Post by the Scribe on Dec 28, 2020 17:57:19 GMT
Sep 26, 2020,11:31am EDT|191,566 views
The Truth About Hunter Biden — And Why Republicans Are So Disappointed
www.forbes.com/sites/sethcohen/2020/09/26/the-truth-about-hunter-biden---and-why-republicans-are-so-disappointed/?sh=3c70d25a5b79
Seth Cohen Contributor
Leadership Strategy
I write about leadership, politics, inclusion, and social change.
The Trump campaign planned to make Hunter Biden a major issue in the 2020 campaign, hoping revelations about former vice president Joe Biden’s son would weaken the Democratic presidential candidate. Yet despite the fact that Congressional Republicans have spent over a year accusing Biden of a range of improprieties, a recent report from Senate Republican-led investigations into Hunter Biden’s activities failed to gain substantial media reaction. Which begs the question:
Why are the attacks on Hunter Biden amounting to, in President Trump’s words, a big “nothingburger?”
This past week Senate Republicans issued an 87-page interim report into the activities of Hunter Biden. The report, which was issued by Republican members of the Senate Finance and Homeland Security Committees, came after the review of over 45,000 pages of records and interviews with eight witnesses who purportedly had knowledge related to Biden’s activities. Focusing on purported business dealings Hunter Biden had with foreign nationals during the Obama administration, much of the report addresses Biden’s well-known service on the board of Burisma Holdings, a Ukrainian gas company. It it also explores Biden’s contacts with other wealthy and politically connected foreign nationals.
World Food Program USA's Annual McGovern-Dole Leadership Award Ceremony
WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 12, 2016: World Food Program USA Board Chairman Hunter Biden (L) and U.S. ... [+] GETTY
The biggest revelation of the report? That it doesn’t make any credible, evidence backed accusations that Hunter Biden undertook any illegal activities.
At all.
Even the report’s own language strains to make a connection with Biden and possible illicit activities of others, only saying that Treasury records “show potential criminal activity relating to transactions among and between Hunter Biden, his family, and his associates with Ukrainian, Russian, Kazakh and Chinese nationals.” Note it doesn’t say potentially illegal activity by Hunter Biden.
In other words, the Senate report, the efforts of months of investigations…
Turned up nothing.
As a result, much of the media has largely ignored the report, seeing the Hunter Biden issue for what it really is, a witch hunt – the sort of baseless investigatory adventurism that Republicans themselves have often complained about. Understanding the Senate report for what it appears to be, a politically based attack intended to damage Joe Biden’s campaign, the media appears to have largely decided to avoid giving the news more oxygen than it merits.
The way the media is handling the Hunter Biden issue is a big change from the 2016 election where the media frequently fell victim to over reporting politically damaging stories that were largely unsubstantiated by evidence. For example, the media’s extensive reporting on issues with the Clinton Foundation has been widely criticized for elevating partisan attacks into a seemingly significant news stories. The fact that the Hunter Biden story is largely staying off the front pages of major media outlets may be an indication that media professionals have learned lessons from their 2016 experience.
That isn’t stopping conservative news outlets and Republican commentators from hyping the Hunter Biden story. The topic remains a hot topic on conservative news sources such as Fox News, The Washington Times, and other right-leaning publications, with commentators complaining that the report has largely been overlooked by other leading broadcast stations and publications.
The truth of the matter, however, is that it might be the Trump administration itself that is to blame for the lack of interest in the Hunter Biden story. With the Trump family continuing to maintain its extensive business operations during the Trump presidency, and in many instances being accused of improperly benefiting from President Trump’s position, it is likely that Americans just don’t see Biden’s conduct as anything to be alarmed about, or even unusual. It is also possible that the nation is even wising up to cynical political attacks that aren’t grounded in clear evidence.
Either way, despite the best efforts of many Republicans, the Hunter Biden story isn’t a story… and for Trump supporters, that might be the most disappointing thing that happens in this fall campaign…
Until perhaps November 3rd.
