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Morning Joe’s Meacham Selling Snake Oil as Political Medicine

Morning Joe’s Meacham Selling Snake Oil as Political Medicine

One of the regulars on “Moring Joe” is so-called historian John Meacham.    I say so-called because he uses his historian resume as a front for his hackish partisan political views.  Most certainly, he is the ideal central casting character to play the intellectual.  He is handsome and has the smooth mellow voice of an educator.  He looks and sounds good … credible.  But there is a difference between credible and truthful.

Behind that façade, however, is a hardcore partisan political pundit.  It is a part of his resume that is not promoted.  He was a Democrat operative on Capitol Hill.  He has been associated with hardcore partisan Democrat/liberal advocacy for years without exception.  By his own admission, he is a longtime “close friend and advisor” to President Biden.  

His views as a historian are sublimated to his partisan political views.  His historical anecdotes all spin in one direction.  He is more of a propagandist than a historian.  In other words, he is a slick snake oil salesman — or as they say in Texas, all hat and no cowboy. 

I offer this warning to the potential consumers of his political snake oil because he is at it again.  In a recent appearance on “Morning Joe,” Meacham gave his analysis of the upcoming election.   He said it is a choice between supporting democracy (Biden and Democrats) or supporting insurrectionists and authoritarians (Trump and Republicans).  

He even goes so far as to say it is a mistake to consider any other issues – such as crime, border security, Ukraine, the economy.  We should put all those things aside and only consider only his simplistic and erroneous view that the election is a choice between freedom and dictatorship.  Of course, he did not use that word, but what does authoritarianism mean?

Meacham understands that elections are determined by what people decide to decide upon. Meacham proposes that the issues that impact on our lives … our security … or financial welfare … are less important than his false contest between freedom and oppression.

Even worse is the fact that Meacham’s unitary existential issue is that it is … pardon the expression … full of shit.  There is no valid choice between the believers in democracy and the proponents of authoritarianism based on partisan preferences.  Meacham creates fiction regarding the nature of the two parties.  Democrats are not the pillars of the constitutional Republic.  And Republicans are way not authoritarians.  It is nothing less than political propaganda.

Republicans are the Party of conservative values – which means LIMITED GOVERNMENT and maximum PERSONAL FREEDOM.  If any party is promoting authoritarian principles, it is the Democrats – the Party that supports a strong central government in Washington and confiscatory tax policies.  The Republican Party is wary of government intrusion (regulation) into the daily lives of American citizens.  Democrats believe that government is the appropriate overseer of the masses – who they see as less noble, less intelligent and less able.

Alongside of Meacham on “Morning Joe” was a Washington Post reporter, who picked up on Meacham’s theme by accusing Republicans of being “anti-elitist.”  Well duh!  Joe Scarborough piled on by saying those mythical Republicans reveal their authoritarianism by criticizing such institutions of government as the FBI, the Department of Justice and the intelligence community.  Making government institutions immune from criticism is an iconic characteristic of … authoritarianism.

Team MSNBC are the same folks who pumped life into the phony dossier and the Russian conspiracy narrative – and suppressed and censored the facts regarding the Hunter Biden laptop.  That is what authoritarians do.

The Biden administration is now in court for coercing public media platforms to block and censor opinions that did not comport with the “official” government propaganda and lies – essentially cancelling our right of free speech.  That looks a lot like authoritarianism to me.

Meacham’s and the left’s idea of democracy is to silence and drive opposition out of political power –one party rule.  They admit as much.  Another “Morning Joe” denizen, the Washington Post’s Eugene Robinson, repeatedly calls for the Republican Party to be “crushed.”  That is the kind of thinking we get from Xi Jinping and the Irani Supreme Leader when dealing with opposition.

Sorry Meacham, the millions of Americans who call themselves Republicans – and vote for Republican candidates – are not insurrectionists or authoritarians.  Your contention is a slander on half the nation that votes Republican.  Authoritarianism is a shoe that better fits you and those on the left.

Meacham is not a credible historian, but rather a spokesperson for the Democrat political propaganda machine.  Be forewarned.

So, there ‘tis.

About The Author

Larry Horist

So, there ‘tis… The opinions, perspectives and analyses of businessman, conservative writer and political strategist Larry Horist. Larry has an extensive background in economics and public policy. For more than 40 years, he ran his own Chicago based consulting firm. His clients included such conservative icons as Steve Forbes and Milton Friedman. He has served as a consultant to the Nixon White House and travelled the country as a spokesman for President Reagan’s economic reforms. Larry professional emphasis has been on civil rights and education. He was consultant to both the Chicago and the Detroit boards of education, the Educational Choice Foundation, the Chicago Teachers Academy and the Chicago Academy for the Performing Arts. Larry has testified as an expert witness before numerous legislative bodies, including the U. S. Congress, and has lectured at colleges and universities, including Harvard, Northwestern and DePaul. He served as Executive Director of the City Club of Chicago, where he led a successful two-year campaign to save the historic Chicago Theatre from the wrecking ball. Larry has been a guest on hundreds of public affairs talk shows, and hosted his own program, “Chicago In Sight,” on WIND radio. An award-winning debater, his insightful and sometimes controversial commentaries have appeared on the editorial pages of newspapers across the nation. He is praised by audiences for his style, substance and sense of humor. Larry retired from his consulting business to devote his time to writing. His books include a humorous look at collecting, “The Acrapulators’ Guide”, and a more serious history of the Democratic Party’s role in de facto institutional racism, “Who Put Blacks in That PLACE? -- The Long Sad History of the Democratic Party’s Oppression of Black Americans ... to This Day”. Larry currently lives in Boca Raton, Florida.

6 Comments

  1. frank stetson

    No, it isn’t.

