The Outrage Machine

We found out last week that Joe Biden, like Donald Trump, had some secret documents he wasn't suppose to have at his personal offices and residences.  

Naturally the right wing nut cases on Fox News were in a tizzy of a snit and flip the switch on their patented "Outrage Machine" with one person demanding, "Where are the FBI raids on Biden's home?"  

Well, "what's good for the goose is good for the gander", am I right?  

Except the "goose" and the "gander" have behaved differently. 

The reason we know that Biden had some stuff he wasn't supposed to have is his own lawyers notified the Department of Justice that they found some classified documents at Biden’s residence and also at the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement think tank in Washington and immediately turned over said documents.   

This is in contrast to the DOJ having to send letters, issue grand jury subpoenas, obtain search warrants or make personal visits to take possession of the documents that Donald Trump had.

With Li'l Donnie resisting every step of the way.

"Documents? What documents? I don't have any documents? Oh, those documents! They're my documents! I can totally have them! Classified? I don't think so. I declassified them... by thinking about it." 

There is a difference between sloppy and inadvertent rather than willful and obstructive. 

Unless you're Fox News! 

"WHERE ARE THE RAIDS?!?!?" 

The whole document thing was not the only thing to set the Fox News "Outrage Machine" to red alert. 

Apparently, Joe Biden is coming to for your gas stove. 

"IF I WANT TO IGNITE PROPANE TO COOK MY MEAT AS A GOD FEARING AMERICAN, JOE BIDEN WILL HAVE TO PRY MY GAS STOVE FROM MY COLD DEAD HANDS!!!!" 

Or something like that.

Well, fuck! Where did THAT come from? 

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is looking at the health risks posed by gas stoves’ methane emissions.  A  member the commission suggested a ban on new gas stoves could be one of many options to be pursued in the future. Which is not even on the commission's radar right now  as they are simply gathering information on the health hazards of gas stoves and possible solutions. 

So to summarize: 

• Gas stoves: are they dangerous? The CPSC says, "Let's find out." 
• One member muses, "If they are dangerous, maybe we might ban new gas stoves?"
• Fox news: "WHERE ARE THE RAIDS?!?!?" 
• Oops! Sorry! Wrong outrage.
• Fox news: "JOE BIDEN CAN'T TAKE MY STOVE!!!"

The Fox News "Outrage Machine" can take a small thing and make it a big thing. Or even take a not a thing into a some thing.