. @brianstelter You need to have a sharp focus on the culpability over the past many years of the mainstream media. @paulkrugman, @jayrosen Tom Mann & I were among many who warned years ago of the transformation of the GOP from a regular political party into an insurgent outlier

A handful of good journalists like @JohnJHarwood @jackiekcalmes @JillDLawrence and others reported it honestly, but way too many did not. Abnormal behavior was normalized long before Donald Trump emerged. Malign behavior was sidetracked by framing it as strategy. 2

The both sides and false equivalence frame, brilliantly described by @JamesFallows was the norm in journalism. The fear of being labeled as biased towards liberals was exploited by the right. The norm of reporting both sides ignored the more important norm of reporting the truth.

The bandwidth for scandal meant that things like Obama's tan suit got the same breathless treatment as Trump violating emoluments clauses for personal enrichment or child separation. Emails were DEFCON1 for Clinton and ignored entirely for Trump and family.

When actors like McConnell and McCarthy know that they can get away with violating norms and blowing up institutions, they are encouraged to do more. When Sunday talk shows give equal stature and credibility to enablers of wrong behavior to others, they add to deterioration. 5