Biden's decision and the limits of media influence

+ shifting strategies for picking VP candidates US Edition - Today's top story: Biden dropped out − is the news media to blame? [View in browser]( US Edition | 25 July 2024 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( The American press can be blamed for lots of things. We miss stories. We have ignored large segments of this country and how they see the world. I remember feeling this very acutely when I lived in Maine and covered its politics for public radio. The only stories out-of-state reporters wanted to do – always in August, it seemed – were about blueberries and lobster fishermen who spoke with Down East accents. They were looking for twang in Vacationland, while being entirely uninterested in the very interesting politics of the state. But back to today. While the press can be held to account for lots of things, can it be blamed for forcing Joe Biden to drop out of the 2024 presidential race? That’s the question media scholar Jacob L. Nelson [explores in his story]( for us this week. Some critics claimed that the news media played a central role in Biden’s decision. “This way of thinking assumes that the power of the press is significant and straightforward,” writes Nelson. “If journalists report on an issue in a certain way for an extended period of time, they will ultimately shape how people feel about it.” But Nelson’s research on the relationship between journalists and the public shows, as he writes, that “journalists’ influence is far more limited.” I find Nelson’s conclusion comforting. As a journalist covering politics, I’ve never wanted to tell people how to think or what to do. Instead, I’ve aimed to provide the facts and background to readers or listeners so they can make informed decisions about how their government and politicians are – or aren't – serving the public interest. That’s what we do here at The Conversation as well. Also in this week’s politics news: - [America’s inconsistent position on a Palestinian state]( - [What Lincoln meant when he called for heeding our ‘better angels’]( - [Kings were not above the law – a medieval scholar explains]( Naomi Schalit Senior Editor, Politics + Democracy Some have claimed the news media forced President Joe Biden to abandon his race for reelection. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images [Biden dropped out − is the news media to blame?]( Jacob L. Nelson, University of Utah Are journalists to blame for Biden dropping out? This assumes that the power of the press is significant and straightforward. It’s neither. Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris greet supporters on Aug. 20, 2020, at the end of the Democratic National Convention in Wilmington, Del. Olivier Douliery/AFP/Getty Images [Veepstakes have evolved from where you live to who you are − which way will Harris turn to balance the ticket?]( Philip Klinkner, Hamilton College From geographic balancing to making up for what the presidential candidate lacks, the considerations for picking a vice presidential candidate have changed and evolved since the 19th century. People in Tel Aviv protest against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government on July 20, 2024. AP Photo/Leo Correa [As Hamas war drags on, Israeli democracy weakens further]( Michal Ben-Josef Hirsch, Suffolk University Israel’s democracy was already diminishing before the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas, but things have only worsened since then. [Sure, 2024 has had lots of news – but compared with 1940, 1968 or 1973, it’s nothing exceptional]( Philip Klinkner, Hamilton College You think 2024 has been packed with a ceaseless and exhausting stream of consequential events? So did Americans in 1940, 1968 and 1973. [Can a brush with death change politicians? It did for notorious Alabama segregationist George Wallace]( Donald Nieman, Binghamton University, State University of New York An assassin’s bullet couldn’t knock George Wallace out of politics − but it made him seek redemption. [Until 1968, presidential candidates were picked by party conventions – a process revived by Biden’s withdrawal from race]( Philip Klinkner, Hamilton College With President Joe Biden out of the presidential race, the Democratic Party will have to find another nominee. Past methods of choosing have had their flaws, but also their successes. [Revisiting Middletown, Ohio – the Midwestern town at the heart of JD Vance’s ‘Hillbilly Elegy’]( Matthew Smith, Miami University Vance’s hometown has been analyzed as a sweeping symbol – sometimes overlooking the area’s distinct history and experiences. - [Online rumors sparked by the Trump assassination attempt spread rapidly, on both ends of the political spectrum]( Danielle Lee Tomson, University of Washington; Melinda McClure Haughey, University of Washington; Stephen Prochaska, University of Washington Did you experience the rush of people expressing conspiracy theories and rumors on social media in the immediate aftermath of the shooting? - [Trump’s promotion of an image of strength after assassination attempt borrows from authoritarian playbook]( Ruth Ben-Ghiat, New York University History is dotted with instances of strongmen who burnish their image or crack down on opponents after attempts on their life. - [US citizenship was forced on Native Americans 100 years ago − its promise remains elusive]( Kerri Malloy, San José State University Why few Native Americans are celebrating the centennial of the Indian Citizenship Act of 1924. - [GOP attacks against Kamala Harris were already bad – they are about to get worse]( Stephen J. Farnsworth, University of Mary Washington Kamala Harris’ career as a prosecutor lets her use law-and-order themes to fight back against America’s first convicted felon former president. - [How the Ukrainians – with no navy – defeated Russia’s Black Sea Fleet]( - [Arrest student protesters, wait or negotiate? Colleges can use ‘ladder of harm’ to determine appropriate response to Gaza protests on campus]( - [US says it wants Palestinians to have a country of their own – but its actions say otherwise]( - [Supreme Court ruling may put presidents above the law – but even kings never were]( - [Lincoln called for divided Americans to heed their ‘better angels,’ and politicians have invoked him ever since in crises − but for Abe, it was more than words]( - [Age would prevent Trump and Biden from running many top companies − and for good reason]( - - More of The Conversation Like this newsletter? 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