Friday Talking Points -- Joe Says It Ain't So

[Loki Liesmith]

5. It's simple

What have we learned about scandal since 2016? Well in the 2016 election we learned that the press will actively hound and punish the candidate that shows more transparency and that they give up pursuing candidates that resist transparency. Public figures that do the right thing, or are contrite or open get hammered down (Franken, Clinton). Public figures that resist or refuse to comply with scandal-related pressure (Northam, Trump,Fairfax) survive and perhaps thrive.

The secret to resisting scandal is 1) deny. 2) ignore. The press bores easily and addressing controversy only piques the gotcha impulse. Ignoring it cows them completely.