Posted on 10/08/2018 8:24:42 AM PDT by yesthatjallen
Avenatti's media honeymoon is over following Kavanaugh accuser backlash
No private citizen has enjoyed more free airtime on two-thirds of the major cable news networks than Michael Avenatti has in 2018.
Tune in to CNN and there's a decent chance you'll find him there. If he isn't on CNN, there's an equally good chance he'll be on MSNBC. Since coming onto the scene as Stormy Daniels’ made-for-TV attorney in March, he's appeared hundreds of times on each network — and that's not hyperbole. In fact, he’s appeared on virtually all news channels, including a Sept. 27 interview on Hill.TV’s "Rising."
That's fine if you're a paid contributor whose job it is to weigh in on whatever is hot in the news that day. But Avenatti is an unpaid guest who originally was booked to talk about Daniels and her case against the president.
That reason for appearing expired months ago. Yet, the 47-year-old attorney continues to be a hot booking for his political punditry. Most recently, Avenatti represented Julie Swetnick, who accused Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh of being present at multiple high school-era parties involving gang rapes and which she said she repeatedly attended as a college student. Swetnick also accused Kavanaugh of being "a drug addict." Neither allegation has any corroboration, of course, and has been largely dismissed, even in some Democratic circles.
Political media now appears to be waking up to Avenatti being a partisan provocateur.
Per the New York Times’ Peter Baker: "Avenatti’s involvement proved a turning point, according to congressional aides from both parties. It was ‘manna from heaven,’ says a GOP aide. ‘Massively unhelpful,’ says a Democrat.”
Avenatti's involvement proved a turning point, according to congressional aides from both parties. It was "manna from heaven," says a GOP aide. "Massively unhelpful," says a Democrat. "A bunch of nonsense," retorts Avenatti.
— Peter Baker (@peterbakernyt) October 7, 2018 Per the Washington Post: "Did Michael Avenatti help doom the case against Brett Kavanaugh?"
Analysis: Did Michael Avenatti help doom the case against Brett Kavanaugh?
— Washington Post (@washingtonpost) October 5, 2018 Per CNN Breaking News Editor Kyle Feldscher: "Hard to state how much Avenatti's entrance into this process hurt the Democratic effort to bring down Kavanaugh's nomination."
Hard to state how much Avenatti's entrance into this process hurt the Democratic effort to bring down Kavanaugh's nomination.
— Kyle Feldscher (@Kyle_Feldscher) October 5, 2018 Per conservative Erick Erickson: “THANK YOU @MichaelAvenatti!!!!!!!” Thank you. America loves you. God bless you for helping Brett Kavanaugh.”
THANK YOU @MichaelAvenatti!!!!!!! Thank you. America loves you. God bless you for helping Brett Kavanaugh.
— Erick Erickson (@EWErickson) October 5, 2018 All, and there are many other examples, were responding to a speech on the Senate floor by moderate Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, who specifically noted Swetnick's allegations as one of the many reasons she voted for Kavanaugh, despite the damage it could do to her politically in the Pine Tree state.
“This outlandish allegation [by Swetnick and Avenatti] was put forth without any credible supporting evidence and simply parroted public statements of others,” Collins said. “That such an allegation can find its way into the Supreme Court confirmation process is a stark reminder about why the presumption of innocence is so ingrained in our American consciousness.”
Avenatti, of course, isn't remotely backing down despite his client being thoroughly discredited and his inability to produce one named corroborating witness.
Instead, he continues to argue that any scrutiny of Swetnick's claims or past personal history is an attack on a sexual assault survivor that should bring shame on anyone engaging in such behavior.
"You are right. I should have turned my back on my client," Avenatti tweeted at Feldscher. "Told her to 'shut up' and stay quiet because people like you apparently believe assault victims are to blame. This line of thinking is disgusting and offensive to all survivors. And it makes lawyers not want to help them."
You are right. I should have turned my back on my client. Told her to “shut up” and stay quiet because people like you apparently believe assault victims are to blame. This line of thinking is disgusting and offensive to all survivors. And it makes lawyers not want to help them.
— Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) October 5, 2018 So what happens the next time Avenatti appears on CNN or MSNBC? Per a New York Times profile on Avenatti in July, he's not just a guest; he has built relationships with some anchors and executives.
In all likelihood, Avenatti will continue to enjoy as much airtime as he desires, but only if he declares his presidential candidacy.
Only in that scenario would it be warranted to continue booking him. Otherwise, these networks and others will see that its credibility isn't worth whatever inconsequential ratings boost Avenatti offers.
For Avenatti, the honeymoon must eventually come to an end
Joe Concha (@JoeConchaTV) is a media reporter for The Hill and host of "What America's Thinking."
Trump roadkill.
IF he had been successful,the Dems would have put him on the ballot in 2020.
This article is a joke. A cover up. The reality is that Avenatti was a tool of the Left, just like Cindy Sheehan and countless others were before him. He was the sharp edge of the Democrat smear campaign against Kavanaugh. They were happy to have Avenatti call Kavanaugh a gang rapist because they would destroy their own credibility if they did it themselves. So the MSM, with the Dems blessing, gave Avenatti a ton of free media airtime to advance outrageous claims that Kavanaugh was a gang rapist, knowing that image would remain in voters’ minds. Now he is a toxic liability so, just like Cindy Sheehan, they drop him like yesterday’s trash. They’ll find someone else for the next battle. And the Hill writing this laughable article is just a cover-up designed to shift people’s focus from the fact that Avenattis and Sheehans are features of the Dem attack machine, not a bug.
Avenatti's involvement proved a turning point, according to congressional aides from both parties. It was "manna from heaven," says a GOP aide. "Massively unhelpful," says a Democrat.
President Trump has drawn the line in our political sand and thrown his gauntlet down.
It’s like the Nazis blaming Hitler for losing the war.
I fully expect the dims to leak a story that
Avanatti was hired by the Trump administration
just to muddy the waters. Slut lawyer collusion!
Bye Bye CPL...
Yeah, he's persona-non-grata now ...
I think this is going to become one of Trump’s most famous & consequential tweets.
Trump is a master at turning words into “visuals”. The Wall is a visual and now he’s given Americans the visual of the Left/Dems/Progs setting the fires that will burn the country down & destroy it, if we let them. This tweet is going to stick and hurt the Left/Dems/Progs not only as a visual, but it easily becomes a rallying cry because it’s also the Truth.
Beto is next.
Ballsy Ford's story wasn't corroborated either, but that doesn't stop the Left from believing her every word.
The media kicked Avenattilike a Tootsie Pop until they hit the soft brown core and found it wasn’t sweet and chocolatey but left a $hi77y taste in their mouths.
Bye Bye Stormy Daniels.
“Political media now appears to be waking up to Avenatti being a partisan provocateur.”
I wonder what was the geniuses first clue.
Please run
The next time he pulls some aging stripper out of a trailer park who’s willing to accuse Trump of something he’ll be back on the air.
About Us: "1 in 3 women experience either physical and/or sexual violence in their lifetime."
What kind of statistical contortions do they go through to come up with such nonsense? They are also wrong about most of their other claims. Of course, they are anti-Kavenough.
Do yourself a favor and don't go to that web page. It's a hateful dyke site. Is the word dyke still allowed? I just found out recently that Oriental is now on the list of forbidden PC words. Sheesh. When does it stop? Can I still say I'm a WASP? Or will some indoctrinated student want to beat me up? I'm sure "cracker" is still ok. Maybe we need a new dictionary.
What is CPL?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.