GOP Senate candidate: 'Let's simply take national media and shut it down'

[turbinetree]

By Josh Israel -May 21, 2020 6:05 PM

New Hampshire Senate candidate Don Bolduc wants to use COVID-19 to silence the press.

Don Bolduc, a retired Army brigadier general running for Senate in New Hampshire, suggested on Tuesday that the national media should be shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic as a way to reduce public anxiety.

"I have a recommendation," he told a Sullivan County GOP meeting. To "buy down the fear," he proposed, "let's simply take national media and shut it down and see what happens. I guarantee you that better information gets out at the local level, people are better informed, there's less hyperbole, [and] there's less fear being spread."

The comments come at a time when already struggling local news outlets around the country have seen massive furloughs and shutdowns due to the coronavirus. The Columbia Journalism Review wrote in late March that "America's local newspapers" were confronting "an apocalypse."

https://americanindependent.com/don-bolduc-national-media-silence-coronavirus-gop-senate-new-hampshire-covid-19/

I guess when zippy took the oath to defend and protect the constitution, he only wanted to represent what he wanted, and forgot all about the First Amendment.............and he wants to be in the US Senate............or does he not realize that he has to swear allegiance to the Constitution again, or is that just another piece of toilet paper thingy these former generals think it is, after all there is Pompass and Flynn, what is in the water at West Point.................

[maxsolomon]

1. Utter nonsense. "Buy down the fear"?

The GOP thrives on ignorance.

[DBoon]

2. The republican party has long ceased to be a valid parlimentary party

They have become an authoritarian vanguard party, intent on replacing a liberal representative democracy with a regime more like Pinochet's in Chile

[Azathoth]

35. This

The "hey libtard, we're a republic not a democracy!" warning signs have been there for awhile, but they're no longer dog whistles.

Suppression of voting by any and every means, relentless exploitation of anti-democratic mechanisms like the electoral college and gerrymandering, overt efforts to have members of their party in different branches of government collude to break down separation of powers, a proud crusade to delegitimize science, news reporting, and the very notion of objective facts...

They have become a textbook example of a post-democracy vanguard party.

[struggle4progress]

3. There's a saying: Were it left to me to decide whether we should have Bolduc without newspapers,

or newspapers without Bolduc, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter

[The Magistrate]

4. Looks Like The Sort Of Mope Who Would Say That, Sir

The article doesn't give any information on how his chances in the primary look. We can only hope....

[nykym]

5. Hey New Hampshire Senate candidate Don Bolduc

That's what fascists & dictators do.

[BarbaRosa]

6. Job one for a fascist takeover,

not even hiding it.

[Downtown Hound]

7. Start with Fox News

Now why do I have a hunch that the next line would be, "I meant every station EXCEPT for Fox"?

[Aristus]

8. The 'national media' is a group of privately-owned corporations.

Does he hate private ownership? Does he hate business? Why does he hate business?

WHY DOES HE HATE AMERICA?!?!?!


(There's no reason why we can't use the GOP's weapons against them...)

[Varaddem]

14. +1

[CaptYossarian]

9. We'll start with FOX and Sinclair and see how that goes for a while.

Nice picture. Neidermeyer hasn't aged a bit.

[Evolve Dammit]

30. Agree and a big "HA" for Neidermeyer reference. Fragged by his own troops!

kinda looks like him

[CaptYossarian]

36. The same smarmy look.

A neck brace would make a fine addition.

[Evolve Dammit]

39. You are so correct on both counts! Reminds me of W and Kavenaugh for some reason. Smarm.

[CaptYossarian]

40. And their habits in their younger days.

Kavanaugh was a little more handsy. That's why I wouldn't trust him on women's issues. He doesn't respect them.

[sop]

10. The best "way to reduce public anxiety" would be to shut down Trump's twitter account.

And keep him locked up in the private residence at the WH.

[PCIntern]

11. Imagine a Democrat who said:

A vast amount of anxiety and fear in this country is due to the existence of the possibility of war. I think it is best to shut down the military and see what happens because we don’t want people to be that scared all the time.

They would keelhaul him and feed him SAlt eel and behead him.

