State Media for the GOP?
Despite (Signal Editor) Tim Whyte’s protestations to the contrary, The Signal constantly reminds us that they are indeed the local state media for the Republican Party. The latest example was their Saturday edition where we had not one, but two right-wing columns, and for good measure, the latest drivel from Jim Horton (letters to the editor).
First up, “Right Here, Right Now” by C. Norman Allen. Beyond the usual conservative rantings about health care, living wages and of course their denial of climate change, we have the rather odious attack on Joe Biden and his alleged feeblemindedness. Joe Biden suffers from stuttering, a condition he has had his entire life. His heroic overcoming of this affliction is admirable. Allen would know this if he derived his information from any source beyond Laura Ingraham, but as a good conservative he of course worships at the altar of Fox News.
It was shocking — but hysterically funny — how he claims Trump has quick and intelligent thinking and high energy, this one week after this president gave perhaps the most uninspired and insipid Oval Office address in history, an address so bad it single-handedly tanked the stock market. It is noted, in supreme irony, that the day Allen’s column came out, where he extols the Trump economy, was the day after the stock market gave back everything it had gained in the three years of this administration, with no bottom in sight.
You would have thought “Right Here, Right Now” would have some kind of minimal standards for analysis, but we are talking about the right wing after all, so no.
Next up is the latest blather from Gil Mertz. With a pandemic ramping up to becoming the worst epidemic in a century, the economy cratering to levels not seen since the Great Depression, Mertz wants to fume about Chuck Schumer. OK. His three columns of ink seems to boil down that Schumer said something stupid and his apology was insincere. Gil, I agree Schumer said something dumb. Right now, though, I’m trying to figure out how to survive the next few months, in a very literal sense. And by the way, your hero, Trump, does not apologize for anything, including his shockingly horrible handling of the current pandemic. Hopefully you and I will be around next year to debate this further. But by all means get yourself into a lather over Chuck Schumer.
And finally Jim Horton, the “you kids get off my grass” frequent contributor to The Signal. In another of his alternate reality pieces, he claims Christy Smith will be a pawn of Nancy Pelosi, but Mike Garcia will be an independent thinker because the dude flew off and landed on aircraft carriers. Huh? I have no doubt Mr. Garcia is a brave man who served his country, but as I recall during the primary he and Steve Knight were having an epic conversation over which of them would have the most slavish fealty to Donald Trump. Garcia said Knight lacked this, despite Steve Knight’s 98% voting record with this president. Now, maybe you like that but please don’t make the argument that Garcia is an “independent thinker.” Sounds more like Garcia will be another Republican toadie for Trump.
Like I said, The Signal, the local state media of the Trump administration.
Lynn Wright Valencia