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On the Wrong the Insurrectionists Committed: A Guide for Journalists
Watching journalists interview Republicans about the recent failed right-wing coup is just painful. Even the very best — George Stephanopoulos—just get it wrong.
Every interview I’ve seen goes something like this:
- Journalist: Will you admit Joe Biden won?
- RW Politician: Well, hold on, there are lots of questions that have not been answered.
- Journalist: But scores of courts heard those complaints, and all but one of them concluded there was nothing to them.
- RW Politician: But those cases were mainly decided on technical grounds like standing or laches. We haven’t had a real hearing about whether the claims of fraud or conspiracy or constitutional violation were true.
Ok. here’s the point these exchanges always miss:
Under our Constitution and federal law, point #2 is utterly irrelevant.
Under our law, the question is not whether there are questions or unanswered arguments in the state. Whether there are or not, that is irrelevant to the only thing at issue on January 6: (a) did Biden win, and (b) did members have any right not to count Biden’s electoral votes. Under federal law, SO LONG AS:
