good thing?
Will the DOJ turn its guns on Hellary (or her “likes” WETF that means)?
Has the “worm turned”? WTF does that mean?
How did T-rump do running a casino, which is like a money-printing press?
How did he do with several of his properties in NYC?
How did he do with T-rump University?
Are there still such things as “Trump Steaks”?
How did his vitamin scam go?
Now you can lie in response.
Heh.
Yes, Rags, Trump is not part of the establishment, Trump is an outsider, with non-wonks and normal people as his supporters. Is that what upsets you so much about him?
Trump is as normal as it’s possible to be, other than being born rich. He was never groomed for political office. He has a trail of business successes and failures, like many normal people do. He won’t release his taxes because it’s a normal person’s tax returns, not a carefully crafted and worked-over politician’s tax returns.
His mistakes and errors so far have been legion, but there are clear indications that he is improving fast. The evidence of his effectiveness lies with the increasingly desperate opposition of the Washington Establishment and the media. It’s inarguable that he is dismantling much of the Obama legacy despite a historic amount of resistance from Washington insiders, who are fighting to keep the plunder of America going. Underestimate him and his supporters at your own peril.
Dawg, you occasionally get off a sensible post. This was not one.
T-rump is not “part of the establishment”. He IS THE ESTABLISHMENT.
His whole life entire. He could have gone anywhere, and he chose to swim in the cesspool of corruption that is New York, and particularly New York City. And he CHOSE to be a NE Progressive. Every day, right up to is “campaign conversion”.
But like I said…let’s see. You paint him as a modern “everyman”. “Gorsh, heeee’s tax returned pro’le look jes’ like mine, ’cause he weren’t no polly-tician.” That’s just insane.
Oh, and what “peril” am I under that will not befall the rest of the nation because of the acts of this lying, pathological, Collectivist fraud?
Rags – you seem to be drooling a bit there….
WRT this – “You paint him as a modern “everyman”. “Gorsh, heeee’s tax returned pro’le look jes’ like mine, ’cause he weren’t no polly-tician.” That’s just insane.”
What’s insane is your need to ridicule people. Who do you know that speaks like that? Or are you just so biased that you need to go into a stereotypical form of speech to hide your own prejudices?
When you prepare a tax return, you know that you have an audience. The obvious one is the IRS. There are people who will not take every possible deduction so that they don’t get an audit. Others know that their return will be a matter of public viewing so they make it look good – limit income, watch the expenses, show the good expenses (charitable deductions), etc.
Liz, you’re prejudices are showing.
I raised several points. You picked on one where I’d had a little fun, and made a very valid point.
You tax return is NOTHING like Der Donald’s. Is it?
Do you PRETEND Der Donald has EVER prepared his own tax return in the relevant period?
Der Donald has been toying with a political career for decades. THAT is a FACT. Dawg ignored that fact.
“Every man” does not have a gold toilet in his bathroom. Nor would he or she.
“Every man” does not produce fake “Time” magazine covers to have slathered all over the property he controls.
Liz, sometimes you are nuts.
Which is a good idea. So many jump on every bit of “information”, true or not, they see or hear and run with it as if it was fact.
I was Never Trump and still don’t like the man. But then I don’t “like” most politicians.
Once he won the election I was hoping he could, and would, do the things the right wanted him to do.
But this obsession with Russia and the never ending negativity makes it hard for even a seasoned politician to do the job. For a neophyte?
The anecdotal story represents one of the best things about this blog: we all feel like one of your friends, Prof. Jacobson.
Keep up the great work.
We’re seeing some Instalanches around here lately. That’s always a good sign.
Amazing. I read the poll and it had an average of 7+ points to Democrats. The polls were held over a period of weeks/months and they actually state the day by day political leanings of their respondents. Some days it was as much as 10+, other days not as much. Their own average was 7+ points to democrat affiliation. Figures./
They are always under-sampling the fasting growing voter bloc, us unaffiliated independents. That is where Trump’s power is coming from so undersampling us will always tilt a poll in favor of the uniparty.
This story is anecdotal, too, but it shows a disconnect between what topics the viewers want to see, and what one CNN reporter presents.
Reddit Fiasco: CNN’s Cillizza Exits Bubble, Discovers Everybody Hates Chris (and CNN)
“Chris, do you believe in meritocracy? If so, why do you get paid so much? If not, why do you get paid so much?”
