Monday Edition: Gaslighting America

Thursday night’s debate has made the media's earlier dismissal of concerns about President Biden's mental fitness look awful. (Ink Stained Wretches)

Two of Biden’s responses stand out in particular. First, on fixing the debt:

Bubba’s Two Cents

The New York Times getting a neuroscientist to tell the public that they should believe “experts” over what their own eyes are telling them is a wonderful parallel for what’s been happening in America for years now. But Trump’s 2016 win should have taught those at elite institutions that they can’t impose their view of the world on the public by brute force media consensus anymore. In fact, that just makes people trust you less.

Reporting — without constantly trying to minimize and mitigate — that the president’s mental faculties had worryingly declined would have been honest. But it also would have been politically damaging to Biden and (let’s not kid ourselves here) that’s a major consideration for the mainstream press when it comes to how it frames its coverage (as it is with conservative media and Trump). The funny thing is, even if it would’ve hurt the president, a world where the national reporting on Biden’s mental fitness is more accurate might be less disastrous for Democrats than the situation they currently find themselves in.

The Supreme Court struck down Chevron deference last week, and, yes, you should care. (WSJ)

What the heck is it? The Chevron doctrine, established by SCOTUS in 1984, said judges should defer to government agencies when it came to interpreting unclear laws.

• Critics of Chevron argued that, in practice, it led to an expansion of the power of federal agencies and bureaucrats.

• From the AP: “Federal rules impact virtually every aspect of everyday life, from the food we eat and the cars we drive to the air we breathe and homes we live in.”

Wall Street Journal reporter Jan Wolfe outlines the specific impact overturning Chevron is likely to have:

• It will be harder for the Biden administration to bring back net neutrality, which prevents internet providers from playing favorites for sites or apps.

• The Federal Trade Commission may face difficulties in enforcing its ban on noncompete agreements, with courts potentially limiting its regulatory authority.

• The Environmental Protection Agency's efforts to reduce power plant emissions could be hindered, increasing the likelihood of legal battles against their regulations.

What attorney Daniel Jarcho told the Journal: “The court’s decision will unquestionably lead to more litigation challenging federal agency actions, and more losses for federal agencies.”

Bubba’s Two Cents

I agree with the WSJ Editorial Board’s response on the ruling: “the progressive impulse to defer to the rule of experts is one reason Americans are so frustrated with government.” We’ve seen what a bloated administrative state has done to healthcare and education in America. Striking a blow against this status quo is a positive development, in my book.

With confidence in higher education already falling, a new study shows recent pro-Palestine campus protests have further damaged colleges’ reputations. (Inside Higher Ed)

A SimpsonScarborough survey:

• 27% of undergraduate prospects report a decreased interest in attending college due to the protests, with 22% of parents saying they’re less interested in their children attending college due to the protests.

• 37% of UG prospects and 28% of parents report a decreased trust in higher education due to the protests.

• Protests have damaged schools’ reputations with nearly half of prospective undergraduate students.

A recent analysis by the Washington Monthly found campus protests are much more likely to take place at elite schools full of comparatively wealthy students.

A number of polls have shown the conflict between Israel and Palestine ranks low on the list of young voters’ concerns.

Bubba’s Two Cents

There’s not much to say about this other than it reflects a broader phenomenon seen in the Democratic Party and other left-leaning institutions — a relatively small, privileged fringe is holding the party captive and driving away normal people with extreme ideas.

Democrats and President Biden have appealed to voters by claiming Donald Trump is a unique threat to democracy, but the latest polling shows that might be a misguided strategy. (CBS News)

Biden in January: “Democracy is on the ballot. Your freedom is on the ballot.”

A new CBS News/YouGov poll:

Related: Independents view Biden as the bigger threat to democracy, according to a NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll from May.

Earlier this month, Axios reported that top Democratic operatives are losing faith in Biden’s reelection strategy, which focuses on Trump’s behavior and democracy.

It doesn’t get much better: CBS News’ post-debate poll found that voters are souring on Biden in other worrying ways.

• 72% of voters believe the president lacks the cognitive health to be president, up from 65% before the debate.

• 86% of voters cite Biden's age as their top concern.

• 63% of voters in February 2024 thought Biden shouldn't run; this rose to 72% after the debate.

• 42% of Democrats believe Biden shouldn't run, with 86% citing his age.

On the one hand, Argentine President Javier Milei has overseen some remarkable positive developments since taking office, on the other, there are still grave challenges ahead. (The Economist)

Inflation has fallen to 4.2% month-on-month, the lowest since January 2022, after Milei devalued the peso by over 50%.

• Argentina has experienced fiscal surpluses for five consecutive months, a first since 2008, despite a severe recession and public protests.

However, construction activity dropped by 37% year-on-year in April, and then there’s the country’s overvalued peso problem.

The Economist: