Letter: Punked

Published 12:15 am Thursday, July 18, 2024

“Unassailable certainty is the thing that gives a newspaper the firmest and most valuable reputation.” — Mark Twain

Citizens clamoring to “save democracy” want to reelect the current president. A problem with this is “democracies” depend on informed voters, and the media has covered up the fact the president is not mentally able to stand the rigors of the presidency. There have been signs he has not been 100% for years.

In other words, we’ve been punked.

Even before being elected, the media had been covering for the president calling his gaffes, “that’s just Joe being Joe.” Anyone with ears and eyes can tell the man’s mental acuity has deteriorated. But in one 90-minute debate, the world was shown why the president conducted his 2020 campaign from the basement.

The New York Times recently noted that the president is, “embarrassing himself and endangering his legacy.” But that newspaper, and many other leading news outlets, have failed to cover the story of an extremely addled president.

NBC’s Chuck Todd has admitted he didn’t report a story from two years ago, about a cabinet secretary who told Todd, “he can’t run again like this.” It appears the reputation of many newspapers and other news outlets has been damaged — all to save their preferred presidential candidate.

What good is a democracy if voters are left in the dark by the very people whose job it is to inform the public? It appears some people want to keep Americans uninformed.

Ya, we got punked.

MATT JANES

Jeffers Garden