Mark Halperin

Friday

Cockburn

The Senate dresses down

If DC wants to eschew its reputation as being “Hollywood for ugly people,” politicos could start by dressing better. While the Senate has been in a marathon session that’s included several late-night votes, the breakdown in dress code has been remarkable in recent days — and the problem goes beyond Senator John Fetterman’s reluctance to wear a collared shirt if civilization depended on it. Much of the blame can be laid at the feet of “Derek Guy” — a pseudonymous self-styled menswear expert who is more reply guy than Louis Vuitton reincarnate. In his latest missive, Guy rated the best-dressed members of Congress... and named Senator Bernie Sanders as one of the most fashionable in the upper house.

mullin senate

Wednesday

Stephen L. Miller

Welcome to the era of personality media

Several high-priced journalists have begun experimenting with selling themselves instead of a corporate media brand. Chris Cillizza and Mark Halperin have both started Substack ventures without having the branding back-up of CNN or Bloomberg. The pair follow in the footsteps of Megyn Kelly, who has been enormously successful in launching her own brand. Don Lemon has been confined to social media as well.Last year, Washington Post tech reporter Taylor Lorenz left corporate media behind to create her own outlet, although I would argue her audience and branding were separate from that of the Post.

Wednesday

Ben Domenech

The winners and losers of the 2024 election

Every election has winners and losers that extend beyond the politicians themselves, but in this particularly unique situation, the sheer number of outside individuals, movements and institutions who can be categorized as winning or losing based on last night’s sweeping result for Donald Trump and Republicans is astounding.  Winner: the bro army and its defenders. The decision to lean so hard into appealing to the American manosphere, with its testosterone-fueled UFC events and a litany of podcasts hosted by comedians with mass appeal to young men, ran the risk of turning off female voters or seeming to only prioritize the frat vote. But it proved absolutely correct — and not just the Joe Rogan interview, though that was a key step in the journey.

winners and losers election

Thursday

Michael Bachmann

Disgraced former MSNBC host Mark Halperin charges thousands for news service

Former MSNBC host Mark Halperin is charging high-prices for his news service that launches Thursday.  Wide World of News Concierge Coverage, which starts at $400 a month, is set to replace the Substack Halperin has operated since 2020. The new service will include the Wide World of News newsletter that Halperin currently publishes on his Substack, as well as several other features designed to give subscribers greater access to Halperin’s reporting.  “This new service will give you – and your company or organization — actionable insights beyond dumbed-down cable news chatter or social doom scrolling,” Halperin’s new website says. “Instead, you’ll get the inside track on what will happen next and why, from Halperin’s unbiased, curated reporting.

mark halperin

Tuesday

Cockburn

Mark Halperin and the art of the #MeToo U-turn

So, you’ve been accused of sexual misconduct. You’re officially hashtag canceled, laying low, plotting your return to glory. How do you pull off the comeback? Do you try and slip back in unnoticed like The New York Times‘s Glenn Thrush? Do you go on a literal apology tour around the country like comedian Aziz Ansari, performing a routine about how much you’ve learned from your experience? Neither of those approaches was good enough for Mark Halperin. For the former NBC News correspondent, who was accused of, among other things, rubbing his clothed erect penis on some young female staffers and propositioning others, the smartest way back has a few stages. First, issue a general apology, while denying a couple of the allegations, and don’t direct one at the women involved.

mark halperin