The Media Research Center’s Tim Graham devoted a July 25 post to complaining that CNN’s Brian Stelter pointing out President Trump’s lengthy record of lies and falsehoods — and that conservatives simply accept and rationalize away those falsehoods — is “implying something ideological, not something journalistic.” Graham then huffed:
Donald Trump has a casual relationship with the truth. He can keep “fact checkers” very busy. But Stelter doesn’t seem to realize that if you support free markets and/or orthodox religious values against the Libertine Left and/or a strong defense and border control, you have one choice in the coming election. They’re not going to be persuaded to #Resist by CNN hosts who offer supportive segments to socialists on “Is the Media Fair to Socialism?”
But Graham and his fellow ideologues know they the do not have “one choice.” If Trump’s lies truly bothered him, he could support another Republican. (The fact that they don’t is exemplified by Graham’s refusing to say “lie” or “falsehood,” euphemistically describing Trump as merely having “a casual relationship with the truth.”) There are other Republicans who lie less and still are sympatico with Graham ideologically. Does Graham really think Trump has core beliefs that mesh with his and is not simply glomming on to the conservative agenda as a way to hold power and generate support?
Graham is actually proving Stelter right — Graham worships anyone with the power to push his agenda, and thus, he worships Trump because he currently has that power. Graham doesn’t care that Trump doesn’t actually believe what he’s pushing; the agenda is all that matters, not the character of the person pushing it (despite that exposing how hollow the MRC’s concern over character in politicians was during the Clinton years). He won’t take the chance of choosing a Trump challenger with more personal integrity and ideological credibility because he’s so devoted to the cause that it doesn’t matter how compromised the person is who’s pushing it.
Graham concluded by whining: “Clearly, Stelter is a very activist voice in the Sees a Liar Tribe, pushing the liberal media to be more opinionated. They have to say ‘liar’ and ‘racist’ and ‘authoritarian.’ That’s CNN, constantly providing a free messaging service for the #Resistance.” Graham, meanwhile, can’t say those words; to do so would admit that he cares only about power, not integrity, and that the MRC is little more than a free messaging service for Trump.