Democracy Dies in Darkness. Indeed.

Evening dispatch

“Democracy Dies in Darkness” from Washington Post political cartoonist Ann Telnaes, who also understands the mission.

[Video below]

Lesson One in Timothy Snyder’s book On Tyranny is “Do not obey in advance.”

He writes:

Most of the power in authoritarianism is freely given. In times like these, individuals think ahead about what a more repressive government will want, and then offer themselves without being asked. A citizen who adapts in this way is teaching power what it can do.

Jeff Bezos has succumbed to the kind of anticipatory obedience Snyder was describing. about in order, it would seem, to protect his Amazon fortune from a Trump administration that will be steeped in vengeance against Donald’s enemies, real and perceived. Because, although, according to The Columbia Journalism Review, an endorsement of Kamala Harris had already been prepared  and was ready for publication, Bezos made the decision to pull the paper’s endorsement and instructed William Lewis, the publisher and CEO of the paper, to write a transparently awful justification of it.

We are returning to our roots of not endorsing presidential candidates.

As our Editorial Board wrote in 1960:

“The Washington Post has not ‘endorsed’ either candidate in the presidential campaign. That is in our tradition and accords with our action in five of the last six elections. The unusual circumstances of the 1952 election led us to make an exception when we endorsed General Eisenhower prior to the nominating conventions and reiterated our endorsement during the campaign. In the light of hindsight we retain the view that the arguments for his nomination and election were compelling. But hindsight also has convinced us that it might have been wiser for an independent newspaper in the Nation's Capital to have avoided formal endorsement.”

We recognize that this will be read in a range of ways, including as a tacit endorsement of one candidate, or as a condemnation of another, or as an abdication of responsibility. That is inevitable. We don’t see it that way. We see it as consistent with the values The Post has always stood for and what we hope for in a leader: character and courage in service to the American ethic, veneration for the rule of law, and respect for human freedom in all its aspects. We also see it as a statement in support of our readers’ ability to make up their own minds on this, the most consequential of American decisions — whom to vote for as the next president.

The condemnation of the Post, and Bezos in particular, has been near-universal. Marty Baron, once the executive editor of the paper, called the move “cowardice, with democracy as its casualty." He added that Donald would “see this as an invitation to further intimidate Jeff Bezos” and concluded that it is “disturbing spinelessness at an institution famed for courage.”

I agree. Not because I think endorsements matter—in 2016, 500 papers endorsed Hillary Clinton and only 28 endorsed Donald Trump. But this time around, by refusing to endorse either candidate, the Post is sending a very specific message: The paper chose Clinton over Donald in 2016 and Biden over Donald in 2020. Their failure to endorse Harris could reasonably lead some people to believe that Harris is therefore just as bad as the man whose two other opponents the Post did endorse.

The commentators at Fox were ecstatic, rejoicing in the fact that the Post’s decision “undermined” and “knee-capped” the Democratic nominee.

Much more importantly, though, this is a rather monstrous abdication of responsibility in the face of the very real fascist threat that looms over us all—especially those of us who aren’t billionaires. It is yet another stark and troubling instance of the failures of our corporate media to do its job. The Post’s motto is “Democracy Dies in Darkness,” even as those who run the paper seek to cast a dark shadow over the truth of the dangers with which our nation is currently grappling.

The Posts’s recklessness, and Bezos’ craven self-interest, add to the already urgent need to support independent media like Mary Trump Media. We, and other similar outlets, can fill the void being left by traditional outlets that have clearly lost sight journalism’s mission—to report the facts while ensuring that the fourth estate plays its crucial role in strengthening, not undermining, democracy.

Many of you are already familiar with the work my fellow Nerd Avengers and I do at the Mary Trump Media YouTube channel. You have heard the analysis and the perspectives of people like Waj Ali, Brian Karem, Dalia Lithwick, Danielle Moodie, Dean Obeidallah, Norm Ornstein, Tara Setmayer, and Jen Taub. If so, you know that we understand the mission.

We never pull punches, and we never will; we will never hide the truth. We always face the facts and, to the best of our ability, we will shine a light in the darkest places so, in those moments when you most need the best information available in order to make hard decisions, your eyes will be wide open.

We're trying very hard to grow our channel and our media company because we

recognize the crucial crossroads at which we stand. The Good in Us in an essential part of that effort and your support here means so much. I couldn’t do any of this without you.

If you could extend that support by subscribing to Mary Trump Media (it doesn’t cost anything), it would go a very long way. If you can like our videos and share them with people who share our concerns about the future and fate of this country, I, and my whole team, would be extraordinarily grateful.

Thank you for everything you do.

---