To cleanse the palate, what’s with Trump critics dumping on him lately without using his name? McCain did it, Bush did it, Obama did it, then McCain did it again, now CNN’s doing it. Is it a matter of politesse? Each of the people I just mentioned has a reason to disguise their criticism, however thinly — McCain for partisan reasons, Dubya and O for reasons of presidential etiquette in not attacking successors, CNN for reasons of, ahem, objectivity and neutrality. Or is it a matter of not wanting to risk the wrath of a loose cannon, knowing how much Trump enjoys a new feud? I think it’s a combination, plus each of these folks maybe thinking he’s a bit of dimwit who won’t recognize that he’s being attacked if the word “Trump” isn’t used.

This CNN ad seems especially timid, though. If you’re willing to jab Trump for being sophomoric (note the bit about capital letters), show some balls and throw a real punch. Goof on one of his more recognizable Twitter idiosyncracies — “FAKE NEWS!”, “Sad!”, or something about the Robert Pattinson/Kristen Stewart break-up.

As for the idea that the truth is what it is no matter how much Big Brother bellows that 2 + 2 = 5, Ben Shapiro notes that CNN doesn’t always agree:

Not only can apples be bananas, it’s borderline hate speech to suggest otherwise. Same goes for babies and fetuses: Society condemns the picking of “apples,” but call ’em “bananas” and you can pick away.

The voiceover here should have been Jim Acosta congratulating himself for his own bravery in noting that this is an apple.

“Some people might try to tell you that it’s a banana.” #FactsFirst pic.twitter.com/LbmRKiGJe9

— CNN (@CNN) October 23, 2017