Media, Politics

The Art of Being Eternally Shocked: How the Press and Pundits are Again Mystified by the Obvious

No one would think of the Beltway as being a place of the naive innocents of our society. Washington is the only ecosystem composed entirely of apex predators. Yet, this week everyone seems to be eternally shocked by what has been obvious for years.

The press and pundits are coming off an embarrassing couple of weeks where the Hunter Biden laptop was authenticated in federal court as real. This occurred in the trial of the president’s son almost on the anniversary of a debunked letter of intelligence officials claiming that the laptop appeared to be Russian disinformation. Biden then repeated the claim in the last presidential debates to avoid answering questions over the massive influence peddling scheme of this family revealed by the laptop.

After the story was suppressed before the 2020 election, it took years for the media to admit that, oops, the laptop is surprisingly real.

For years, the press and pundits piled on experts who suggested that Covid 19 escaped from a Chinese lab. The New York Times reporter covering the area called it “racist” and implausible.  Now, even W.H.O. accepts the lab theory as possible and federal agencies now believe it is the most likely explanation.

The response: surprise and spin.

This week, the Supreme Court ruled that the Justice Department has unlawfully charged hundreds of people with obstruction of an official proceeding after the January 6th riot. For years, objections to the excessive treatment of these cases were dismissed as the view of the radical right. Now, even Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson voted to toss out these convictions.

Surprise.

Whether it was the false story about agents whipping migrants in Texas or the photo op claim in Lafayette Park, false stories were disproven only to have a collective shrug from those who spread them.

For years, the press and pundits have repeated like gospel that Trump had called neo-Nazis “fine people.” At the time, most of us noted that Trump condemned the racists and neo-Nazis and made the statement about fine people on both sides of the controversy over the removal of historic statues.

Six years later, Snopes finally decided to do a fact check and, surprise, found that Trump never praised neo-Nazis as fine people. The only person not surprised was Biden who repeated the false story on Friday as true.

Heading into the presidential debate, the White House and the media attacked Fox News and other outlets for “cheap fake” videos designed to make the President look confused and feeble. For months, politicians and pundits have insisted that Biden is sharp and commanding in conversations even after Special Counsel Robert Hur cited his decline as a reason for not charging him criminally for the unlawful retention and mishandling of classified material.

On MSNBC, Joe Scarborough stated “start your tape right now because I’m about to tell you the truth. And F— you if you can’t handle the truth. This version of Biden intellectually, analytically, is the best Biden ever. Not a close second. And I have known him for years…If it weren’t the truth I wouldn’t say it.”

Then the presidential debate happened and, after years of being protected by staff, tens of millions of people watched the president struggle to stay focused and responsive.

After the debate, there was total surprise, if not shock, on CNN and MSNBC. Suddenly, it is not a cheap fake but reality.

Just seven days before the debate, the New York Times was running cheap fake articles on how Biden was being wrongly portrayed. The day after the debate, it was calling for him to withdraw from the race after expressing shock at his appearance.

On CNN, Biden biographer and CNN contributor Evan Osnos admitted that many Americans were likely “shocked” by Biden’s appearance: “I don’t think there’s any other way to put it. This was clearly a person who was diminished from where he was on the debate stage four years ago.”

Pro-Biden columnist Thomas Friedman wrote that he was floored by what he saw and that “heartbreaking” appearance of Biden made him “weep.”

Washington is now full of surprises. It is a city of people who display that practiced faux shock that you adopt when you learn in advance that your friends are throwing a surprise party. The key is to look stunned and then mingle.

It is a city of Claude Rains:

The laptop is real, the President is really old, and Washington is really really phony.

The only thing that would be more surprising is if pundits and the press started being a lot less shocked and more honest.

 

365 thoughts on “The Art of Being Eternally Shocked: How the Press and Pundits are Again Mystified by the Obvious”

  1. My only caveat is that the D.C. press actually aren’t all that smart. And they are generally lazy. That’s why you can peddle “weapons of mass destruction” for weeks in the lead up to an actual war, with very little scrutiny or skepticism. Plus, given the leanings of certain cable “news” outlets, you can reinforce your own propaganda and come to believe it. So I think some of the shock was real — albeit inexcusably so.

