Double Standard for Harris and Trump Reaches Breaking Point

Friday, October 25, 2024

Eugene Robinson: Something is wrong with this split-screen picture. On one side, former president Donald Trump rants about mass deportations and claims to have stopped "wars with France," after being described by his longest-serving White House chief of staff as a literal fascist. On the other side, commentators debate whether Vice President Kamala Harris performed well enough at a CNN town hall to "close the deal."

Posted by tonyroma at 10:33 AM | 20 COMMENTS | permalink | Comment on This Entry |

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Seriously? Much of a double standard here?

Somehow, it is apparently baked into this campaign that Trump is allowed to talk and act like a complete lunatic while Harris has to be perfect in every way. I don't know the answer to the chicken-or-egg question - whether media coverage is leading public perception or vice versa - but the disparate treatment is glaring.

Let's review: First, Harris was criticized for not doing enough interviews - so she did multiple interviews, including with nontraditional media. She was criticized for not doing hostile interviews - so she went toe to toe with Bret Baier of Fox News. She was criticized as only being comfortable in scripted rallies - so she did unscripted events, such as the town hall on Wednesday. Along the way, she wiped the floor with Trump during their one televised debate.

Trump, meanwhile, stands before his MAGA crowds and spews nonstop lies, ominous threats, impossible promises and utter gibberish. His rhetoric is dismissed, or looked past, without first being interrogated.

Imagine if Harris were promising to end the war in Gaza on her first day in office but wouldn't say how. Imagine if she were proposing a tariffs-based economic plan that economists say would destabilize the world economy and cost the average family $4,000 a year in higher prices. Imagine if she were promising a "bloody" campaign to uproot and deport millions of undocumented migrants who are gainfully employed and paying taxes. And imagine if Harris were vowing to use the military to go after her political opponents, as Trump repeatedly pledges.

#1 | Posted by tonyroma at 2024-10-24 07:35 PM | Reply

Van Jones Slams Double Standard Between Harris And Trump

CNN political commentator Van Jones on Wednesday said it's "unfair" that people hold Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump to different standards as the polls continue to show an extremely tight race between the two candidates less than two weeks out of Election Day.

"Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are not taking the same exam," Jones replied. "I think it bothers people. They're not taking the same exam. He gets to be lawless. She has to be flawless. That's what's unfair."

"She has policies, she may not articulate them perfectly every time, she may not put the stories in the right places, but she's fighting for actual ideas that will help real people, and he's talking about peoples' penises," Jones said.

#2 | Posted by tonyroma at 2024-10-24 07:52 PM | Reply

White privilege.

#3 | Posted by fresno500 at 2024-10-24 11:29 PM | Reply

we've had a decade of hearing how evil Trump is, He's a known entity. Kamala got anointed by the RNC at the last minute, and voters are trying to learn who she truly is as a leader.

Keep crying the poor Kamala tears though... boo hoo, the more she's exposed the worse she looks, it's sooo unfair... don't care.

#4 | Posted by kwrx25 at 2024-10-25 08:44 AM | Reply

The DNC chose to run a buffoon against a clown and don't like the blow back is another way stating this bluntly

#5 | Posted by kwrx25 at 2024-10-25 08:45 AM | Reply

The "MSM" expects Harris/Walz to explain everything.

When it comes to Trump/Vance/RKF, Jr, the MSM is, "Entertain us."

#6 | Posted by Hans at 2024-10-25 09:02 AM | Reply | Newsworthy 1

Perfect example of the dichotomy. Every word out of Trump's mouth that's actually understandable is either projection or an oblivious confession of his own failure in never taking responsibility for anything in his entire miserable life as he lives in a fantasy world where he's the eternal victim under siege from all directions.

Calling Trump's disjointed verbalized meanderings 'word salads' is a affront to both lettuce and dictionaries.

#7 | Posted by tonyroma at 2024-10-25 10:48 AM | Reply

Harris is a terrible candidate. You all know it and no one believes otherwise. Next time let the people pick your candidate. Sorry this has happened to you.

#8 | Posted by visitor_ at 2024-10-25 10:59 AM | Reply

Harris is a terrible candidate.