[SoonerPride]

12. "ignorance is bliss" and "The Constitution only applies to the 2nd Amendment!"

fuck these pigs

[SWBTATTReg]

13. Do this people know about a thing called 'freedom of the press' or ...

what they call it, 'fear of the press?' And shutting down our news sources as a means to stifle public anxiety about the CV?

NO NO NO...this is interfering w/ my rights as an American citizen to be fully informed of the news as I see fit, not him or anyone like him, and this grossly ranks of censorship, and what in the world is 'how does one buy down the fear'? What weird world did this guy pull this out of?

These kinds of statements should be used to automatically disqualify such idiots from running for office, since he's obviously failed his citizenship test.

[Brainfodder]

21. Is Fox News really PRESS? That is a good argument to make perhaps to dismantle or distrust it?

[SWBTATTReg]

22. In the interest of freedom of the press, they need to be left out there, however, the damage...

that they constantly cause to their brand name, to their reporting on the news accurately, to truly report on 'news' and not make up the news will damage their credibility severely, which they have been doing.

I am watching and waiting to see how the new owners of faux will take the company in a new direction or not. They seem to be doing this a little (not enough in my mind) but I suspect that in the interest of more income/profit, they might (and may be doing so now).

Must be doing something different, after all rump is complaining about their coverage of him.

[flotsam]

15. Small Dilemma

How could he take his oath of office to protect and defend the Constitution while expressing the desire to void the 1st amendment???

[turbinetree]

17. Well he also thinks that he can just stuff his wife in the truck of the car, if he feels like she

disrespected him............still would like to know whats in the water at West point, because whatever it is, me and you and millions of others are paying for his retirement and benefits.........that should be re-examined...........

[flotsam]

19. I haven't bothered reading about this clown

...since I will piss on a live Tesla coil before I ever vote for any Republican, but Holy Fuck!!!

https://americanindependent.com/don-bolduc-new-hampshire.../

[turbinetree]

23. Yepper spot on....................that's him............and she still married to him.............

that's him............and she still married to him.............

[Silent3]

32. Exactly the same way already-seated Republican Senators vowed to do "impartial justice"...

...during the impeachment trial. By not giving a damn what they solemnly swear.

[gratuitous]

16. Totally understandable

Information, facts, and actual events are not on the Republicans' side. It's far easier to bamboozle people when they don't know any better and they're cut off from activities in the wider world. Cults use this technique of informational isolation to the best advantage.

[Girard442]

18. Thought experiment: imagine there's a government that can shut it all down.

No Internet, except for kittykat pictures.
No TV news of any kind.
No newspapers.
No radio, except for music.
All mail, email, text messages, and phone calls stripped of news content.
Even people who stand up to speak in public places shut down.

Nothing but word-of-mouth from your neighbors and official announcements from Dear Leader.

Imagining the calm now?

[ProfessorGAC]

20. Hey Donnie, Isn't That What Communists Do?

Hmmm. I think the Republic party needs to check this guy out.

[coti]

24. I don't have to wear a damned mask on private property, but fuck the 1st Amendment entirely! nt

[smirkymonkey]

25. Sick M-fer!

[NickB79]

26. I'm sure the Constitutional Defenders will be protesting shortly

Marching with their assault rifles to protect their freedoms, screaming about government overreach.

Wait, that's not the Constitutional freedom they value? Shocked, I tell ya!

[panader0]

27. This guy was a general?

[Initech]

28. RIP 1st Amendment. 1791 - 2020. You will be missed.

[Brother Mythos]

29. The only surprise here is that a Republicult candidate said it out loud.

[progressoid]

31. Yeah! Screw the Constitution that he swore to uphold!

[Liberal In Texas]

33. Unbelievable. Better to have people live in a Fools Paradise.

And easier for the repubs to rob the country blind and consort with our enemies.

[Aviation Pro]

34. Turn in your long tab, fuckface

You have zero fucking clue about the oath you took.

[Stuart G]

37. Stupid is what stupid is..This one is far more stupid than the usual stupid person !!!

[DFW]

38. Interesting idea. I'm for trying it via a test case

Shut down Fox "News," Russia Today and National Hate Radio for two years. If things don't improve, you'll know it wasn't working. If Things do improve, call the experiment a success, let well enough alone, and move on from there.

In the South, we sometimes say, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."
Bill Clinton used to tell us the Republican version: "If it ain't broke, BREAK IT!"