Published on March 7, 2024, 12:43 am

In the world of media, often seen as the pillar of liberty in a democratic society, many journalists pride themselves on delivering real news to guarantee informed voters. Their primary role, theoretically, is to guide these voters towards making prudent choices. However, when their preference doesn’t persevere, some reportage appears to suggest that democracy itself has been defeated.

Interestingly, the Supreme Court recently denounced an audacious attempt by certain Democratic states – including Colorado and Illinois – to remove Donald Trump’s name from the ballot using a novel interpretation of the 14th Amendment. They invoked antiquated Civil War-era rhetoric about barring “insurrectionists” from ballots.

Your general observer may find it perplexing that detaching a lead Republican contender’s name from a poll is viewed as ‘protecting democracy.’ Rather than safeguarding democracy, such moves seem more like creating hurdles for it.

Post-2020 election scenarios unraveled similar narratives – progressive factions masterminding comprehensive strategies to impede Trump’s win was hailed by some top-tier publications like Time magazine as “fortifying democracy.”

The recent ruling didn’t sit well within certain media circles with CNN host Dana Bash expressing her dissatisfaction essentially resigning to the notion that “The Court isn’t necessarily wrong.” These reactions portray an apparent struggle within the journalistic sphere to absorb this considerable legal blow pursued by those holding liberal views.

Analysts have even gone so far as venturing criticisms against voters on CNN stating that you can’t save people who vote for Trump despite his alleged instigation of an ‘insurrection’. In essence, are the self-proclaimed defenders of democracy effectively calling some voters ‘stupid’? There are extremists out there accusing the Supreme Court of being “corrupt and illegitimate,” proposing it be dissolved; a matter compelling us to question which side holds autocratic tendencies.

For now, conversations pivot around primary election outcomes where Trump has fared well despite some disheartened commentaries from left-leaning pundits. Biden’s falling approval ratings and polling deficits in swing states, as evidenced by trusted news sources like The New York Times, have likely further dampened the spirits on this side.

The Biden administration seems to be keen on striding into the 2024 campaign with a loosely defined “freedom agenda”, ignoring issues such as inflation or immigration. Strategies appear to centre around utilizing visual mental imprints of January 6, as generally propagated by dedicated pro-Biden media outlets.

Yet, one could argue that two years of constant replaying and canvassing around these events haven’t quite prevented a potential surge from the Republicans during the midterm elections. If Biden continues to slip behind despite blasting Trump’s previous provocative remarks through media channels, it only demonstrates a significant lack of democratic deliberation on critical issues by Democrats.

In an age where a Christian worldview akin allows us to perceive all individuals as equals in God’s sight, it is instructive to remember that ‘no equal time’ does not correspond with genuine democracy or factual journalism.