Yeah. She's only 7-0 in elected politics and was elected US Senator from the largest state in America - the one with an economy only exceeded by 5 other nations on Planet Earth.

What were Democrats thinking? /s

#9 | Posted by tonyroma at 2024-10-25 11:06 AM | Reply

She's not been bringing in this election. The cackling and non-answer word salads need to stop. Some substance would be nice.

#10 | Posted by visitor_ at 2024-10-25 11:17 AM | Reply

come on.

terrible? As Tony points out, she wins.

#11 | Posted by eberly at 2024-10-25 11:19 AM | Reply

She's not been bringing in this election.

Biden was -5 to -7 when he dropped out. Harris is currently +2 to -2 depending upon the national poll.

Only morons would call +5 to +7 not bringing it.

Do these people even think rationally, or simply gorge themselves on right wing Kool-Aide all day long?

#12 | Posted by tonyroma at 2024-10-25 11:25 AM | Reply

No way after watching Kamala fail in the staged CNN Town hall could you believe she is presidential material. Are you being paid?

#13 | Posted by visitor_ at 2024-10-25 11:47 AM | Reply

No way after watching Kamala fail in the staged CNN Town hall could you believe she is presidential material. Are you being paid?

#13 | POSTED BY VISITOR_

No way after watching Trumpy fail in the Jan 6th attempted coup could you believe he is presidential material. Are you getting a "gratuity" for your efforts? ?

#14 | Posted by donnerboy at 2024-10-25 11:56 AM | Reply

#11 and Tony...

I didn't know this was a win loss, make it into the playoffs type thing.

This isn't about winning elections, it's about being a leader with clear goals.

And let's really be clear here did she win the elections or did the D running in those elections win? Because let's be honest most people these days are just voting for the party and not the person.

So I really don't give two s**** about what her record is in winning elections in deep D states.

It's sort of telling that is your fallback defense of her recently. Not the great answers she's given, not the solid well laid out direction for the country she is able to articulate and go into great detail on. Nope, She's 7-0, that's what you got. Pathetic.

There should be protests everywhere against the RNC and DNC for trotting out these two candidates... Instead we are Rah rah'ing whatever "team" we have chosen to root for.

#15 | Posted by kwrx25 at 2024-10-25 12:31 PM | Reply

Harris is a terrible candidate.
What is it that makes her a terrible candidate in your eyes?
Is it that she is a woman? Or is it that she is a minority?
Or is it that she has actual policies and not just meandering non-sensical stories?
Or is that she won't tell you about dudes penises?

#16 | Posted by MBlue at 2024-10-25 12:40 PM | Reply

What is it that makes her a terrible candidate in your eyes?

Is it that she is a woman? Or is it that she is a minority?
That's that's not it.
Or is it that she has actual policies and not just meandering nonsensical stories?
Close. It's because she has no policies and everything she says is meandering and nonsensical.
Or is that she won't tell you about dudes penises?
Given her experience, her penis stories should at least be more lucid. But no, this is not a reason.

#17 | Posted by visitor_ at 2024-10-25 12:49 PM | Reply

The projection is strong here...

"What is it that makes her a terrible candidate in your eyes?
Is it that she is a woman? Or is it that she is a minority?"

You realize these are probably the only reason you DO support her.

"is it that she has actual policies and not just meandering non-sensical stories"
You're kidding right? She can't describe her plans in any way when asked, and certainly not when pressed for details.

#18 | Posted by kwrx25 at 2024-10-25 01:01 PM | Reply

You don't find her lucid because your brain is broken. You have little but fuzzy thinking.

#19 | Posted by truthhurts at 2024-10-25 01:01 PM | Reply

Trump policies for his next term:

Finish a Wall that he barely started and that Mexico will never fund.
Impose tariffs (that he doesn't understand) at some arbitrary rate that he pulled out of his butt.
Establish a completely undefined and presumably unconstitutional "Deportation Force."
Revoke ABC's license.
Jail Nancy Pelosi and Adam Schiff.
Pardon himself and the J6 "Choir".
Cut taxes for himself.
Funnel government contracts to Elon Musk and himself.
Fire career professionals and replace them with lackeys.
Whine incessantly.

#20 | Posted by anton at 2024-10-25 01:09 PM | Reply