ByJOHN NOLTE
July 19, 2017
http://www.dailywire.com/news/18736/reddit-fiasco-cnns-cillizza-exits-bubble-discovers-john-nolte
I think 2018 may not be the Democrat romp many people are predicting.
Are the people doing the predicting the same ones who predicted a Hilliary romp in 2016? 🙂
I met with a lifelong Liberal friend. He is pretty much done with the Dem party. He looks at Bernie, Waters, Hillary, Warren, etc. and says that’s not him. With everything the Leftists are doing to take over the Party, and the media obsession with anti-Trump he’s moving way Right. He thinks Trump aligns more with him than the Dems and now wishes he had voted for Trump.
And most Republicans feel the same way about the GOP. That is why “both” Democratic parties are shrinking as voters flee into the fastest growing party in the US: unaffiliated independent. THAT is where Trump’s base lives.
So long as Trump doesn’t forget that his base is the only growing voter block and why we voted for him, he can only get stronger regardless of what the polls tell us. It’s not about Dem vs Rep or lib vs con anymore. It’s about retaking control of this country from the globalists.
We need that Article V Convention and soon!
Touche! You can say that again!
RE: “he can only get stronger regardless of what the polls tell us. It’s not about Dem vs Rep or lib vs con anymore. It’s about retaking control of this country from the globalists.”
One issue about changing your voting status involves how your state votes. My state has closed primary. I am happy that that do since it reflects the opinion of the supporters of that party. I don’t mind cross over votes in the general election. Just don’t dare to influence my vote in selecting a candidate to represent me.
Stay registered as a R, but start pushing the conservative candidate. A good way of knowing that is looking at your city and state people – who held to their promises? Don’t go for the crazies who want to start at the Congressional level since you really don’t know what they’ll do or say!
The disparity highlighted by this poll is easily explained by looking at who owns the media: globalist media. Bezos and Slim didn’t buy the failing WaPo and NYT for their cratering profits/losses. They needed the 1st amendment protection of voicing their personal opinions via enslaved major media trading on reputations that no longer exist.
And why would they conduct honest polls when everyone already knows the truth including themselves? They didn’t like the choice that voters made and won’t stand for it. And they don’t care that we know what they are up to. This is pure fascism.
The Instapundit keeps suggesting that conservatives need to buy media companies to be able to push their viewpoints.
We really need one to communicate with the youngsters (i.e. Teen Vogue)
Actually, we have plenty of media and don’t need to buy anything. Breitbart quickly came out of nowhere to become an awesome powerhouse simply by covering what the American grassroots were concerned about. It is no accident either that Andrew Breitbart started with The Drudge Report. Then he broke off and accumulated dozens of the best journalists who were being marginalized or fired by the MSM and started a “fight club” of news reporting once Steve Bannon took over.
That’s the key here at LI too. You can quickly build an audience by relentlessly and accurately covering issues that people are interested in, coming up with clever headlines, drawing a few interviews and then waiting for the “Instalanche”.
Journalism is dead and will be for the next generation or more. We don’t need more news outlets. We need to create reasons for people to take an interest in news providers we already have. Like it or not, the days of squishy “fair and balanced” are also dead. People want to know the “truth” and people like us, that means getting your facts straight and presenting them with a pro-American point of view. No more being a disinterested observer.
https://imprimis.hillsdale.edu/2016-election-demise-journalistic-standards/
That is what separates the struggling squishes from the meteoric stars who ride one Instalanche after another. Lead the way with facts and push a clear narrative. Like Michael Goodwin says, “Join the side you’re on.”
BB is hardly a competitor to WaPo.
How many full time staff reporters in the field does BB have?
How many full time foreign bureau reporters does BB have?
How large is their dead tree edition? Yes, those still matter.
How many staff do they have in the White House press pool? Remember BB is Trump’s biggest, earliest media supporter. So they have someone at every WH press event, right?
Yes, we need competitors to the MSM. If we honestly think a scaled-up blog is that, we’re setting up to lose big when the tide shifts just a little.
http://www.breitbart.com/video/2017/07/23/ny-mags-gabe-sherman-hannity-oreilly-in-talks-to-have-shows-with-sinclair-broadcast-group/
It’s NOT about buying media companies. It’s about reorganizing away from “fair and balanced” companies who put conservative voices on the defensive and toward the voices taking advantage of the new media they are already dominating. Drudge, Breitbart, and soon Sinclair with Hannity and O’Reilly?
