Unilateral Assistance of 1/6 Truthers? Shrug!

I don't read Talking Points Memo as much these days in part because many of the pages are blocked or have view limits (ten a month) if you do not subscribe. But, there is still some good content I can access. And, something caught my eye.

Where Things Stand: Most Americans Are Chill With McCarthy Giving Tucker Jan 6 Tapes!!, Far-Right Media Declares

The article discusses a certain poll about how Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy is doing.  This includes the subject matter.  This is just one poll and one snapshot of time.  But, polling by now does not seem a useless metric.  At least, if it was, social science should stop using it!  

In total, 42 percent of respondents said they approved of the move, with 23 percent indicating they “strongly” approved and 19 percent saying they “somewhat” approved. Thirty-eight percent didn’t agree with McCarthy’s decision and 21 percent were “not sure” — presumably well-balanced humans that don’t follow this stuff. The split among political ideology was predictable, with 53 percent of Democrats disapproving and 61 percent of Republicans approving.

The analysis notes how a far-right website spun this in the most positive way possible.  As you would expect. Nonetheless, the analysis of that TPM article seems to be basically a "shrug."  I am somewhat more upset.

Basically, we have the usual conservative segment accepting what the leader of the House does.  The idea is that there is always going to be a little over 40% that will agree with the Republican/conservative point of view.  So, the nonentity who ran against Schumer? Got over 40%.  

This is depressing.  Kevin McCarthy is someone who many "MAGA Republicans" (Biden on down is using this term and I admit it is starting to bore me... not because it is necessarily untrue) find distasteful. The idea that more people do not disagree with him here is notable.

I think this is a line-in-the-sand issue.  He released the tapes to a 1/6 Truther.  It is hard to understand how this should be allowed even as a matter of procedure.  Should not both branches of Congress agree, even if we accept (as we should not) the unilateral release to Tucker Carlson? 

But, who disagreed?  Thirty-eight percent.  So, maybe basically the core of the Democrats.  Less so than the agreement side as a whole.  One side? It's a matter of strength of acceptance.  The other?  A significant group is "not sure."  This is likely a mixture of not knowing about it and not having a strong opinion.  Maybe, more the former.  Who knows really.  

The party breakdown is not better.  A bare majority of the Democrats disapproved (granting a margin of error). That's ... [expletive] tragic or something.  I guess I should be happy only 61% of Republicans approved.  That is somewhat positive.  It suggests a realization something is off.

Still, some line in the sand.  Sigh.  I realize some things that we find appalling ("we" here being fellow travelers) such as this whole Judge Kyle Duncan business gets much more mixed reactions elsewhere.  The whole "Twitter isn't real life" thing.  (Or, your Twitter feed is not real life.)

We have to factor that in.  Still, some things are more of a concern than others.  At the end of the day, I think the far right has a reason to be happy here.  See, Kevin, no real consequences!