I was thinking about writing about this for a little while, but this morning’s very brief CNN watching prompted me to post it today: The Democrats need to pay attention to how things are developing along the media landscape, especially one particular media outlet.

Trusted News Source/Online Punching Bag CNN recently announced that Chris Licht, a long-time TV producer who has a long resume including stints running the MSNBC marriage comedy Morning Joe and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

There is no denying the guy has bonafides, and lots of success. But his letter to CNN staff raised some alarm bells with me. “Move toward the center” during this time and place in our history because listen…

Right now, what is the “middle” on LGBTQ rights, that are being under attack now via state legislatures? Where is the center on executing parents of trans kids? What is the Democratic/left equivalent of this? And that’s just one example. Never mind all the attacks on democracy.

He did say that CNN should cool it with the Breaking News banner stuff. That is something I think anyone can agree with, as not everything, like a Trump speech, is “breaking news.” But then a few other not-so-good signs have popped up as well.

Yesterday it was learned that Litcht told his staff to stop using the term “the big lie” to refer to Trump’s lies about the 2020 election. He did the boss thing of saying it’s a suggestion, not a mandate, but given the fact that senior management types often are serial liars, staff members are not taking it that way.

Then this morning, their Morning-Joe-minus-the-marriage comedy show New Day had themselves a day. Professional Troll Elon Musk Tweeted he is leaning toward supporting fellow Professional Troll Ron DeSantis. Desantis then did what trolls do, and replied with:

So what I would say, you know, I’m focused on 2022. But with Elon Musk, what I would say is, you know, I welcome support from African-Americans. What can I say?

Now, DeSantis did this because he knows it is a sore spot with some Black people and conservatives have used white Africans as a way to troll Black people. “What? Are you saying the white guy who was born in Africa and now lives in America isn’t African-American? Why are Blacks the only ones allowed, very divisive…” See also how they frame the use of a certain racist term by saying “but Black rappers say it why can’t I?”

This morning, on CNN, the panel determined that this was not just hilarious but very smart of DeSantis. Van Jones was among those praising it, referring to it as “kind of teasing” and talking about how he’s learned a lot from Donald Trump about keeping his name in the news by being an ass as something…positive.

So then Chris Wallace, the Hero Who Left Fox News, joined New Day and laid inflation 100% at Biden’s feet and 100% due to COVID stimulus and the Infrastructure Bill, and insinuated that Biden is being disingenuous with talk about Russia and corporate greed and trying to pass the buck. Also said that Manchin/Sinema and the GOP blocking the BBB bill saved us from it being even worse.

Brianna Keilor said, “yeah, I think I really have to agree.” John Berman got his “this is very serious” face on and made a few agreeable vocalizations. No mention of supply chain issues, COVID impacts, the war, or anything else as exasperating factors. No pushback against it at all.

So I guess we may have a second misinformation network to contend with, one that will be viewed as “more respectable” than Fox News. I really hope the Democrats are prepared for this, because it could potentially be a major factor in the next two elections.

The last word goes to those five wild British boys, with a song that no doubt would make Chris Licht very, very upset if he heard it played in the CNN offices.