20 Comments
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Ralph Dratman's avatar

Like you, I have been deeply disappointed by whatever it is that has happened to Matt Taibbi. I had been an enthusiastic subscriber to his substack. Over time I tried very hard to follow his thinking through a series of his posts that became increasingly harder to comprehend. I discovered he had accumulated a collection of right-wing commenters who struck me as both cruel and dishonest. Finally when the right-wing destructiveness began to be overwhelming, I had to disconnect, and at this point I have not read anything he has written for some months.

lucrezia's avatar

I've been a regular presence on Taibbi's comment section for the better part of two years as part of a research project. The vitriol and bad faith bandied about is truly a thing to behold, and to echo your comment, Taibbi's reporting is not only profoundly dishonest it's more often than not incomprehensible. Truly a phenomenon, albeit a very unpleasant one.

Ben Cohen's avatar

Would you mind telling me what the research project is about? You can email me if you'd prefer to keep it off the comment thread!: ben@thedailybanter.com

Moxie's avatar

Same here. I resigned my subscription to Matt's substack a few months ago. I peek at it a few times to see what he's writing about but it is the same tired bs and the far right commenters he's attracted have turned the blog into a toxic Daily Wire-lite.

Deplorable racist's avatar

It sounds to me like he has just actually awoken. What are you all so freakin scared of? Have some Avocado toast and check your phone. It will all be OK. My Pronouns are her, his and they. By the way I heard Tucker gave up eating children for lent!

Victor the Crab's avatar

One wonders if the Russians have kompromat on Taibbi, given how he enjoyed life in Russia and all it could offer him, perhaps a little too much. It might be how Taibbi went from being a well respected journalist into a right wing hack.

What a waste!

Mike L's avatar

Attacks on someone's integrity always show the inability to support your side of the debate and fits right into Matt's theories on the state of the establishment left. Someone could just as easily accuse The banter, or yourself, as being paid by the DNC.

lucrezia's avatar

Taibbi has no integrity.

Ralph Dratman's avatar

It seems unfair somehow to speculate about that possibility, but it has occurred to me too.

Victor the Crab's avatar

After the last five to six years, anything's possible!

Ralph Dratman's avatar

Human behavior has always been -- and I guess will always be -- unpredictable before it happens and inexplicable once it has.

David Greenberg's avatar

Given his prior history, he must know how terrible his current output has become. Has he lost his mind or has money become his be all and end all. Whatever the case he has become a putrid, pathetic individual. Maybe he hopes for a position in “president carlson’s” administration.

Mike L's avatar

Maybe, or maybe you have lost your mind.

Mark Asch's avatar

Watching Taibbi morph into a right wing shill has been a great disappointment. I had thought of him as a really good journalist

Eugine Nier's avatar

> I had thought of him as a really good journalist

And he still is.

TJTarheel's avatar

I didn’t know if this Matt Taibbi, but it seems he might, by focusing on such as Carlson, who’s getting so much attention, be reviving his own notoriety albeit in the worst way. That to me is the only logical explanation if he was once a reputable journalist, but as they say, any publicity is good publicity, we’ll maybe.

Tom Klammer's avatar

Well, there has been a stretch where he seemed pretty respectable and maybe did some nice work. But if he has fallen of late, is just a start in the direction from whence he came. How can anybody trust this guy?

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/matt-taibbis-not-so-secret-russian-past_b_59f729e9e4b06acda25f4b8e

Richard E. Jacunski's avatar

I wonder if he's learned the difference between lie and lay since he wrote that paragraph about Ailes.

Ryguy's avatar

you must mean "his ideological compxdremxdre"