This was a great episode, but I have one suggestion for Batya Ungar-Sargon. Ms. Ungar-Sargon often supports her opinions with a statement like, "what American people want is...". There is no way anyone can reasonably make that statement. It is true that more people wanted Trump to be president than those who wanted Harris. But, for examp…
This was a great episode, but I have one suggestion for Batya Ungar-Sargon. Ms. Ungar-Sargon often supports her opinions with a statement like, "what American people want is...". There is no way anyone can reasonably make that statement. It is true that more people wanted Trump to be president than those who wanted Harris. But, for example, how many people know what a department IG does, much less have an opinion on what should be done with them? With respect to pardoning of the J6 rioters, does it matter if lots of people get comfort in releasing violent criminals?(Attacking police officers is just one of the acts of violent acts that we all saw on TV over and over). Is that the way justice gets dispensed in the USA? We take an opinion poll?
i do think it is pretty relevant to refer to polls with a relatively overwhelming signal which is often what I have seen Batya do. There may be moments when her invocation of the will of the American people reduces to instinct and not consensus or relies on the election itself which says who gets to implement public policy for a while but was close enough to make reference to what the american people want in that context a plausible overstatement (albeit given the extent to which mainstream media and the professional managerial class trashed trump and effectively forced anyone who wanted to be accepted in elite or academic society into the anti-trump camp I can't blame a populist for that attitude).
That doesn't mean that polls are the same as electoral refernda or that you act on those populist imperatives in undemocratic, or I should say unrepublican (small consonants on purpose) ways. one can argue about observation of separation of powers and stare decisis not only of court opinions but that built into the administrative state and executvie hiring and firing. But I think you can legimately discuss broad popular mood. If she misinterprets or conveniently elides the poll question, fine, pushback. But I do think she tries to be informed about the current of public opinion and I may or may not agree every time that phrase excapes her lips, but it is not so frequent or offbase as to be offputting to yours truly.
This was a great episode, but I have one suggestion for Batya Ungar-Sargon. Ms. Ungar-Sargon often supports her opinions with a statement like, "what American people want is...". There is no way anyone can reasonably make that statement. It is true that more people wanted Trump to be president than those who wanted Harris. But, for example, how many people know what a department IG does, much less have an opinion on what should be done with them? With respect to pardoning of the J6 rioters, does it matter if lots of people get comfort in releasing violent criminals?(Attacking police officers is just one of the acts of violent acts that we all saw on TV over and over). Is that the way justice gets dispensed in the USA? We take an opinion poll?
i do think it is pretty relevant to refer to polls with a relatively overwhelming signal which is often what I have seen Batya do. There may be moments when her invocation of the will of the American people reduces to instinct and not consensus or relies on the election itself which says who gets to implement public policy for a while but was close enough to make reference to what the american people want in that context a plausible overstatement (albeit given the extent to which mainstream media and the professional managerial class trashed trump and effectively forced anyone who wanted to be accepted in elite or academic society into the anti-trump camp I can't blame a populist for that attitude).
That doesn't mean that polls are the same as electoral refernda or that you act on those populist imperatives in undemocratic, or I should say unrepublican (small consonants on purpose) ways. one can argue about observation of separation of powers and stare decisis not only of court opinions but that built into the administrative state and executvie hiring and firing. But I think you can legimately discuss broad popular mood. If she misinterprets or conveniently elides the poll question, fine, pushback. But I do think she tries to be informed about the current of public opinion and I may or may not agree every time that phrase excapes her lips, but it is not so frequent or offbase as to be offputting to yours truly.