Opinion: Direction of Political Figures and Forces

Every sting hinges on the concept that the target feels in control. Success hinges on the operators knowing precisely where the cameras are. Recently, the ones setting traps often become part of their own recordings.

Eric Schmitt

During a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Missouri Senator Eric Schmitt accused former special counsel Jack Smith of perjury. Schmitt claimed Smith covered a meeting with Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis by claiming he was at an Atlanta Hawks game. However, Smith was actually at an Iowa Hawkeyes game in Maryland. Schmitt’s perjury allegation missed the mark by several letters and states.

Kash Patel

FBI director announced that Dutch police had arrested an alleged leader of ShinyHunters. This arrest occurred a week before the group released data purportedly containing personal records of FBI agents, including Kash Patel. Patel managed to catch a leader of ShinyHunters, but the group caught Patel in return.

Jay Clayton

President Donald Trump suggested his Director of National Intelligence to fill the vacant White House AI czar position, commenting favorably: “He’s a good man. He’s right here. That’s a good idea.” Jay Clayton appeared on CNBC shortly after, stressing the significance of superintelligence as a national security concern. In Trump’s Washington, mere presence could qualify as credential.

Joe Gebbia

Airbnb co-founder turned U.S. chief design officer, Joe Gebbia, launched America.gov, a government chatbot utilizing Gemini and Grok technology. On the launch day, the chatbot noted “official sources show no widespread fraud that changed the outcome” of the 2020 election, referring to the Pentagon as the Department of Defense. Shortly after, it ceased responding to political inquiries.

Nigel Farage

With Labour gaining in polls, Prime Minister Andy Burnham criticized Brexit at his inaugural conference as PM, stating it did “more harm than good” and suggesting the possibility of Britain fully rejoining the EU. Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, has long sought a resurgence; Burnham may have inadvertently revived Farage’s initial political act.

Chris Hansen

‘To Catch a Predator’ host Chris Hansen criticized A24’s movie ‘Primetime,’ with Robert Pattinson portraying a darker version of Hansen. Hansen deemed it “complete fiction” and purchased ads to run before the movie, promoting his streaming service to audiences. Hansen’s dislike for the film motivated him to advertise against it.

Originally part of Newsweek’s print edition, Conventional Wisdom utilized arrows to indicate the rise and fall of political figures. This revival in digital form addresses the persistent hyperbole and biased certainties disguised as insights.

CW assigns directional arrows—up, down, or sideways—to key figures and forces in current events. The arrows do not predict future actions or impart unique insights. Instead, they reflect the current state of affairs, free of partisan noise.

In today’s media landscape, which often perpetuates rather than challenges assumptions, CW remains centered, skeptical of partisanship on both sides, devoted to deflating grandiose reputations and acknowledging undervalued truths.

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