The Truth About Hunter Biden — And Why Republicans Are So Disappointed
www.forbes.com/sites/sethcohen/2020/09/26/the-truth-about-hunter-biden---and-why-republicans-are-so-disappointed/?sh=3c70d25a5b79
Seth Cohen Contributor
Leadership Strategy
I write about leadership, politics, inclusion, and social change.
The Trump campaign planned to make Hunter Biden a major issue in the 2020 campaign, hoping revelations about former vice president Joe Biden’s son would weaken the Democratic presidential candidate. Yet despite the fact that Congressional Republicans have spent over a year accusing Biden of a range of improprieties, a recent report from Senate Republican-led investigations into Hunter Biden’s activities failed to gain substantial media reaction. Which begs the question:
Why are the attacks on Hunter Biden amounting to, in President Trump’s words, a big “nothingburger?”
This past week Senate Republicans issued an 87-page interim report into the activities of Hunter Biden. The report, which was issued by Republican members of the Senate Finance and Homeland Security Committees, came after the review of over 45,000 pages of records and interviews with eight witnesses who purportedly had knowledge related to Biden’s activities. Focusing on purported business dealings Hunter Biden had with foreign nationals during the Obama administration, much of the report addresses Biden’s well-known service on the board of Burisma Holdings, a Ukrainian gas company. It it also explores Biden’s contacts with other wealthy and politically connected foreign nationals.
World Food Program USA's Annual McGovern-Dole Leadership Award Ceremony
WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 12, 2016: World Food Program USA Board Chairman Hunter Biden (L) and U.S. ... [+] GETTY
The biggest revelation of the report? That it doesn’t make any credible, evidence backed accusations that Hunter Biden undertook any illegal activities.
At all.
Even the report’s own language strains to make a connection with Biden and possible illicit activities of others, only saying that Treasury records “show potential criminal activity relating to transactions among and between Hunter Biden, his family, and his associates with Ukrainian, Russian, Kazakh and Chinese nationals.” Note it doesn’t say potentially illegal activity by Hunter Biden.
In other words, the Senate report, the efforts of months of investigations…
Turned up nothing.
As a result, much of the media has largely ignored the report, seeing the Hunter Biden issue for what it really is, a witch hunt – the sort of baseless investigatory adventurism that Republicans themselves have often complained about. Understanding the Senate report for what it appears to be, a politically based attack intended to damage Joe Biden’s campaign, the media appears to have largely decided to avoid giving the news more oxygen than it merits.
The way the media is handling the Hunter Biden issue is a big change from the 2016 election where the media frequently fell victim to over reporting politically damaging stories that were largely unsubstantiated by evidence. For example, the media’s extensive reporting on issues with the Clinton Foundation has been widely criticized for elevating partisan attacks into a seemingly significant news stories. The fact that the Hunter Biden story is largely staying off the front pages of major media outlets may be an indication that media professionals have learned lessons from their 2016 experience.
That isn’t stopping conservative news outlets and Republican commentators from hyping the Hunter Biden story. The topic remains a hot topic on conservative news sources such as Fox News, The Washington Times, and other right-leaning publications, with commentators complaining that the report has largely been overlooked by other leading broadcast stations and publications.
The truth of the matter, however, is that it might be the Trump administration itself that is to blame for the lack of interest in the Hunter Biden story. With the Trump family continuing to maintain its extensive business operations during the Trump presidency, and in many instances being accused of improperly benefiting from President Trump’s position, it is likely that Americans just don’t see Biden’s conduct as anything to be alarmed about, or even unusual. It is also possible that the nation is even wising up to cynical political attacks that aren’t grounded in clear evidence.
Either way, despite the best efforts of many Republicans, the Hunter Biden story isn’t a story… and for Trump supporters, that might be the most disappointing thing that happens in this fall campaign…
Until perhaps November 3rd.