      1. I did a search for Adm Jeremy Boorda, former CNO

        He’s not their either.

    2. The only Waters to receive the Legion of Merit that the navylog search engine found was a Captain in the Judge Advocates Office; a lawyer.

      1. Benson, you do understand that website has like a couple thousand names in it, right? People who put their info in there voluntarily. People putting their loved ones in there mostly.

        I don’t know about the Navy, but there are like 1.3 active duty military at this moment.

        I really think you owe the man an apology. You’re behaving like a jerk, seriously.

      2. Easy guys, he isn’t bothering me. He’s just upset that he was ignorant, and then I made him look stupid as well.

        He doesn’t get the clue I gave him, so it’s all good.

        I seriously don’t think that is him, anyway. Be pretty dumb if it was.

    3. And here earlier when you apologized i thought you had found me and were classy enough to keep your mouth shut about it.
      I guess you’re not as smart or as classy as i thought you might be.

      Before i give you a clue, ya goodam idiot, do you think I am dumb enough to let some doddering old fool doxx me on this libtard infested website?

      You got some crazy named GIgi here that wont admit the sky is blue.

      Keep looking. Not one LOM. Three. Also 2 meritorious service medals. 4 navy commendation medals 1 enlisted, 3 officer and 3 navy achievement medals enlisted.

      You just proved why i would never.

      By the way, you’re really cold looking in .org

  3. Practice These Lyrics:

    Moochhell, Ma Belle
    Sont Les Mots Qui Vont Très Bien Ensemble
    Très Bien Ensemble

  4. Captain Waters, USN, (Ret.) —- Apologies for misspelling your name.

    1. Benson,

      Waters is Floyd, Estovir, Traveler, Hullbobby, Upstate Farmer, Thinkthrough, Guy Ventner, Margot Ballhere, Mistress Addams, Upscale Suburban Woman, Tom, Whimsical Mama, and many, many more.

  5. Did @joebiden CHEAT at the debate?
    We all saw Joe’s “face” get Contorted as a Jack-O-Lantern.
    BUT WAS HE GETTING TIPS RADIOED TO HIM BY SOMEONE BACKSTAGE?
    WATCH: Joe briefly becomes Focused on something and ignores Trump, adusts his EAR and starts writing stuff down. CHEATING?!

    https://x.com/gregkellyusa/status/1807070413056295095

  6. I’ve read this particular article now 3 times to myself and I had to call my cousin down south just so I could read it out
    loud to him over the phone.

    Master of the stinging understatement be ye, Jonathon Turley. A master ye be.

  7. The media has devolved to Pravda for Democrats, blatantly promoting disinformation and misinformation.

    I am both glad, but not appeased, that Snopes finally admitted Trump didn’t call Nazis “very fine people.” The video has been available since the incident, in which Trump talked about their being fine people on both sides of the dilemma about statues, whether to remove them, or keep them. He said, “and I don’t mean the Neo Nazis and white supremacists, who should be condemned totally.” Are we to believe Trump thinks there are very fine people in Antifa?

    We knew the media and politicians were blatantly lying about the “very fine people” comment, and yet that statement was selectively edited to reverse its meaning, weaponized, and sent around the world for years. Snopes is a day late and a dollar short. They have no excuse for not declaring the accusation false from day one.

    Media disinformation referenced in Turley’s post has had tremendous impact on the 2020 election, the current 2024 election cycle, and the deep division in American politics. There are Democrats who really believe Trump called Nazis fine people, that Hunter’s laptop was Russian disinformation, that Russia installed Trump as president, and that people actually tried to overthrow the US government on Jan 6. Of course they’re going to think poorly of Republicans and Trump. Yet, if people are going to vote, it is their job to become informed on the candidates and issues. There was readily available information to disprove the disinformation campaign against Trump. They just had to actively do their research.

    1. Karen S. Did you read the Editor’s note on the Snopes article you wrote about? Of course not—you get your information from Fox. The editor’s note explains that Trump did say there were “very fine people on both sides “ and that he also criticized Neo Nazis. The problem is that there were 2 sides—one of which were the Neo Nazis and white supremacists. The accusation is not false. Trump did praise Neo Nazis and white supremacists. The fake “disclaimer “ doesn’t change.

      1. No other words to describe what Gigi posted other than, “what a load of bovine excrement”! Trump DID NOT praise Neo Nazis and white supremacists. If reading is a problem and understanding a mental deficiency, I suggest Gigi refrain from posting anything the public has access to.

        1. Read the editorial commentary on Snopes. Who, according to you, were the “very fine people “ Trump was referring to? What were the “both sides” he was referring to?

          1. 10:12 Gigi

            Notice she went right onto her next lie, as I predicted at 8:54

      2. Gigi with her crystal ball that can see what news channels people watch!
        And ‘liking’ her own posts again. A narcissist and a masochist and TDS?
        Have a nice weekend, ‘Gigi’. Here’s hoping you get to relax a little, if you can.

      3. Gigi
        You are never giving to let the truth get in the way of your lying ideology

        Is snopes correction of its past lied qualified ?
        Absolutely

        That does not change the FACT this this is just one of so many stupid lies you have told about Trump and about anyone looking to thwart you efforts to grab and hold power

        The video has been available from the start

        Most of us do not need snopes or cnn or Biden or you to tell us what we see and hear

        Again you are lying

        Trump correctly touched on something true and important
        Beyond Charlottesville and statues

        If we must be perfect to be remembered for they great things we have done none of us will be remembered

        Criticize Lee or Washington or Jefferson or Columbus or Lincoln

        Our hero’s have clay feet

        But they are still hero’s

      4. Gigi, Lyin’ Like A Proud Biden, tried this lie out for size:
        The problem is that there were 2 sides—one of which were the Neo Nazis and white supremacists.

        Nobody is surprised that Gigi hopes normal Americans have forgotten that her fellow Soviet Democrat street thugs in Pantifa and Black Liars & Marxists were one of the two sides that were there.

        The New York times called them your fellow Pantifa Soviet Democrats, Gigi. Why are you lying they weren’t there?
        https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/14/us/who-were-the-counterprotesters-in-charlottesville.html

        Oohhhh…. look at this Gigi Biden! Turns out your fellow Marxists in Black Liars And Marxists were on one of the sides right beside their fellow communists in Pantifa!

        “In Charlottesville, more than 1,000 state and local police stood by as violent white supremacists invaded the city and brawled with Black Lives Matter and anti-fascist activists in the streets.”
        https://time.com/5929153/charlottesville-capitol-riot/

        What are you doing here? Trying out hoping to replace Biden’s White House Spokes Liar, Cringe Jean-Pierre?

      5. You are a complete, lying, moron. His entire statement was clear and unambiguous. In fact, he specifically condemned both of those groups. His statement was truthful, honest, and made perfect sense. There were, and are, reasonable, “fine” people on both sides of the civil war monuments argument. When you have to misquote Trump’s statements to achieve your goal, it makes you look like a lunatic. Not that that takes much effort. Please seek professional help.

      6. Gigi – did you read my entire comment? Apparently not. I said:

        “I am both glad, but not appeased, that Snopes finally admitted Trump didn’t call Nazis “very fine people.” The video has been available since the incident, in which Trump talked about their being fine people on both sides of the dilemma about statues, whether to remove them, or keep them. He said, “and I don’t mean the Neo Nazis and white supremacists, who should be condemned totally.” Are we to believe Trump thinks there are very fine people in Antifa?”

        In the video, Trump was talking about how there are fine people on both sides of the statue issue. You can certainly be a good person, and want the status to remain, or to want the statues removed.

        He made sure to say he was not talking about “the Neo Nazis and the white supremacists, who should be condemned totally.”

