As the final night of the Republican National Conference began, with a crowd overwhelmed with excitement, optimism, and successful polling, it seemed to become harder for the media to find any criticism. Yet as petty criticisms pervaded the networks, MSNBC turned to the never-Trumper Sarah Longwell, publisher of The Bulwark, in order to find any legitimate scruples with the successful party.
As MSNBC host Chris Hayes introduced Longwell, he questioned the nature of the Republican confidence:
But there is a confidence, a supreme confidence they are exuding that they have this in the bag. They don't have to worry about swing state voters. That this is their - - this is just plucking an apple off the tree.
However instead of responding explaining the clear influence the last month of politics has had, between Biden’s downfall, and Trump’s assassination attempt, patriotism and political unification, Longwell gave a pitiful answer, suggesting they "lost the plot" and "lost the time frame" of who was president when (click expand):
They believe that they can beat Joe Biden in states that are not even part of the swing state calculus. Places like Virginia. Places like Minnesota. I think they will find themselves in a different position if it is anybody else, other than Joe Biden, because suddenly there is someone who could prosecute the case. I think it is - - I think Joe Biden has become the center of the story and one of the things that has happened with voters and obviously I do focus groups and talk with voters all the time. It’s not that they’ve forgotten exactly. It’s that, that was a very intense time period and because of the pace of the news media and everything else they’ve like lost the plot, lost the time frame on when everything happened.
Which is why for so many issues today, it is about being capable of driving a narrative and raising the salience of certain issues. You need somebody who can explain that four years ago people were trapped in their homes. Tons of people were out of work and that when Joe Biden came in, this thing happens sometimes where people think Donald Trump is the one who passed the infrastructure bill and Joe Biden was president during the pandemic. You have to be able to articulate to them and remind them of what is happening and you have to do it in real time, relentlessly all the time, because otherwise voters just kind of especially because that time was a black hole for people sand so it creates a weird space in their brain and that’s why you need to prosecute this case.
Hayes emphasized this point even more in his questioning of Longwell (click expand):
HAYES: Sara, when did certain things happen? I think it is such an important one. I genuinely think that’s a huge part of it. What year was that again? When was Biden - when was Trump? Like I genuinely think to your point about prosecuting that case, is this - - is what I try to do on my show is just like here is the calendar. This is - -look at it. Zoom in, July. Joe Biden, not president. That is so key to the next four months of this campaign, whoever is the democratic nominee.
LONGWELL: Yeah and look, I'm going to say something that’s going to sound crazy, but voters don't think about January 6 that often. They don't. They also if you ask them, you know how they feel things are going in the country, they often don't bring up abortion. You have to raise the salience of these issues for people because when you remind swing voters about January 6 or even when Trump gets in their face. George is so right about the fact that Donald Trump not being front and center in the conversation, the fact that the media is kind of fighting the last battle. They don't carry his rallies. He’s been able to be in court rooms. They cut off his mic during debates. You know, everything is built to keep Donald Trump - - He is not on Twitter the way he used to be, he’s just over there on Truth Social which nobody reads.
And that is creating for people a sense of distance with Trump that allows them to not remember what he was like before and feel slightly better about him than they have, but I agree that it’s hubristic. Because the second this race turns and is about Donald Trump, it becomes a much bigger and more difficult prospect because voters still don't like Donald Trump.
“Lost the plot,” states Longwell, not a surprising answer from a never-Trumper, and that is exactly why MSNBC had her on. No longer can the media dissect Biden’s failing campaign, and the Democratic ticket which seems to be questioned by more of its own politicians everyday. If they do it would surely mean a definite failure in November. Instead they look towards any and every alternative, highlighting an undeniable bias, and further damaging true journalism.
The transcript is below, click “expand” to read:
MSNBC Republican National Convention
7/18/2024
8:24:21 PM ESTCHRIS HAYES: We are also joined by Sarah Longwell, publisher of the Bulwark and host of the Focus Group Podcast. And Sarah, I want to ask you this. Alex and I were talking in the editorial meeting today about the triumphalism, is a word that Mckay used. And I think it’s born of, I mean - - first of all them pulling off this amazing sort of retconning of that year. Like are you better off, it’s like well yeah of course we’re better off, but there is a confidence, a supreme confidence they are exuding that they have this in the bag. They don't have to worry about swing state voters. That this is their - - this is just plucking an apple off the tree.
..SARAH LONGWELL: yeah well, I think they have been planning for a while to run against Joe Biden and they believe Joe Biden is somebody they can beat in a landslide. You know, Tim Alberta had this great piece in the Atlantic where he was hanging out with Crhis Lasovito and Suzy Wiles and they believe that they can beat Joe Biden in states that are not even part of the swing state calculus. Places like Virginia. Places like Minnesota. I think they will find themselves in a different position if it is anybody else, other than Joe Biden, because suddenly there is someone who could prosecute the case. I think it is - - I think Joe Biden has become the center of the story and one of the things that has happened with voters and obviously I do focus groups and talk with voters all the time. It’s not that they’ve forgotten exactly. It’s that, that was a very intense time period and because of the pace of the news media and everything else they’ve like lost the plot, lost the time frame on when everything happened. Which is why for so many issues today, it is about being capable of driving a narrative and raising the salience of certain issues. You need somebody who can explain that four years ago people were trapped in their homes. Tons of people were out of work and that when Joe Biden came in, this thing happens sometimes where people think Donald Trump is the one who passed the infrastructure bill and Joe Biden was president during the pandemic. You have to be able to articulate to them and remind them of what is happening and you have to do it in real time, relentlessly all the time, because otherwise voters just kind of especially because that time was a black hole for people sand so it creates a weird space in their brain and that’s why you need to prosecute this case.
(...)
08:27:55 PM EST
CHRIS HAYES: That point, there too, about literally, Sara, when did certain things happen? I think it is such an important one. I genuinely think that’s a huge part of it. What year was that again? When was Biden - when was Trump? Like I genuinely think to your point about prosecuting that case, is this - - is what I try to do on my show is just like here is the calendar. This is - -look at it. Zoom in, July. Joe Biden, not president. That is so key to the next four months of this campaign, whoever is the democratic nominee.
LONGWELL: Yeah and look, I'm going to say something that’s going to sound crazy, but voters don't think about January 6 that often. They don't. They also if you ask them, you know how they feel things are going in the country, they often don't bring up abortion. You have to raise the salience of these issues for people because when you remind swing voters about January 6 or even when Trump gets in their face. George is so right about the fact that Donald Trump not being front and center in the conversation, the fact that the media is kind of fighting the last battle. They don't carry his rallies. He’s been able to be in court rooms. They cut off his mic during debates. You know, everything is built to keep Donald Trump - - He is not on Twitter the way he used to be, he’s just over there on Truth Social which nobody reads. And that is creating for people a sense of distance with Trump that allows them to not remember what he was like before and feel slightly better about him than they have, but I agree that it’s hubristic. Because the second this race turns and is about Donald Trump, it becomes a much bigger and more difficult prospect because voters still don't like Donald Trump.
