In a turn unimaginable a couple years ago — and still rather dumbfounding to me — noise-machinist Matt Drudge has soared from eminent Trumpeteer to NeverAgainTrumper. Of this, I was unaware until yesterday. Drudge is one of the many politically theocratic fanatics I haven't kept tabs on, since, to borrow from Tomlin, no matter how assiduous I become in following right-wing crackpots, it's never enough to keep up.
At any rate, yesterday afternoon I was reading an unmemorable piece about something or other when a link to this contemporaneous Drudge page (once, and perhaps still, the bible of crackpots) sprang up, and I clicked:
That was intriguing. So I Googled "What's up with Drudge?" and got this, from the Columbia Journalism Review: "Why did Matt Drudge turn on Donald Trump?" by Bob Norman, January 2020. There I found that "cracks began emerging in Drudge’s devotion two years into Trump’s term, with the president’s inability to get full funding for the border wall." Indeed Drudge became irate that America had "no new wall at all!"
Once turned, Drudge couldn't stop. In the summer of 2019 he complained of "big government" Trump; of the president's "trash talk" and its alienating effect on suburban women; of hard-pressed farmers and disastrous trade wars. With impeachment came "loaded headlines" like this, noted Norman: "Republican criticism [of Trump] mounts …"; "It took [a] long time for Republicans to abandon Nixon …"; and “Senate likelier to remove [Trump] …"
Around the time of these headlines, Norman managed to reach the reclusive Drudge by phone at his $2.2 million Florida home. He inquired as to the provocateur's Trumpian apostasy on the heels of such supportive fervency: "That was three years ago," said Drudge. "[He] wouldn’t go further," wrote Norman.
In 2015, Matt Drudge said to friend Alex Jones on InfoWars: "I live in a world that is free, colorful, vibrant, takes chances, bold, stands up to power. And that’s where I’ve made my success."
Again I'm intrigued. Is Drudge — whose readership numbers have rebounded since first filleting Trump — a kind of one-man vanguard in readying today's pseudoconservatives for a recovering, post-Trump era? Has Drudge envisioned a colossal Trumpian train wreck on a Big 2020 Blue Wall? Can Drudge restore the internally demolished credibility of the right-winningest NeverTrumpers? Can that be where Drudge makes his next success?
Is Drudge relevant? I have no idea. He seemed to be ubiquitous, back in the day, while I don't hear about him anymore. But that could well reflect the dynamics of his echo chamber.
Posted by: Richard Hershberger | April 27, 2020 at 12:00 PM
If you look at his reach you would probably be astounded at his traffic. Despite the fact that Trump characterizes all enemies as failing, Drudge isn't. His traffic is growing. Still I wouldn't make too much of this. The most interesting thing I can find about it is that, once again, it demonstrates what slow learners our "conservative" friends are. That it took this long to begin to notice shit is only surprising if you don't regularly wade into their swamp. They are not know for noticing shit.
In contrast I will proudly note that our left wing loonies are much more responsive to stimulus. They started turning on Obama the day after his first inauguration when George Bush wasn't arrested for war crimes. It's a different kind of stupid I grant you, but it is a fast stupid.
Posted by: Peter G | April 27, 2020 at 01:54 PM
I don't know anything about this guy but I know you and I knew how right you were the other day when you wrote that Trump wouldn't be able to stay away for long. I knew that you were right. But heck...he's back after a day. I thought he might last a week.
Posted by: Mary | April 28, 2020 at 12:31 AM
"last a week?" You haven't been paying attention!
Posted by: PETER THIBEAU | April 28, 2020 at 05:03 PM