The New York Times Strains Mightily to Turn the Debt Ceiling into a “Both Sides” Story
The Gray Lady’s David Leonhardt give us a view of the media’s indestructible “both sides” narrative
A 90 percent story
The hardest political stories for reporters to cover and pundits to analyze can be those that are neither 100 percent stories nor 50 percent stories.A 100 percent story is one in which reality is clear (even if partisans sometimes deny it): Joe Biden won the 2020 election. The planet is warming. Crime and inflation are higher today than a few years ago.
A 50 percent story is one in which letting both sides have their say is the only fair way to cover it because the issue involves unavoidable trade-offs for society (even if partisans sometimes suggest otherwise). Tax rates, abortion, border security and religion in schools all qualify. These disputes are more about values and priorities than underlying reality.
Some stories, however, don’t fit in either category. These stories tend to involve disputed facts, and each side can point to some evidence for its argument — but not equal amounts of evidence. In this third category, one side makes claims that are much more grounded in truth although neither side has a monopoly on it. I think of these stories as 90 percent stories.
The fight over the debt ceiling is a 90 percent story.
The famed “debt ceiling” is purely a creation of congress, not the constitution. The Republicans love it because they have a thin excuse to attack Social Security and Medicare, and assorted slack jaws still believe it. Notice the Republicans demand a “balanced budget” until they are in power at which point the goal is a multi trillion dollar tax cut for their rich owners. It’s a sick game with a potential for disaster, and it’s all about power, never actually governing.
Too many freebies, with the majority of the bill being paid for by hard-working individuals. Something has to change.
Just say you don’t know how it works lol
I aint knows these ecernomics
“Old school dem” = Republican. “Hard-working” is code for “white,” dude. Your ass is showing.
“the majority of the bill being paid for by hard-working individuals.”
OK, then let’s tax the rich instead.
It is a 100% story, not 90%-10%.
Also love how the writer pretends that some stories are covered as 100% stories, when EVERY FUCKING story is covered as a 50/50 story.
Your story did not support or refute your thesis statement.