the thing about an explicit rule is, regardless of where it came from or who's power it reinforces, you know what you get up front and someone violating their own explicit rules reveals themselves as a hypocrite (or tyrant) and suffers an appropriate loss of credibility.
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Replying to @danlistensto
Sure, my point here was inspired by Trump's WH saying it's going to put out new rules for press briefings since their informal idea of "decorum" was violated by inconveniently hostile reporters like Acosta. Hypocrisy is that Trump routinely behaves 10x worse in decorous settings
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Replying to @vgr
and has suffered tremendous loss of credibility except with his fanatic/unhinged base. not that he gives a fuck. Acosta really did break the implicit decorum. This is a separate issue from Trump being a flaming dickhead with no credibility (or moral compass).
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Replying to @danlistensto @vgr
and it's not so much protecting the sensibilities of the powerful as it is protecting the established (long before Trump) social norm that allows reporters to ask questions of the WH in an orderly fashion. That's actually good for transparency.
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Replying to @danlistensto
The point is, norm was *not* strong enough for Trump so he was imposing a stronger norm, and when reporters refused to abide by it, he tried and failed to deny his privileges on a whim, and is now formally strengthening the norms that were enough for a POTUS who held up his end
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Replying to @vgr
that is not how I interpret the situation. Trump was out of line in revoking Acosta's press pass and a judge has actually settled the issue appropriately. Acosta's behavior was out of line too and shouting over other reporters should have cost him credibility from his peers.
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Replying to @danlistensto
I don't think he was out of line so much as tracking the shifting line. He was escalating in response to Trump being out of line in the extent of his evasion, specific targeting of CNN etc. He was tracking a shifting norm as in "okay, so we're playing hardball now are we?"
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Replying to @vgr
escalation is a game for fools. play stupid games win stupid prizes.
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Replying to @danlistensto
I think escalation and norm-breaking are an essential thing and in fact a mark of smartness, not foolishness. Otherwise you're just trapped in non-functional ritual. The prize is not stupid: it is moving the conversation to a more consequential arena. The court in this case.
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Replying to @vgr
did Acosta get any of his questions answered? did any of the reporters Acosta shouted over get their questions answered? did the public learn anything new? was the distraction worth it or was that actually want Trump wanted?
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