I'm about to say something which, for all you know, could be a lie---but it is not.

[Atticus]

I was not alone by any stretch of the imagination but, four years ago, I damn well KNEW---not thought or believed or suspected, KNEW---that Donald Trump was by far the worst candidate for POTUS that had ever been nominated. He was a candidate for whom the term "surreal" was totally accurate; I actually had trouble believing that the electoral college outcome was "for real".

I have said the above not to brag about how smart those of us who KNEW about Trump were, but to ask the question that has nagged at me since 2016: why in hell did our highly educated smart-as-a-whip "journalists" NOT know what we knew or, if they knew, why did they not use that knowledge to protect THEIR COUNTRY from the monster now endangering everything and everyone we love and value?

The only answers to that question I can imagine leave me at once furious and nauseous.

[RainCaster]

1. You're on to something...

[montanacowboy]

2. Just consider Woodward

He KNEW in February - he knew that people were going to die but did NOTHING, Spoke NOTHING why?

Because he wanted to make a hell of a lot of $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

I blame Woodward as much as the filthy dump

[Girard442]

3. If, say, Wolf Blitzer, had gone on live TV and said, "He's a raving nutcase!"...

...his career would have ended instantly, even though he'd have been telling the unvarnished truth. All the Wolf Blitzers knew that -- and acted accordingly.

[live love laugh]

14. 💯💯💯. They do their masters' bidding or else

[LisaL]

4. I don't think that's fair. There was a lot of good reporting prior to 2016 election.

Trump's supporters just ignore everything bad reported about him.

[tblue37]

5. Lee Moonves explained that:

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/leslie-moonves-donald-trump-may-871464

snip

"It may not be good for America, but it's damn good for CBS," he said of the presidential race.

snip

"Man, who would have expected the ride we're all having right now? ... The money's rolling in and this is fun," he said.

"I've never seen anything like this, and this going to be a very good year for us. Sorry. It's a terrible thing to say. But, bring it on, Donald. Keep going," said Moonves.

snip

[Laelth]

6. They had faith in liberal government.

They took it for granted, as most Americans do. They lacked imagination. They could not imagine how much damage that Donald Trump could do as President.

Sixty-two million Americans felt similarly, and here we are.

-Laelth

[TreasonousBastard]

7. Protect? How? They largely showed him as a fool and a fraud, but it was up to us to...

choose. And we chose him.

Complain all you want, but the fault is ours as a nation, and you can't blame the Press, Russians, Trump dirty tricks, the weather, or anything else for us as a nation devolving our responsibility to choose responsibly.

Now let us work to repair the damage.

[Atticus]

9. How "protect"? For starters, call lies lies, not exaggerations or misstatements or incorrect. And,

when he made blatantly racist statements, call that racism and hound him about it. And, refuse to provide a free national soap box just because he phoned in to your show "live".

They may have "showed him as a fool and fraud", but they never called him that.

Finally, the Press, Russians, and Trump dirty tricks made it nearly impossible for some to choose responsibly. I did. You did. Many are not as interested or have the time we do to wade through all the BS. They shouldn't have to. Journalists are supposed to do the wading.

[lostnfound]

13. No. It's our responsibility to vote, to contribute, to encourage others to vote.

It’s the job of the elected LEADERS, including the elected REPUBLICANS, to make sure that votes are counted properly, that there is oversight on the executive branch.

There are people I know who blame Obama for allowing Trump to get in. NO. The Senate Republicans and the Republican governors are adults and they bear far more responsibility for the trashing of this country than the average voter does.

[Karadeniz]

8. I remember my reaction to his winning: we will never hear the truth again.

[doc03]

10. I think most of us here knew what Trump was and never thought he could be elected. Wasn't

the purpose of the Electoral College to prevent the people from putting someone like him in office?

[Ferrets are Cool]

11. The first answer that comes to mind is that the powers that be

saw $$ in the election of a reality show "star".

And IMO, they are only turning on him now because it's in their best interest. Yes, a few are speaking from the heart, but most are following orders from their producers.

[Wounded Bear]

12. False sense of "fariness" leading to bothsiderism reigning...nt