I was watching TV last night when Adam Smith, who'd just been in The Stranger's offices a few weeks ago, showed up on my screen. Smith was in The Stranger's offices not getting our endorsement (although I'd vote for him—I'm kind of a hawk myself, also he's smart, experienced, and handsome). Fox News was on because sometimes I like to see what the other side is saying, and I especially wanted to see them writhe over Would/Wouldn'tGate.*
Let's see, which version of the video clip should we watch? All the YouTube uploads of Fox News segments featuring Democrats are called things like "Tucker Carlson DESTROYS Deep State DemonRat Democrat" and "Liberal Congressman Folds Like a Cheap Suit After Tucker Carlson Schools Him" and "Another Liberal Sheep Accuses Trump of Treason, Tucker Carlson Makes Him Crumble Like a House of Cards." Ha! In your dreams, Little Dick Energy red-staters. Let's go with the DemonRat one:
Seriously, how is Adam Smith this cool under pressure? Calm, collected, factual, steely, and unperturbed. Carlson pretends not to understand words, insists the congressman talk to him like a toddler, still pretends not to understand, lays whiney bullshit language trap after whiney bullshit language trap, says Smith said things that Smith didn't say—and Smith doesn't get irate or condescending or personal. He just calmly corrects Carlson's craziness and forces Fox News watchers to encounter facts they are not used to encountering on the only channel they watch.
It's much harder to do than it looks. Seriously, how does a supposed deep-state demon rat hawk not just strangle the guy? Just to get him to stop interrupting with blatantly faux-confused questions?
"Why do you come on the show and play silly games with me?!" Carlson bleats eventually, trying and failing to sound like Bill O'Reilly. The guy reeks with "I want to be the next Bill O'Reilly" desperation. Even the sound cutting out on Smith when he's articulating how the president is undermining his own country doesn't prevent the hardworking congressman from laying into Trump after his perfidious Helsinki performance.
On behalf of all of Seattle, thanks for walking into the enemy lair and laying down some truth, congressman!
* This might be the best/stupidest thing about this Would/Wouldn'tGate so far. The whole thread.