Unsurprisingly, rightwing pundits are hammering the mainstream media for bungling the "Russia collusion" story, but in one respect that misreads the issue.
Now it's true that the "news" media was self-deceived because the liberal establishment reflexively believes the worst about the opposing side. In that respect, this was a monumental failure.
However, failure depends on missing the target. While I don't think the mainstream media in general has a consistent strategy, I suspect there is to some degree an instinctive or even calculated strategy at work. I suspect many radical activists think it's a worthwhile risk. Success builds on success. Winning short-term victories creates political momentum, upping the odds of winning in the long-term.
In that respect, I don't think the media failed, because it was aiming for something else. The "Russia collusion" hoax may well have put a low ceiling on Trump's job performance ratings. And it may have contributed to Democrat gains in the 2018 midterms.
That doesn't mean the strategy can't backfire. We'll see. But my immediate point is that I think many rightwing pundits are overlooking the real game plan. Mind you, it's still a good idea for them to hammer away at how this discredits the mainstream media.
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