Super Tuesday

Today is Super Tuesday, in which primary voters will head to the polls in twelve states and one US territory: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, and Virginia (both Democrats and Republicans); Alaska (Republicans only); and Colorado and American Samoa (Democrats only).

Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders will be competing for 865 delegates.

Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, John Kasich, and Ben Carson will be competing for 661 delegates.

Unless something truly wild happens, we're probably going to come out of today with Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump as the clear presumptive nominees for their respective parties. But I'm guessing that Kasich will be the only person to drop out after today.

The closer we get to what looks to be a Clinton-Trump match-up in the general, the more I am worried about the need for the media to get its shit together. If they continue to treat Trump like the most entertaining sideshow and Clinton like history's greatest monster, they're going to usher in genuine fascist leadership in the US because they couldn't bear to do their fucking jobs when it was just too fun to be entertained.

In related news, [content note: violence; racism] here are a couple things that happened at Trump rallies yesterday:

1. Guard Chokeslams Photographer at Trump Rally in Virginia: "A photographer was slammed down on a table by someone who appears to be a security guard during a Donald Trump rally Monday in Virginia. ...The photographer, Time magazine's Christopher Morris, ended up on the ground, kicking out his legs at a man in a gray suit who was trying to hold him. ...A video of the incident posted on Instagram showed the guard clearly grabbing Morris by the neck before slamming him down on a table."

2. Black Students Removed From Trump Rally Over Silent Demonstration: "[T]he Des Moines Register reported that a group of about 30 black Valdosta State University students were ejected from a Trump rally on the Georgia campus, though they weren't being disruptive. ...The Valdosta students say they were standing silently at the top of the bleachers when they were approached by Secret Service agents, who said Trump had asked that they be removed before he took the stage."

The terrifying thing is that these incidents aren't objectionable to Trump supporters. To the contrary, they are all the more reason to like him.

After today, it's very likely that we're going to have to figure out how to defeat Donald Trump. And that's necessarily going to include combatting a national media who are intractably fascinated with him, consequences be damned.

ETA. Right on cue: CBS executive chairman and CEO Les Moonves says that Trump leading the GOP field "may not be good for America, but it's damn good for CBS."

Moonves called the campaign for president a "circus" full of "bomb throwing," and he hopes it continues.

"Most of the ads are not about issues. They're sort of like the debates," he said.

"Man, who would have expected the ride we're all having right now? ...The money's rolling in and this is fun," he said.

"I've never seen anything like this, and this going to be a very good year for us. Sorry. It's a terrible thing to say. But, bring it on, Donald. Keep going," said Moonves.

Welp.