The New York Media Never Runs Out Of Ways To Imply You're Stupid

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Here's what we were thinking about today:

New York Observer editor-at-large Ryan Holiday has posted an opus of a think piece, arguing the rise of Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders during this presidential cycle is primarily the result of media outlets trolling for traffic:

There is no clearer example of this systemic manipulation than the presidential train wreck which has unfolded before us in recent months. First, look at how the election cycle is deliberately elongated—not for the benefit of the voters or even at the request of the audience, but rather because longer election cycles mean inflated traffic cycles. Second, notice how quickly the campaign is turned into a reality show, with its never ending cast of superficial characters, drama, and drama (did I mention drama?). It was bad in 2008 and 2012, but worse now than perhaps it’s ever been. Yet, you can’t look away can you? Third, atypical candidates like Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders are effectively subsidized by the media in order to provide the story lines those outlets require to create the compelling spectacles they need to keep the cycle going and audiences hooked.

While he's correct that online publications are embracing the rise of Donald Trump as if he were a herd of photo gallery-friendly cute cats, there isn't necessarily a strong causal effect between his poll numbers (as well as those of Bernie Sanders) and the amount of click-baiting stories that are being generated by journalism's massive population of hard-working linkerati. These candidates' popularity make it easy to pitch these stories and it provides a ready-made audience of readers. But they are doing well not because of the coverage, but because they reflect opinions that are often ignored by the press. There are a lot of unhappy people in America and Trump/Sanders have tapped into that despair. Arguing that this is some sort of reality television version of a presidential campaign driven strictly by clickable stories isn't just insulting to their many supporters. It misses an important part of the story. 

This dissatisfaction has been present in Middle America for a long time. It was an under-appreciated component of the success of Barack Obama in 2008 and the sense many of us have that we're only falling farther behind every year has increased every year since then. This despair might be an abstraction on the Coasts, but it's palatable here in the Twin Cities. Yes, the idea of voters looking to a billionaire for help fighting the rich and powerful might seem slightly insane. But if he's the only person who seems interested in the battle, then you take your allies where you find them.

I live in a first ring suburb of St. Paul, and the neighborhood is a mix of retirees and new families taking advantage of the increasing number of modestly-priced houses. Yesterday morning I spent a couple of hours working at the local McDonald's, which was jammed with retired factory workers and municipal employees sipping their senior coffee. Much of their talk was about retirement funds and trips to the casino. None of these people are rich, but they were able to retire at a decent age with enough money in the bank to live a modestly comfortable life. I certainly won't have that option when I retire, and I don't know many of my contemporaries who will have that option, either. These baby boomers are living a life we thought we'd have. We were brought up believing that if we worked hard enough, we'd be okay. We see now that was a lie and that anger is what drives the popularity of Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders. Not the number of hot takes published by Buzzfeed and Vox.

What We're Reading:
Midwest' Discovered Between East, West Coasts (The Onion)
Yes, this piece is about ten years old. But if there's an inspiration for this newsletter, it's the attitude exemplified in this piece:

"Thus far we have discovered the places known as Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin," said Thomas Higgins, chief navigator for the expedition. "When translated from the local dialect into human speech, these words seem to mean 'Summer camp.'"

Zachary and the others were surprised to learn that the Midwest, long believed to be incapable of supporting human life, was indeed populated, albeit sparsely.

Tonight's TV Premieres:
Vikings Season Premiere (History)

Income Property Season Premiere (DIY)

Join Or Die With Craig Ferguson Series Premiere (History)

 

New Today On Netflix:
Cast Party (2015) 
Popular podcasts including "Radiolab," "Reply All," "Invisibilia" and "The Truth" throw a collective party with songs, stories and surprise guests.

PlantPure Nation (2015) 
This documentary follows activists as they fight corporate lobbyists and cultural apathy to publicize the health benefits of a plant-based diet.

The Returned - Season 2 (2015) 
A community already unhinged struggles to cope as Julie's baby is born, Victor/Louis, is scorned as a devil, violence erupts and trust is tested.

See you tomorrow!