People often assume the rules aren’t being applied fairly. E.g., “if I (or my guy) had said / done something like that, the reaction would have been ____.”
We all believe it’s true, and we all believe we see evidence of it all the time. But it’s a hard thing to be objective about, since (1) no two situations are precisely the same, and (2) there’s huge variation in the way things are treated that don’t seem to have anything to do with “sides.”
The perception of unfair application of “the rules” might be true, or it might be confirmation bias.
Having said that, I am confident that if Trump had claimed the U.S. has an obligation to defend Taiwan, the mainstream media would have gone into a minor frenzy. When Biden says it, there’s not the same reaction. (The media is covering the story, but it’s not one of these “OMG can you believe this” things.)
And in the same theme: Politifact Suddenly Makes ‘Okay’ Sign Great Again in Comedy Gold of a Biden ‘Fact Check’
I suspect the “whataboutism” with Trump and Biden will be incessant given there’s plenty of issues with both. Strap in, I think we’re in a for a long, bumpy ride.
That said, I saw a recent interview with Maryland governor Larry Hogan and he seems to be a reasonable, candid politician that focuses on public service and eschews partisan politics like the plague. So rare these days! Rumor has it that he might run for president in 2024. Yet, I wonder if the time has passed for a common sense politician like him to be successful. Will Republicans favor a candidate like Hogan or DeSantis/Trump?