Eric Boehlert: Republicans, the press, and the "education" charade

[babylonsister]

Republicans, the press, and the “education” charade
GOP talking points
Eric Boehlert
Nov 10


Within hours of Republican Glenn Youngkin’s victory in the Virginia governor’s race, the political press began churning out analysis about how the GOP had seized upon education as a savvy “wedge issue” as the New York Times put it. Compounded with frustration over the pandemic, the press was sure that Republicans had taken hold of a potent issue, swiped it away from clueless Democrats, and produced a “roadmap” for 2022, according to CNN.

“School closures, not Critical Race Theory, paved the way for Glenn Youngkin's victory in Virginia,” Yahoo News announced. “And if Democrats don't grasp the deep reserves of anger parents feel over Zoom school, they face much more severe losses in 2022.” CNN breathlessly claimed that Youngkin’s win “raises questions about whether Democrats have taken seriously enough parents' concerns on a range of issues about education.”

But the storyline is a charade. Not only haven’t Republicans mapped out a new pro-education blueprint to win over suburban and swing voters nationwide, Republicans and conservatives have become even more proudly anti-education during the pandemic. They’ve voted against nutrition programs, universal pre-K, they’ve disrupted school board meetings, and this week Big Bird emerged as GOP Public Enemy No. 1.

As for frustration over “Zoom school,” that’s been over for most American students for months because classrooms coast-to-coast that had been closed under the Trump administration have reopened under the Biden administration.

The current analysis among the Beltway media makes no sense. That might be because it’s being crafted and told almost exclusively by Republican operatives, not educational professionals. Schools opened up under Democrats — they’ve returned to “normal” —but parents are mad at Democrats for last year’s school closures?

more...

https://pressrun.media/p/republicans-the-press-and-the-education

[Walleye]

1. Yes. I think part of the media deterioration is because they lazily repeat Republican propaganda

Republicans package it in two or three word catchphrases, and the TV media being lazy and very time conscious wont explore anything complicated

[Alexander Of Assyria]

2. The corporate media is not owned by Democrats, so you get his kind of pro-R

drivel everyday…everything is the Democrats fault and the fascists in our midst are coddled.

[mopinko]

3. it wasnt about education, it was the racist dog whistles.

anybody who thinks this is about zoom school is insane.

[onecaliberal]

4. 👆🏻👆🏻👆🏻 This IS the issue.

[mopinko]

5. yeah, the message was- put away the bullhorn, get out your trusty old dog whistle.

y'all were sayin it too loud for a while there. go back to the code. you're makin us hicks look bad.

[onecaliberal]

6. They literally said out loud that they don't want their kids to be taught that racism is bad.

😳😵‍💫🤷‍♀️