on a self-wounded gazelle.
But, really, we shouldn't be dangerously underestimating the power of the huge and highly sophisticated right wing media machines.
Remember, they were set to medium-low power while Hillary was a senator from NY, just providing the media with material to make sure she was literally badmouthed every week in the national news. In spite of that, her approval ratings were very high. Lots of people liked and respected Hillary.
When she ran for president in 2006-7, the right wing swiftboating machines were set to overdrive to create dislike and distrust, and her ratings plummeted. Many said they disliked and didn't trust her.
When Hillary served as secretary of state, they were kept on medium, Benghazi, all that. BUT, in spite of that, her approval ratings went back up and remained generally very positive. Lots of people liked and respected Hillary.
When Hillary ran for president in 2016-17, the greatly expanded right wing swiftboating operations were run at full power 24/7/365, augmented by the Russian version and a series of harmful politicized actions by our FBI. Her ratings plummeted.
Same person, Brettdale. The same intense character assassination would have been brought against any candidate. Their techniques weren't developed for a black candidate, and Obama's candidacy flummoxed them because their usual ones backfired on them. Every lie sounded intensely racist and turned off instead of firing up too many Republican voters. They worked on a woman candidate, and her gender was weaponized against her as she headed for the big glass ceiling.
Btw, it wouldn't fix things if 60 million Americans said "back the fuck off," but it'd for sure surprise and dismay them. Then they'd redouble their operations.
Our fundamental problems are in
* the new political weaponry of the IT age,
* no laws controlling use of IT and other media to poison the national psyche,
* weaponized hyperpartisanship developed to turn voters on each other,
* voters excessively vulnerable to manipulation, many of whom now share and loyally promote a corruption that's spread from top down, and of course.
Add in,
* cyber warfare by a foreign state against our elections.
Oh, of course, and
* the new conservative billionaires here and abroad plotting and using our democratic elections against us to overset democracy and transfer our wealth and power to them.
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