The MSM is going to shrink to become nothing more than personal money-losing squawk boxes for the Masters of the Universe.
Again with this nonsense? Buying a newspaper does not give you any more protection than you had already. Neither newspapers nor their publishers have any special constitutional status, or any more protection than everyone else.
Somehow the reporting industry has drummed into stupid people (including the dimmer of its own members) the idea that it is special, more vital to the republic than other industries, even daring to call itself a “fourth estate” (while not one reporter in twenty could tell you what an estate is, or name the first three). This must be resisted and debunked wherever encountered if the republic is to have any future.
Dammit! Correction: “The disparity highlighted by this poll is easily explained by looking at who owns the media: globalist CORPORATIONS.”
It’s not like the media over played it’s hand with Hillary!
“I think 2018 may not be the Democrat romp many people are predicting.”
It’s going to be about primarying as many GOPe crooks out of office while expanding the GOP majorities. So long as voters see no difference between the two entrenched Democratic parties, the anti-establishment candidates will win. Trump’s base voters stands to benefit substantially from this as voters flee “both” Democratic parties.
1. Work towards getting your primaries to be a closed primary – if you can’t decide 30 days in advance that you want to vote Republican, then tough.
2. Look at your local people to advance them. They have a track record that should indicate if they are conservatives or RINOs. Don’t nominate an unknown – there have been a few that weren’t vetted and turned out to be wackos.
1. I re-registered GOP to vote for Trump and then flipped back.
2. Forget about CA abandoned the jungle primary system. It was the Republican party that surrendered and they are deader than dead in CA. The so-called GOP leader in the State Assembly even staged a drama queen moment to cast his vote in favor of the renewal of carbon credit tax. No one needed or asked for his vote. He just needed to see his name in the news.
The DC swamp is very much like CA these days with both Democratic parties having been exposed as the corrupt uniparty and apparently not caring. The kabuki goes on with everyone hoping the Mueller finds a crime and finally negates the 2016 elections. The Masters of the Universe have spoken and they are not amused with the way we vote. They won’t stand for it.
It would be interesting to see the important issues of why people voted for Trump.
I would bet that Supreme Court was an issue, but it is moot at this point.
Also, immigration was an important issue, but many may see that as in the process of being handled (increased raids, decreased people at the border, people leaving the country, etc) that the importance is decreasing.
Here’s another anecdote: As everyone here knows I was and remain #NeverTrump, and had I lived in a swing state I would have tried my best to get drunk, attach several clothespins to my nose, vote for Clinton, and then shower with bleach. But eight times out of ten when he’s the subject of controversy, I find myself defending him because he’s in the right, dammit.
I even defend Clinton and 0bama on the rare occasion that an attack on them happens to be false; In Trump’s case that’s the overwhelming majority of the attacks, and it’s very annoying, but if there’s a way to turn me into a Trump voter this is it. Well done, Anti-Trump lunatics.
PS: No, Clinton did not sell uranium to Russia, no 0bama is not a Moslem, and for the record, no, the Nazis did not make soap out of Jews. (They thought of it, mind you, but never did it.)
So Myron Magnet is lying then in this piece “See No Evil” linked on Insty today? Or Alain Resnais did in his documentary “Night and Fog” ?
Control F [soap] for the reference.
It’s a real question, not snark. It’s just odd the description and a denial of the description are seen on the same day.
If you say not so, then not so.
Apologies. Link: https://www.city-journal.org/html/see-no-evil-15330.html
OK, where are the internals. I couldn’t find them, although Bloomber may have provided them, some where, but I din’t see a link and with no internals to see the % of GOP, etc polled, this poll is worthless to me.
OK, where are the internals. I couldn’t find them, although Bloomberg may have provided them, some where, but I din’t see a link and with no internals to see the % of GOP, etc polled, this poll is worthless to me. Up date it is here: https://assets.bwbx.io/documents/users/iqjWHBFdfxIU/r_gKveTVWIpc/v0
Security is high on the list and I suspect many who voted for Hillary – but now having seen what’s happened in Europe – are coming to realize that streams of Muslim immigrants, especially from miserable & unstable Islamic countries, are a very dangerous thing with no upside – they really prefer President Trump’s attitude better than the democrat’s. They agree that Americans should come first & foremost and that’s not how democrats think.