Topic: Election Bias

"No Kings" rallies took place across the U.S., with protesters in Los Angeles and Fredericksburg accusing the administration of violating constitutional rights. The discourse shifts to a retrospective on the 2016 controversy where Donald Trump was accused of mocking a disabled reporter. The segment argues the incident was a media setup, claiming Trump was performing a generic "spastic" routine he had used for years without knowledge of the reporter's specific condition.

NPR's Corva Coleman reported on Donald Trump's campaign stops in Arizona, claiming he is "sowing the seeds" for supporters to doubt election results. The report stated that Trump "falsely claims" there is "widespread" cheating. Critics argue that NPR is using biased language and that Trump has never used the specific word "widespread" in his allegations, making the report factually questionable.

A viral clip circulated showing Amazon's Alexa providing reasons to vote for Kamala Harris while refusing to provide similar reasons for Donald Trump. The hosts discuss the prevalence of algorithmic bias in search results and voice assistants. They note that while the story gained significant traction on Fox News, such occurrences have become standard operating procedure for big tech platforms.

The hosts reflect on Donald Trump's past hiring decisions, specifically criticizing the inclusion of figures like Anthony Fauci, John Bolton, and John Kelly. They argue that the current media narrative surrounding Kamala Harris's polling surge is a manufactured "horse race" designed to drive advertising revenue for news organizations.

Dr. Robert Epstein, head of the American Institute for Behavioral Research and Technology, claims Google has the power to shift millions of votes through subtle search engine bias. Using a monitoring system of 14,000 registered voters, Epstein argues that Google's personalized content creates "ephemeral experiences" that manipulate users without leaving a paper trail. He notes that search results for political donations show significant partisan disparity.

Media organizations have launched a coordinated narrative around the term "election deniers" to describe those questioning the 2020 election results. This rhetoric is compared to past political disputes, such as Al Gore's 2000 election challenge. Critics argue the term is a propaganda tool used to frame political opponents as threats to democracy without specific evidence of the alleged threat.

The United States media is accused of coordinating a massive campaign to remove Donald Trump from the 2016 presidential race. Speculation suggests that journalists might even be incentivized with prizes like a Fiat 500 for stories that successfully damage the Trump campaign. The discussion highlights a perceived unified front among political and financial elites to prevent a Trump victory.

President Trump cited research by Dr. Robert Epstein claiming Google manipulated millions of votes in favor of Hillary Clinton during the 2016 election. Epstein's study suggests that search engine bias can sway undecided voters, though critics and media outlets like CNN have labeled the claims as unsubstantiated conspiracy theories. Epstein recently posted a "not suicidal" message on social media, referencing the "Clinton body count" meme.

Michael Bloomberg released a campaign advertisement on the eve of the midterm elections citing "recent bombings" with alarm. The claim is criticized as hyperbolic and inaccurate, as the suspicious packages sent to political figures at the time did not actually detonate. The media's willingness to air the advertisement despite these factual discrepancies is highlighted as a failure of editorial standards.

The mainstream media is accused of promoting figures like Maxine Waters out of a sense of guilt for inadvertently helping Donald Trump win the 2016 election through constant coverage. Waters' frequent calls for impeachment are amplified by networks that view her as entertaining and aligned with their anti-Trump stance. This coverage is seen as a deliberate effort to correct the perceived mistake of giving Trump free publicity during his campaign.

Mainstream media outlets are criticized for highlighting $6.9 million in Trump campaign spending, specifically focusing on $400,000 spent at Trump-owned properties. The hosts argue the coverage is disingenuous given that the spending is legal and represents a small fraction of the total budget.

Adam Curry and John C. Dvorak open episode 876 on November 10, 2016, following the presidential election of Donald Trump. They describe a quiet atmosphere in Austin and Berkeley, joking that liberals have fled to Canada. The discussion highlights the failure of media influencers and Hollywood celebrities to stop Trump's momentum despite a unified front against him.

The media's struggle to understand Donald Trump's popularity is analyzed as a symptom of a "DC-New York bubble" where journalists are disconnected from the Republican primary electorate. Despite being labeled a "blowhard" by many reporters, Trump's rallies in cities like Phoenix have drawn massive crowds. The discussion also notes Trump's past support for Democrats and single-payer healthcare, questioning his long-term ideological consistency.

Curry observes a global trend of media "fact-checking" being used as a political weapon, specifically noting its rise in the Netherlands ahead of the September 12th snap elections. The hosts briefly compare the Dutch coalition system to early American vice-presidential selection processes.

An MSNBC segment mocking Mitt Romney for purchasing Greek yogurt and caffeine-free Diet Coke is criticized as elitist and trivial. The hosts defend Greek yogurt as a quality product and use the segment to illustrate the perceived vapidity of mainstream cable news coverage during the election cycle.

The show contrasts current media dismissals of Iowa with the 2008 election cycle, where the same pundits described the caucus as a "huge" and "pivotal" test. The sudden shift in narrative is attributed to the fear of a Ron Paul victory. Additionally, the rapid disappearance of Herman Cain from the political radar is noted as an example of managed political theater.

Speculation arises regarding Hillary Clinton potentially replacing Barack Obama on the 2012 Democratic ticket as her public profile increases. Simultaneously, leaked transcripts from JournoList, a private listserv for liberal journalists, reveal efforts to suppress negative stories about Obama during the 2008 campaign. The hosts discuss the coordinated media effort to protect the administration.

The media coverage of Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin is characterized as overly negative and mean-spirited. The hosts compare the interpretations of Palin from figures like Rush Limbaugh and Bill Maher, noting a sharp partisan divide. They argue that the aggressive "bashing" of Palin may backfire on the Democratic party by alienating moderate voters.