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Saturday, May 26, 2018

Why Katy Tur Stayed Home on Election Day

In the name of journalistic integrity. 

I attended a talk given by Katy Tur last evening, the woman who followed the Donald around from the first escalator ride when he descended upon us as a one man locust invasion, to his maddening final ride when he elevated to the top of the political universe. And the reason above was what she cited for failing to cast a ballot, to hang a chad, in the 2016 Presidential election. 

This woman who, when asked what we could do to insure 2020 was not mere reprise of what happened that terrible Tuesday night in November, said we should volunteer our time to make absolutely certain people got out and voted.

I don't for a moment buy that a journalist, or an FBI agent, can't divorce personal distaste from professional duty. Mr. Trump has repeatedly suggested that the Mueller probe is driven not by evidence but animus. That a negative comment between workers means that the entire investigation into Mr. Trump is inevitably, irreparably damaged. It is this damning lie that is perpetuated when Ms.Tur, and others in her profession, fail to exercise their most critical constitutional right in professed fear of losing their capacity to deal with impartiality, with objectivity, on their subject.

Don't get me wrong, I love the woman the Donald referred to as little Katy. A political neophyte when she began her Trumpian journey, she showed strength of character and an inexhaustible supply of words as she reported on the bizarre rise and the even more bizarre failure to fall of the equally political neophyte who became king.

If she didn't have the strongest of reasons, the most encyclopedic basis to pull the lever for Hillary who did? And did she really believe that this most basic act would color her opinion, change her reporting, even a smidge? 

Come on Katy, you and I both know exactly how you feel about Donald sitting on the throne and yet you won journalistic plaudits and landed your own MSNBC show based on your "fair and balanced" comments about the tragedy that is Mr. Trump.

So, to all those reporters, all those FBI agents, all of you whom we rely upon for your honest effort and your truthful recitation, tell us that you have done your sworn task with honor even though you hate everything about this man and even though you would never vote for him for dog catcher, no less President. 



You are entitled to act upon your preferences as an American citizen in deciding who will lead this country forward. And in fact it strikes me as more than a little repugnant if you fail to do so.

So don't cop out and tell us to get to our polling booths while you stay at home on election day. It sends the absolutely wrong message and the fundamental obligation of a journalist or a member of the FBI is to never send the wrong message.

1 comment:

Michael Gansl said...

I always thought my vote is between me and the curtain that surrounds me in the voting booth. I still think that’s the way it should be. Journalist or FBI employee should never matter.