    Gotta love a journalist who screws the pooch in the first sentence. It’s Morning Joe, not Moring Joe. And his first name is Jon, not John. And tying Russia-gate and Hunter in for what, MSNBC character witnesses? Does Mr. Horist really think his readers are so stupid as to have MSNBC political placement issues? Or is he just danglin his hanging banging scrod for the sycophants?

    As the Presidential election approaches, Mr. Horist is ginning up his partisan attacks in preparation for his “Elect Trump Rationale” or how to put Caligula in the White House so he can pardon himself. Trump has said he is in it for retribution, for revenge, a real patriot for America by destroying Democrats, half the nation. Mr. Mecham, and others, are pushing back with VALID criticisms and opinions. Especially given Trump’s revengeful rampaging rhetoric. This is not Trump 2016 redux. Most of us think Mr. Trump will begin his next Presidency right where he left off on 1.6.2021 —- continuing the Republican Violent Attack on anything not them. Mr. Horist can call me crazy but I don’t see him putting anything on the table to change minds.

    Mr. Horist has an opinion and as all opinions — it’s just as biased as anyone’s.

    He says basically that Meacham is a lying, political hack propagandist, who dares to advise Biden, his friend as if that makes him a evil man of bias. Gee, all Presidents be supported by the likes of their kids, in-laws, Stone, Flynn, Ghouliani, Manafort, Cohen, Gates, Bannon, Powel, and more, so many more. I mean most of these guys are actual convicts, Meacham only has convictions.

    Contrary to Mr. Horist’s conclusions, on the record, Meacham is the Canon Historian of the Washington National Cathedral, former executive editor, evp – Random House, contributing writer to NYT Book Review, contributing editor – Time magazine, editor-in-chief of Newsweek. He is also theRogers Endowed Chair in American Presidency at Vanderbilt. And MSNBC contributor. I think he knows objective. IMO, biased as it is.

    His awards:
    2009: Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography for American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House.
    2013: Hubert H. Humphrey First Amendment Prize from the Anti-Defamation League
    2013: Founder’s Award from the Historical Society of Pennsylvania
    2016: The Sandra Day O’Connor Institute’s Spirit of Democracy Award.
    2022: The Lincoln Forum’s Richard Nelson Current Award of Achievement

    Meacham is also named a “Global Leader for Tomorrow” by the World Economic Forum,nfellow of the Society of American Historians, member of the Council on Foreign Relations, trustee of the Thomas Jefferson Foundation and the Andrew Jackson Foundation, chairs the national advisory board of the John C. Danforth Center on Religion and Politics at Washington University, distinguished visiting professor of history at The University of the South, visiting distinguished professor at Vanderbilt University
    Meacham’s honorary doctorates: Doctor of Humane Letters, Berkeley Divinity School at Yale University, Dickinson College, The University of the South D.Litt, Loyola University New Orleans DHL, Wake Forest University, Middlebury College D.Litt, The University of Tennessee DHL, The University of Massachusetts Lowell, Millsaps College

    And then there’s Mr. Horist and the rest of us…..what’s in our wallets? Here’s Mr. Horist’s accomplishments that match any of Meacham’s:

    Mine are no better.

    Meacham may be a liberal, but he is a freakin accomplished one, an expert in history, and I find his calls to arms to be far less strident than anything else uttered on MSNBC. Perhaps it just makes too much sense to Mr. Horist who is hearing a call to arms of a completely different color: ORANGE. Can’t wait to see his case to compel folks to vote for a twice-impeached, adjudicated sex abuser/defamer (but not RAPE), expert businessman of a business convicted on 37 counts and who is currently facing over 60 counts including espionage, falsifying documents, hush money payments to a porn star with the big cases for voter fraud, insurrection, and gosh knows what else waiting in the wings.

    No wonder he spends his time on Meacham.

  2. Mike f

    Larry, Like so many other things, you don’t understand what authoritarianism is. Biden is in court for trying to prevent social media from propagating lies, while that may be contrary to freedom of speech, there are so many idiots on the right that consume this BS, and don’t have sufficient brain power to realize it’s all bullshit that something has to be done. On the other side, you have actual authoritarian people like your beloved (but ignorant) governor. He believes in retaliating against words that he doesn’t like (um ‘free speech’). He also has taken away parental rights to make choices about what their children read and do. And of course there are the restrictions on a woman’s right to choose-all of these are authoritarian actions. Of course trump has stated that he would suspend the constitution to get what he wants (not likely he’d succeed here, but shows his mindset). So there really is no question who the authoritarians in the room are. I know you will disagree, but clearly (as you frequently are) you’re wrong…

  3. Kendall

    Frank and Larry are perfect examples of woke fascists who have zero discernment or wisdom, but think they do. They are simply spear carriers for the most incompetent and destructive administration in history that seeks to create a one party totalitarian state that tolerates no dissent. And they call Trump a fascist, dictator or worse.
    They and their ilk should trying looking a mirror.

  4. larry Horist

    Kendall … Yours is on of the most ignorant comments I have ever seen. Frank and I are on opposite sides of the partisan and philosophic divide. I am a conservative Republican and he is a progressive democrat. We constantly feud here. How you lump us together makes no sense whatsoever. If you think I am a spear carrier for the Biden Administrations, you have read not been reading any of my writings. Frank thinks I am too hard on Biden. He carries the spear.

    • frank stetson

      Saint be praised, Mr. Horist has bumped me to number two in ignorant comments. May wonders never cease :>)

  5. Mike f

    But Larry was noticeably silent regarding the issues i pointed out that the Republicans are the candidates leaning into authoritarianism, and thus the morning Joe comments were not ‘snake oil’ but rather valid concerns…

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