        It is blatant lying to claim he called Neo Nazis very fine people, when he literally said he was not referring to Neo Nazis, who should be condemned totally. The media, and you, unfortunately, have persisted in lying about what Trump said, for political purposes. The lie was easily disproven from the start with a 30 second Google search for the entire video of his remarks. It’s also ludicrous to think Trump would find anyone in Antifa to be a fine person. The local organizations who wanted the statues to remain in their community, were opposed by outsiders who wanted the statues removed, and both sides were driven out by the Neo Nazis and Antifa. This drowned out the original discussion on public artworks. It would be too like ISIS to keep destroying public statues and other works of art every 25 years or so, because as time passes, the views of artists eventually fall out with current norms. If we keep pulling down and destroying any work of art by someone whose opinions were created in olden times, then museums would empty.

    2. Indeed – discernment. But the 81 million who bought the lies didn’t do the research you suggest apparently. As Bannon told Megan Kelly today – we are at war – an information war. She tried to make up – he was honest although reconsilitory. And let’s consider the laptop – ppl saw the contents – discer discern discern …. so really the russiax3 planted all that ? Dropped it off to the repairman. Had a mol in the fbi sit on it. And just to screw with american institutions had 51 sign a letter that it’s “classic” Russian disinformation? If so I’d need another precedent of classic russian disinformation. Being none I’ll chalk it up to deep state propaganda …. especially since in likec2008 dhs said America needed to legalize govt propaganda AGAINSt the American citizenry. Chertoff?

    1. If you really are a former member of the military, how do you feel about Trump calling John McCain a “loser” because he refused to vote to end Obamacare?

      1. Gigi, how did you feel every time Biden called a black man ‘boy’?
        It’s been quite a few times. He always makes excuses, but it’s a pattern.

      2. You wanna know what I have a problem with Gigi?

        Stolen Valor.

        My – my son spent a year in Iraq, living next to one of those burn pits, came back with stage four glioblastoma

        My son came home in a flag draped coffin

        My son died in Iraq

      3. Where’s the lie?
        McStain is a loser. and a turncoat. a corrupt a-hole.

        1. Plus he had a wrinkled flag on his coffin.
          We know that means: traitor. Which he was.

        2. My Buccaneer 170th buddies called him songbird McCain. He killed alot of good men by his inept flying abilities.

      4. You stupid bltch, the only reason McCain made it home alive was because he sang like a fvcking canary.

      5. Gigi ignored Bribery Biden’s four decades of racism in politics and sexual perversion to try this:
        If you really are a former member of the military, how do you feel about Trump calling John McCain a “loser” because he refused to vote to end Obamacare?

        After three decades in uniform and for more years at war than McCain, I don’t give him a special dispensation because he also served in uniform – nobody gets a blank check for the rest of their life because they once served. Nor do I cut him down because he scraped through West Point at the bottom of his class and was a piss poor flier that kept crashing his aircraft. That has nothing to do with John McCain, politician.

        My opinion is that Trump once again showed an inability to use better and more forceful language regarding that bitter, vicious liar John McCain, the early version of Liz Cheney.

        McCain, like Bribery Biden, lied his ass off to the people of his state every time he ran for reelection. He got his senate seat back after being defeated by Bolshevik Barack demanding that a fence be built on the Mexican border. But when Trump got elected on the strength of promises to build a wall to secure the southern border, Bitter John McCain who had failed to become president while Trump had succeeded suddenly became an enemy of a physical barrier on the border.

        And with Obamacare – which Bolshevik Barack told world class lies to Americans about – McCain ran on telling Americans in Arizona he would do everything to stop it. And then in his last act as a politician, fell back on being the vicious hate filled politician he ever was and saved Obamacare with his vote for last one kick at Trump before dying.

        Doing that to the state you represent that wants Obamacare thrown out – if that isn’t being a loser, nothing is. In the military, that kind of treachery towards those on your side is never forgiven. And McCain was called names a lot worse than “loser” by most in the military.

        This is why Bolshevik Barack called McCain his favorite Republican: a loser who’s easy to beat in a political campaign, and willing to stab his fellow Republicans in the back out of cheap personal animosity.

