Cable news in the weeks before an election is the ninth circle of hell. For proof, look no further than the way MSNBC subjected Georgia's Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams to an interview by 79-year-old white guy plagiarist and organized crime apologist Mike Barnicle. Abrams, whose only crime is being a "Star Trek" nerd who wants Georgia to suck less, was subjected to this crotchety fraud demanding she stop talking about abortion rights so much, arguing that what voters supposedly care about is "the cost of gas, food, bread, milk, things like that." Because, as all old men who have never changed a diaper know, having and raising babies is totally free, unlike a gallon of gasoline.
Abrams handled the question as well as she could, pointing out that you "can't divorce being forced to carry an unwanted pregnancy from the economic realities of having a child." She went on to outline her plans to help Georgians with rising housing prices and other economic problems. But as much as it's fun to kick around Barnicle for being out of touch, the sad truth is the false premise of his question is endemic throughout the mainstream media coverage of the 2022 midterm elections. Everywhere you turn, pundits and reporters are treating this election as if it's a choice between fighting inflation and protecting abortion rights.
