Whataboutism won't work this time.

[SoonerPride]

A favorite of Republicans forever, whataboutism, has been a great game for them that just won’t work this time.
As they try to distract the press and the public by diversions from Agolf Twitler’s utter failure on the coronavirus pandemic and the collapse of our economy, you can rest assured they will trot out their favorite tactic.

“What about Joe Biden and CHINA?” Well, sure what about it? Your imbleached president owes them millions, sucks up to Xi in person, threw tariffs on goods which make US citizen pay more, and has repeatedly praised China for their handling of the pandemic. So, sure, what about CHINA?

“What about Joe Biden and his son Hunter and that whole Ukraine deal?” Oh sure, you want to talk about kids getting cushy jobs and appointments based upon nepotism and their potential to curry favors? Let’s talk about Ivanka, Tweedle D-on Jr. and Tweedle Dumb-Eric, and Jared. Tell again their qualifications for all this government largess and positions within our government, not to mention their facilitating emoluments violations, oh, and sweet-deal patents with, who was it again, CHINA?

“What about Joe Biden’s diminished mental faculties?“ Surely you jest, dear sirs. Your guy can’t read, babbles incoherently, confuses a Pulitzer Prize for a Nobel Prize (which he misspells anyway), ponders aloud that perhaps people could inject disinfectants as a cure for a virus, and generally has the IQ of a potted ficus.

“What about Joe Biden and this Tara Reade woman?” Oh yeah, if you want to talk possible sexual misconduct, I would be more than happy to revisit the never ending stream of women who have accused the orange globular pustule you are so beholden to of any number of disgusting and illegal sexual transgressions.

There isn’t one area that they can attempt to change the conversation, divert attention, or distract the public, that immediate comparisons to their republican candidate will not be called to mind and amplified by a chorus of millions.

It simply Will. Not. Work.
Not this time.

This election is a referendum on everything the Republican party and this “president” in particular has screwed up the last 3 years and they will be wiped the fuck out.

And they know it.

[ehrnst]

1. Unfortunately it's already being deployed - succesfully - on

self-described progressives.

[redstatebluegirl]

2. There are a group of so called democrats who are going to give this election to the orange menace.

[Demsrule86]

10. on people who claim to be progressive but are not. if they were, they would vote Trump out.

[fescuerescue]

3. Probably not. But those folks

will still vote for him anyway.

[scrabblequeen40]

4. +1000 Won't fall for it this time.

The WhataboutReade brigade needs to turn their anger to taking out the known rapist already in the white house.

[unblock]

5. It will be a challenge for them

Republicans have banked on a strategy of amplifying or manufacturing trivial issues and "scandals" against democrats and pretending they're the worst crimes ever.

Somehow that sort of thing seems like it ought to fall flat against a backdrop of economic collapse and of more people dying from pandemic than died at Nagasaki.

Then again, this is the American media we're talking about....

[Maven]

6. It will work if the media runs with their phony 'stories' and we don't call them on it

Just like they did with Hillary's emails. It can happen again. Perhaps not as likely this time given Trump fatigue and the fact that the prez candidate isn't a woman. But it can happen if we let it.

Don't make the mistake of thinking that voters are logical and can see through right-wing hypocrisy if shown the facts. That's a fallacy and our side constantly falls for it. We need to just attack first and attack harder. And don't give the media a pass when they traffic in false equivalencies or run with shiny objects given to them by Republicans.

[Bev54]

8. Yes the media still does their two sides

and whataboutism almost daily, they seem to think that means balanced. You can't have balanced when one side is a complete deplorable, moron, criminal rapist and the other has a lifetime of public service.

[Maven]

9. Right. They will go searching for fake scandals to 'balance out' their coverage of Trump

the same way they did with emails and the Clinton Foundation. And Rs -- some of whom they will pay to be political 'correspondents' -- will be happy to supply conspiracy theories and innuendo to fill airtime.

We need to stop thinking that calling out their hypocrisy is a winning strategy. It doesn't mean we shouldn't call it out, but we're in a mass mediated world in which disinformation and facts are often presented on an equal footing. We can't just reject their framing and expect voters to make a rational choice -- we have to attack with our own narrative about them.

[Shermann]

7. Gullible people are trapped in a paradox

...in that you can never convince them they are being gullible.

So the cycle of false equivalences goes on.

Break the cycle somehow and you can free them.

[hurple]

11. Sigh

All you say is true...but they don't care.

Feel free to try though.