        How do you feel about Bolshevik Biden’s pathological lying, virulent racism, abandoning Americans to die in Benghazi and at Abbe Gate and Afghanistan… and those inappropriate Daddy-Daughter showers?

  10. The lack of intellectual honesty, critical thinking, introspection, and self monitoring among journalists is saddening. These should be universal skills, regardless of affiliations.

  11. Question. I mean this seriously.

    Why haven’t the legacy media personalities and the corporations they work for NOT been making “In Kind” contributions to the Biden campaign?

  12. Attention Seeking West Hollywood Homersexual Watch

    How many comments does it take for a sexually frustrated homersexual renting a room in a West Hollywood California bath house before getting any satisfaction and therefore no longer need to comment on JT’s blog?

    The world may never know

  13. The rules are simple: they lie to us, we know they’re lying, they know we know they’re lying but they keep lying anyway, and we keep pretending to believe them.

    1. I believe your quoting Soltzenietzen? He concludes, “And still, they lie.”

  15. Michelle Obama 2024: Her Real Life Story and Plan for Power Paperback – July 7, 2022
    by Joel Gilbert (Author)
    4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 68 ratings
    See all formats and editions

    Michelle Obama will run for President in 2024 and base her candidacy on a life story that is more racially divisive and very nearly as fictitious as that of her husband Barack.

    Michelle Obama is not who she pretends to be. In Michelle Obama 2024, filmmaker Joel Gilbert does a deep dive into the life of the most popular woman in America and reveals one game-changing detail after another. Gilbert’s investigative journey takes him from Chicago to Princeton to Washington to Martha’s Vineyard and beyond. Along the way, he discovers that Michelle has created a cynical, highly effective, false narrative of her life story based largely on gender and race. In Chicago, Gilbert chronicles how Michelle has repeatedly run from the Black community or sold it out, much as her father did when he served as a precinct captain for the Daley Machine. Gilbert then exposes Michelle Obama’s “I hate politics” disclaimer as strategic cover for her intense lifelong political advocacy as he deconstructs Michelle’s best-selling autobiography, Becoming.

    – Amazon

  16. Forget Biden

    What Was Trump Babbling About??

    “They’re taking Black jobs now — and it could be 18, it could be 19 and even 20 million people. They’re taking Black jobs, and they’re taking Hispanic jobs, and you haven’t seen it yet, but you’re gonna see something that’s going to be the worst in our history,” Trump said.

    Many took the comment to mean that jobs most frequently done by immigrants who are in the United States illegally, including farm labor, were “Black jobs.”

    Trump’s campaign said he was referring to Biden’s immigration plan which “will take away good paying jobs from American citizens.”

    “President Trump will put Black Americans, and all Americans, first by deporting Biden’s illegals out of their communities, protecting their jobs, bringing down inflation, and putting more money in their pockets,” Trump national press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in an email statement, using a derogatory term for unauthorized immigrants.

    Economic data shows that Black workers have been faring exceptionally well: The Black unemployment rate remains near historic lows and wage gains are at all-time highs

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2024/06/28/trump-democrats-black-voters-jobs/
    ……………………………………….

    Had it not been for Biden’s horrifying performance, Trump’s responses would have garnered extensive coverage. Like this reference to “Black jobs”.

    Apparently Trump meant to imply that most Blacks work in modest jobs that immigrants would be willing to take at lower pay. But is that really true?

    This was just one of many empty claims made by Trump Thursday night.

    1. REGARDING ABOVE

      said Biden Troll is racist because he cant get any Big Black C***

    2. Trump tends to garner massive overage by people like you claiming he constantly lies.
      These would be the same people who told us that Biden is competent.

      You should not be surprised that much of the country pay you no attention.

      You have cried wolf far to many times.
      Few will care if the wolf eats you

      1. “You have cried wolf far to many times. Few will care if the wolf eats you.” Your line? Its very good. And applies to the “freaks” on both sides. Mande me laugh.

    3. “Economic data shows that Black workers have been faring exceptionally well”

      Really?

