Today, NBC’s Chuck Todd made this appeal on Twitter:
Our political discourse would improve if folks in power and in the opposition could spend even just a second in the other’s shoes.
— Chuck Todd (@chucktodd) February 3, 2017
That there exists a fundamental divide between the political right and left in America is no surprise, nor is the fact that a number of Americans distrust the media that is designed to give them their news and information.
Still, plenty of people thought Todd’s suggestion was all wrong and he heard about it.
Some of the responses made clear, salient points that furthered discourse in a way that is pretty hard in 140 characters or less.
Both trite and untrue. Political discourse would improve if people used valid data points and focused on serving instead of political gain. https://t.co/6pwipzxIOt
— Soledad O’Brien (@soledadobrien) February 3, 2017
@chucktodd Another serious question: Tell me how you would look an old woman in the face and explain “deficit neutrality.” How is that good?
— Piss Scotus Jeb Lund (@Mobute) February 3, 2017
@chucktodd You’re a nice guy, Chuck. But realize NOW that you’re cultivating relationships with 500 people when 310 million are behind you.
— Piss Scotus Jeb Lund (@Mobute) February 3, 2017
christ.
i grew up in a county that went 2/3 for Trump
i spent 18 years in their shoes and fled to better ones https://t.co/pnPKetGSW9— Erin ?Gloria? Ryan (@morninggloria) February 3, 2017
@YarmondShore @chucktodd So Chuck what steps have you taken personally in your own life outside of work to engage with minorities and women?
— Raymond (@YarmondShore) February 3, 2017
@YarmondShore @chucktodd Stop quoting motivational posters and maybe start taking actions or realize you are part of the problem.
— Raymond (@YarmondShore) February 3, 2017
@chucktodd Respectfully, I have the capacity for empathy. But I don’t see anything but greed and avarice here.
— Scott Tobias (@scott_tobias) February 3, 2017
Bullshit Chuck. Thats asking the adults among us to allow the children to run the household, for empathy’s sake. https://t.co/OwCni04kdV
— John Stoehr (@johnastoehr) February 3, 2017
Other responses were sarcastic or biting:
Gonna do some coke and read stormfront to get my head in the Bannon zone https://t.co/NzbVBY9Yjw
— Matt Bors (@MattBors) February 3, 2017
@chucktodd no thanks. I don’t look good in a klan hood.
— Michael F. Wells (@mfwells5) February 3, 2017
@chucktodd I gave this a good effort. I imagined what it would be like to really hate black people and Muslims. Made me want to kill myself.
— Elliott Lusztig (@ezlusztig) February 3, 2017
::quietly walks up to Mike Pence who is crushing a puppy’s skull with his shoe because it might be gay::
-pardon me, may I try those on?- https://t.co/bH3XJFSAOr
— Saladin Ahmed (@saladinahmed) February 3, 2017
So if I spent a second as a billionaire who bragged about sexual assault, I could have a more polite convo about banning Muslims? https://t.co/FVnyD2uvzJ
— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) February 3, 2017
@chucktodd it’s just hard cause I don’t know anything about Russia or being a pathological liar
— Brian Rubenstein (@irwinhandleman) February 3, 2017
@chucktodd Sorry Chuck, too busy standing in the shoes of the brown people Trump is endlessly trying to oppress.
— Senator TrillStyle (@mikestill) February 3, 2017
It seems unlikely that the right will put themselves in the position of a “snowflake” or that the left will put themselves in the position of someone like Steve Bannon. If anything, platitudes suggesting such things seem only to make people angrier.
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