And now for something new...did the Pandemic change your political ideology?

[beeatnik]

These are not Democrats or Republicans shifting back and forth. These are Virginia moderates who move around in elections like migrating birds. Only migrating birds have a better direction and purpose.

So, CNN is lying again! In their defense, there's only one Democrat in that video.

Wonder if Virginia is where CA was in the late 80s, demographically and politically. Blue but not blue. Virginia's Black population is 20% and Asian, 6.5% which means at least 20% of the state is reliably Democratic. In the 80's, the share of CA's population that was Black and Latino was just under 30%. At the time, Blacks and Latinos were the two big non-White Democratic voting blocks, tho Latino registration was relatively low. Now in absolute numbers more Asians vote Democratic than African-Americans.

[j44ke]

Echoing an old English professor of mine - who was a classic Virginia gentleman with tweed jacket, khakis, loafers and a UVA repp tie - in reference to an earlier election.

The first slaves were brought to Virginia in 1619. Their ancestors voted in the last election.

[TTX1]

So, CNN is lying again!

They have an impossible job - to explain complicated and highly charged topics in concise and pithy soundbytes. It's a bad product.

For example, it's much easier to present politics in black and white (or red and blue), then to attempt to capture the nuance of shades of purple...

It's getting really old, but like every new superhero movie, it seems like the nation has, actually, not heard this one before...

Massachusetts is the archetypal liberal state, right? Wait, we've had R governors forever.

Now: Cut and paste state by state by state. There are exceptions to the narratives everywhere.

And yet, CNN et al carry on with "red states" and "blue states" as if this construction is a fact.

On the contrary, it is a binary simplification that is plainly and simply false. It only serves political interests.

This is why it's hard to call the outcome of a given race in VA...

To answer the OP Q: if anything, the last ~ two years have made me increasingly intolerant of most mass media, and I have zero patience for outlets such as CNN.

And to think that many Americans rely on these "sources" for "information" about vaccines...

[beeatnik]

They have an impossible job - to explain complicated and highly charged topics in concise and pithy soundbytes. It's a bad product.

For example, it's much easier to present politics in black and white (or red and blue), then to attempt to capture the nuance of shades of purple...

To answer the OP Q: if anything, the last ~ two years have made me increasingly intolerant of most mass media, and I have zero patience for outlets such as CNN.

And to think that many Americans rely on these "sources" for "information" about vaccines...

20 months in and this could be confused for parody. Old guy and big guy have severe outcomes from Covid-19 and blame social media for misinforming them that Covid-19 has a 99% survival rate (the "contrarian" memes usually say 99.98%). Of course CNN doesn't provide context that the survival rate is much, much higher for under 50 and much much lower for over 70. Oh, and being elderly and male or big and male..well, why would those guys worry at all....

https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/05/healt...ces/index.html

[bcm119]

20 months in and this could be confused for parody. Old guy and big guy have severe outcomes from Covid-19 and blame social media for misinforming them that Covid-19 has a 99% survival rate (the "contrarian" memes usually say 99.98%). Of course CNN doesn't provide context that the survival rate is much, much higher for under 50 and much much lower for over 70. Oh, and being elderly and male or big and male..well, why would those guys worry at all....

https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/05/healt...ces/index.html

And climate change is even more of a complex topic that is terribly explained by all media. People just don't have time or patience for nuance and complexity anymore.

[fastupslowdown]

The pandemic hasn't changed my ideology. I'm issue based and hope that I evaluate the pros and cons on individual issues. I'm considered liberal on some issues, conservative on others and libertarian on yet others, but the pandemic and today's political environment has made me more sensitive to how dysfunctional we're becoming. Whether its progressives not trusting mainstream Democrats or Führerprinzip taking over the GOP or simply the irrational distrust of traditional news organizations. Its' all very unhealthy and worrisome -Mike G

[zachateseverything]

And to think that many Americans rely on these "sources" for "information" about vaccines...

I wish more Americans relied on CNN for information about vaccines. Too many people are getting their news from social media which is even lower quality in most cases.

[TTX1]

I wish more Americans relied on CNN for information about vaccines. Too many people are getting their news from social media which is even lower quality in most cases.

I hear you, but I'll go further.

I wish more Americans relied on their PCP, or at least the New England Journal of Medicine - rather than ad-based media of any type.

Think about it, for most of us here, if we want news about lugs we don't go to USA Today or the Today Show or the Consumer Reports forums - we come here and read what Mr. Sachs has to say.

Yet some of us are content to rely on CNN or Fox re: economics, energy, climate, health...

I say: Read the trades and academic journals.

e.g., health topics... subscribe to Stat daily.

If there's breaking news, CNN et al is fine - but there is relatively low value in the editorial programs IMHO.

[Marvinlungwitz]

I’m amused that anyone would lump CNN with Fox. Wow.

[Saab2000]

I hear you, but I'll go further.

I wish more Americans relied on their PCP, or at least the New England Journal of Medicine - rather than ad-based media of any type.

Think about it, for most of us here, if we want news about lugs we don't go to USA Today or the Today Show or the Consumer Reports forums - we come here and read what Mr. Sachs has to say.

Yet some of us are content to rely on CNN or Fox re: economics, energy, climate, health...

I say: Read the trades and academic journals.

e.g., health topics... subscribe to Stat daily.

If there's breaking news, CNN et al is fine - but there is relatively low value in the editorial programs IMHO.

Both are fear-based, ad-funded hype machines that tell their viewers what they want to hear. As mentioned, leaving, or limiting, ad-funded media results in a bit more truth and a lot less hysteria.

MSNBC is the same. And social “media” are the worst at hype, lies and mis- and disinformation.

[j44ke]

Thanksgiving day holiday. Booster considered after T-Day.