54 Comments
Dec 19, 2022Liked by Aaron Rupar

I'm well pleased you're back, Aaron. Following your twitter feed is one of fhe first things I do in the morning and one of the last things I do at night. You're funnier, fairer and more objective than Media Matters and the exploration of the right wing media ecosystem is interesting in its own right and I believe an important part of understanding US politics. I'm well pleased you consider it a blessing in disguise too. But the whole thing has left a very nasty taste in my mouth. I'm not at all sure that we've seen the last of Elon Musk's unpredictable bouts of ill humour and I fear he has way too big an ego to admit he's made a mistake buying Twitter and should sell it to someone more sensible.

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Dec 19, 2022Liked by Aaron Rupar

Beautiful, Aaron! I have sadly seen some bad-faith actors try to tar you as a hypocrite for simply saying you were suspended from Twitter, trying to throw the times you reported on their fascist pals getting suspended for transgressions exponentially worse than anything you have ever posted.

But you handled it with more grace than the sum total of 75 million fascist reactionaries. Thank you for your work, for your wit, for your intelligence, and for your class.

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Dec 19, 2022Liked by Aaron Rupar

And now Musk has found out by a poll of his own making that most people want him to "step down" from Twitter's helm. We'll see though the day if he screws around with this one as he did with his past "poll," which seems open to his own interpretations. I read what you write because you're balanced about it. And more than you know, I (and others) gratefully appreciate your taking the hit of watching those deplorable rallies and other events to report on them for our edification. We couldn't do this without you. Best holiday wishes!

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Dec 19, 2022Liked by Aaron Rupar

Once this Musk debacle is over, maybe Twitter should actually be a public service? The same way you wrote in your article. The debasing of Twitter is perversely showing why it is valuable….

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Dec 19, 2022Liked by Aaron Rupar

I got onto Twitter late and you were the first journalist that I followed. I've never tweeted or retweeted, just used Twitter to follow journalists who interested me. The debacle that we have been watching play out will sort itself eventually. Your experience is so revealing of the real reason that Twitter existed. Thanks for your thoughtful writings. I'll keep following you. Happy Holidays to you & yours.

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Dec 19, 2022Liked by Aaron Rupar

I knew today would be a good day. I woke up singing holiday tunes and now I am a subscriber to The Notice. Elon Musk Oligarch behavior is appalling. Hubris and false pride are of a detrimental disposition for one in a role authority. I hope the future generation of free speech, press and expression lands soon. Human nature strives for curiosity but paywalls and subscriptions are marginalizing civilization.

Good luck, stay truthful and stay humble and you will never go Hungry. Happy holidays.

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Dec 19, 2022Liked by Aaron Rupar

Glad Musk’s tantrum brought you more subscribers to this excellent newsletter. I followed you on Post just in case Musk throws another hissy fit. However, his poll resulted in telling him to step down as Twitter CEO. We will see what he does.

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Dec 19, 2022Liked by Aaron Rupar

Game on! I’ve always believed the good ones win in the end. Our community is not Twitter and will not be disbanded bc (fill in your favorite Elon descriptor) and his roving band on criminals. We’re too strong, too committed, and the stakes are simply too high. Let’s go!

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founding
Dec 19, 2022Liked by Aaron Rupar

Your suspension is what led me to find you here and become a subscriber. I’m sorry you had to go through it, but I’m glad to now connect with you here. The work you do is incredibly valuable, and I’m grateful for it.

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So glad you are back on Twitter. Although I am no longer there. I am super stoked you got on Post though. Looking forward to content there. And yes we will follow you on other sites!

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Dec 19, 2022Liked by Aaron Rupar

So glad you're back and able to turn a negative into a positive. Have always found your tweets so informative and had been reading them all the time. The short time you were off Twitter I felt like I lost a friend. Don't worry all of us will follow you to any new platforms you go to. I'm already following you on both twitter and post.

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Dec 19, 2022Liked by Aaron Rupar

Happy you are back Aaron! Meanwhile, I have reported racist remarks, false information, and violent threats to Twitter with no action ever take. Then for the first time ever, my own account was recently suspended when I replied to one of Kevin McCarthy's tweets threatening Democrats with all that he plans to do to them, by using the phrase that "given enough rope he and Jim Jordan would end up hanging themselves, figuratively speaking." I think my non-violent meaning was crystal clear with the inclusion of the words "figuratively speaking" - but when I appealed, I was told that my account would remain suspended or I could delete my tweet - so I deleted my tweet.

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Dec 19, 2022Liked by Aaron Rupar

I followed you on Twitter and somehow never knew about your newsletter. I’m one of your new subscribers. I follow you on POST. I deleted the crazy birdie. Once more folks get on POST, you will be up

To 800k in no time. So glad we found a new home.

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Dec 19, 2022Liked by Aaron Rupar

I did it! I actually purchased the paid subscription...

Last month I canceled my Twitter account, it was hard because I liked my account and my followers. I missed seeing your coverage of American politics, I have been following you for years and I love your insights on the news.

Anyways, this subscription is my “Christmas” present to myself, so I can continue enjoying good journalism

Have wonderful holidays with your growing family!

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As the old saying goes, "It's an ill wind that blows no one good." Musk's ill wind blew some well-deserved good Aaron's way, and I'm glad of it, but there are a couple of other well-known sayings that have been much on my mind lately. One is A. J. Liebling's "Freedom of the press is guaranteed only to those who own one." Traditional media have been in terrible shape for a long time, and much of the trouble can be traced to those who own it. Newer, non-traditional virtual media are vulnerable for the same reasons, but plenty of us are lulled into thinking it's public space because we don't pay for it and with an ad-blocker we don't even see any ads.

The other saying is Maya Angelou's "When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time." Note that she said "shows," not "tells," though it's sometimes (mis)quoted that way. This is not about how people represent themselves. I'm fine with giving people the benefit of the doubt -- until the doubts start piling up. (Which reminds me of another old favorite, from the Arabic: "Trust in God but tie your camel.") Elon Musk didn't come out of nowhere. And while we're at it, it took too much of the mainstream media too long to say out loud that what we saw in Trump was precisely what we got, and it's taken congressional Democrats too long to acknowledge that too many of their Republican colleagues have gone full fascist. We've got to do better than this.

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Dec 19, 2022Liked by Aaron Rupar

Musk is a 200+ pound boil on the ass of America but it's his slavering fanboys that annoy me the most. Their insistence that all of you were actually doxxing him from publicly available information drives me crazy. I'll never understand why these people identify with and idolize wealthy men that wouldn't spit on them if they were on fire.

Glad you're back and prospering, Aaron.

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