Background Briefing: August 14, 2024
How a Reality TV Star Living in His Own Reality Captured the GOP and up to Half of Americans Now Living in a Phony Reality
We begin with an analysis of how a reality TV star living in his own reality propagated an unreality that has captured one of our two political parties and has up to half of Americans living in a phony reality. Joining us to discuss how George Orwell’s 1984 could become the United States in 2025 is Steve Benen, the producer of The Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC and the author of The MaddowBlog. He has received two Emmy Awards and has been nominated for four more and is the author of The Impostors: How Republicans Quit Governing and Seized American Politics, a national bestseller. We discuss his latest book, just out, Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans’ War on the Recent Past.
America’s Historical Irony of its Foundation in a Revolution Against a Mad King Only to Possibly Re-elect a Mad King Anointed by the Supreme Court With Monarchical Power and Immunity
Then we explore the historical irony of a country that fought a revolution against a mad King now poised to possibly reelect a mad King who the Supreme Court has just anointed with unlimited monarchical power and immunity. Joining us to discuss Shakespeare’s prescience in King Lear with the line “’Tis the times’ plague, when madmen lead the blind,” is Sidney Blumenthal, the former assistant and senior adviser to President Bill Clinton, and senior adviser to Hillary Clinton. He has been a national staff reporter for The Washington Post, Washington editor and staff writer for The New Yorker and his books include the bestsellers The Clinton Wars, The Rise of the Counter-Establishment and The Permanent Campaign. His latest book is All the Powers on Earth, The Political Life of Abraham Lincoln 1856-1860, and we discuss his article at The Guardian, “Donald Trump is desperate to land a punch on Kamala Harris. But he fails.”
Did Trump’s Pandering to Young White Men and Joe Rogan and Elon Musk Fanboys on X Help His Campaign?
Then finally we speak with Andrew Feinberg, a reporter covering the White House and Congress for The Independent about his latest article, “Trump wanted Elon Musk to give him a reset – he didn’t get one.” We explore how much pandering to young white men and fanboys of Joe Rogan and Elon Musk helped Trump’s campaign after the recent X livestream he conducted with Musk that was delayed by technical glitches resulting in Trump’s rambling responses to Musk’s softballs sounding like he had a lisp.