      Blacks don’t buy groceries or gas? Or pay rent? Or have credit cards with skyrocketing interest rates?

      That “economic data” must’ve been supplied by Janet Yellen.

  17. PUPPET WATCH

    As of 3:10 pm Eastern Time, the troll farm currently known as Floyd TurdWaters Estovir has fielded so many puppets, on this one thread alone, that an accurate count is impossible. Therefore we must break the roster down into categories.

    We start with well-established puppets. Their total number of comments are noted beside names.

    Margot Ballhere: 1
    DDC: 4
    Estovir: 2
    Floyd: 1
    James: 2
    Hullbobby:
    GEB: 1
    Lin: 1
    Edward Mahl: 4
    Thinkthrough: 6
    Traveler: 5
    Whimsical Mama: 1
    Waters: 11
    Captain Waters: 1
    Upstate Farmer: 5
    Guy Ventner: 5
    thetenants1970: 3

    Notice how Waters became ‘Captain Waters’ for one comment? How odd.
    ………………………………..

    SPECIAL MENTION

    Number 6: 4

    We’ve never seen Number 6 before. But today it posted 4 comments.
    …………………………….

    NAMES TO SCRUTINIZE:

    Most of the following posted just one comment each. Yet they all sound alike. Just dogmatic MAGA types parroting the same points.

    Robert D Goldbach, Suzanne M Smith, John Howard Wilhelm, A Squaretail, P Pollenkoff, Mel Como, cionnath, Eliot Vizel, Jssitlin25, Scrussy, ZZDoc, Scpatriot1956, Ken Larson
    ………………………………….

    THEN FINALLY..

    There were seemingly countless comments under green anonymous with the same written voice as all the other puppets. So again it’s difficult to get an accurate number for the total puppets present. But they could easily account for 80% of the total posts.

    In any event, all these puppets are not just the work of one zealous Trumper. This is a professional troll farm warping the comment threads of Johnathan Turley’s blog.

    1. Lol the other day, this idiot couldnt figure out how someone could change their name 14 times in 30 minutes, and now finds it “strange” that someone changed their pseudonym for one post.

      Can anyone be this dumb?

      I do like that Peter is reading every post. Too bad no one is reading his.

      Bwahahahahahaha oh bug, you poor demented soul.

      1. Number 6 is a regular, this OCD person is unstable. I say let’s work together as one to drive them over the edge. We are Borg…

    2. “This is a professional troll farm warping the comment threads of Johnathan Turley’s blog.”

      – Aninny
      ___________

      “Your lips to [Darren’s] ears!”

      Ban For Life!

        1. LOL! You know, the fun thing about having multiple personalities is, Floyd can watch a fine film, like MonsterNado, while the Traveler keeps things going here.

    4. We start with ….

      We?

      We!?!?

      So now Peter thinks she is the Pope! Oh Lawdy! These Prima donnas are getting out of hand

    5. Lets presume that every comment you do not like is all written by the same person – why should anyone care ?

      What matters is the content – and particularly its truth.

      We learn over and over that those on the left tell lie after lie. The topic of this post is one more big lie by those on the left.

      So why should we care about what those who lie constantly say ?

      Why shoud we beleive you ?

    6. Idiot Resident Waste of O2 Troll said:

      “SPECIAL MENTION

      Number 6: 4

      We’ve never seen Number 6 before. But today it posted 4 comments.”

      I probably average ~4 – 6 comments for each Turley column. Over the past 2 – 3 months, I have probably posted on the order of 200 times. Why don’t you just go somewhere and quietly end your apparent agony, permanently?

  19. Note to Adam Dimzinger:
    You’re a crybaby liberal tool, no one cares who you’re voting for.

  20. NB: Johnny Depp claimed that his then-wife Amber, defecated on their bed during an argument in 2016.

    You know Joe, he famously loves trains but apparently not of thought.

    I mean just all night confused and halting and trailing up…

    I’ve seen beauty pageant contestants answer question better

    I don’t want to say he s–t the bed, but his new Secret Service name is Amber Heard

    🤣🤣🤣

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