here's a pitch for @patrickhealynyt: instead of forging a false picture of how atlantans are voting for trump, let's hear from elite, wealthy new yorkers who are supporting him, and why they're supporting him. surely, the paper of record has a few connections they can call up.

the support of wealthy elites, many of whom live in new york, has been significantly more valuable to donald trump and critical to his hold on power than the average middle class white person in atlanta or indianapolis. let's hear from them for a change.

if the CEOs of american express and bank of america and citibank had called congressmen and told them to impeach donald trump, they would have impeached donald trump. an assembly line supervisor in birmingham doesn't have that kind of power. why is the latter the story?

i'm not naive enough to think that individual executives in a critical economic sector have unmitigated power over legislators. but acting as a class? they absolutely do. why does the NYT think bob whiteguy, second shift manager, is the important voice to hear?

the question isn't "why is [average middle class midwesterner]" supporting trump. that person doesn't have any power over an industry, or the ability to mobilize their peers. the question is "why haven't [industry] executives demanded his removal?"

putting jane milkwhite front and center in "this is why people like trump" arguments really, really distorts the degree to which american industry and business have simply abided, if not supported, him. without their support, he's toast. without it, he never gets elected.

so if you think stories about trump supporters are noteworthy and of value to your subscribers, then let's start hearing from the ones that fucking matter. let's hear from the ones who prop up this whole, criminal regime, and let's hear their reasons why.

the big story about the new york times is that the new york times tries very hard to convince you that new york city doesn't bear any responsibility for donald trump, and every heartland diner voter story they publish is an attempt to reinforce that idea.

"comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable" my whole, entire ass. the reason donald trump might lose this election is because he's crashing the american economy and without an epidemic that afflicts the comfortable and powerless alike, he probably wins another term.

that's the fucking story.

and i'll add this — if you're an editor at the new york times who has the power to assign stories and you *can't* find anyone with the juice to write this story, maybe your fucking paper isn't quite as important as you think it is.

literally anyone can find a card-carrying member of the republican party to quote about how they're still supporting trump. i can do that, and i'm a nobody. that's not value-added journalism. that's not the power "the paper of record" is supposed to exercise.

the whole thing about the NYT is that they're supposed to be able to get stories no one else can get. they have the credibility and power to uncover things no one else can, and they're using that power... to quote southern trump supporters about why they support donald trump.

i love new york and new yorkers, but the elite media of new york do not get to simultaneously pretend that their most famous failson has nothing to do with them and also pretend that they're the center of the fucking universe.

anyway, that's my "oklahoman who lives on the best coast" rant. new york city is obviously important, and nothing has been *more* important to donald trump's rise to power than the fact that he is a bone-deep, native, wealthy new yorker that new york city created.

tired: washington, DC is the swamp

wired: the swamp starts in new york city and stretches all the way to washington, DC.