The Pope's Long Con
April 21, 2018 8:49 PM Subscribe
Preacher Danny Ray Johnson rode the Trump train to the Kentucky House of Representatives by posting racist anti-Obama memes on Facebook and posing as a 9-11 (and L.A. Riots) first responder. Investigative podcast The Pope's Long Con, from the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting and Louisville Public Media, methodically dismantles Johnson's long series of lies and abuses. A heroic journalistic effort and engaging listen that examines how a serial scammer was able to rise to power.
(If you're interested in the podcast, I recommend listening to the full series before reading the rather shocking postscript.)
(If you're interested in the podcast, I recommend listening to the full series before reading the rather shocking postscript.)
So it's kind of hard to discuss this without spoilers, I guess, but noting that...
reading further I discovered that the Republican party, despite the fact that he was a conman and a rapist, went all in and nominated his widow to the special election. Which shows you just how thoroughly unredeemable the Republicans are these days. She did get thoroughly trounced, so there's some hope on that front I guess.
posted by tavella at 9:23 PM on April 21, 2018 [22 favorites]
reading further I discovered that the Republican party, despite the fact that he was a conman and a rapist, went all in and nominated his widow to the special election. Which shows you just how thoroughly unredeemable the Republicans are these days. She did get thoroughly trounced, so there's some hope on that front I guess.
posted by tavella at 9:23 PM on April 21, 2018 [22 favorites]
My uncle, who died this morning, moved to Louisville about twenty years ago. He was the poster boy for angry working class toxic masculinity and a dedicated conservative troll. Not so much conservative as anti-liberal, and definitely a troll, because I'm not convinced he even believed half of the right-wing vitriol he would drop into conversation; he just enjoyed getting a reaction from people who actually cared about having a civilization, in the same way teenagers will throw beer cans into a yard with a "no littering" sign just to be cool, carefree rebels, yeehaw! And besides, that boy who used to work at the gas station didn't mind being called that name! He found his like-minded friends there, that's for certain.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 10:18 PM on April 21, 2018 [21 favorites]
posted by The Underpants Monster at 10:18 PM on April 21, 2018 [21 favorites]
I can't think of anything else to say except: that dude sucked.
posted by Toddles at 10:56 PM on April 21, 2018 [4 favorites]
posted by Toddles at 10:56 PM on April 21, 2018 [4 favorites]
Not so much conservative as anti-liberal
That's most Trump supporters, isn't it?
posted by pracowity at 11:05 PM on April 21, 2018 [15 favorites]
That's most Trump supporters, isn't it?
posted by pracowity at 11:05 PM on April 21, 2018 [15 favorites]
There was something I felt about this I can't quite explain, as it dawned on me that it was an obituary. A relief without comfort.
posted by adept256 at 1:17 AM on April 22, 2018 [5 favorites]
posted by adept256 at 1:17 AM on April 22, 2018 [5 favorites]
I was going to ask what the hell kind of politics are they practicing (Republicans and Democrats) in Kentucky, where the wife takes over if her husband dies in office, but then I googled upon widow succession. Apparently, it's a thing.
posted by pracowity at 2:15 AM on April 22, 2018 [5 favorites]
posted by pracowity at 2:15 AM on April 22, 2018 [5 favorites]
He says he set up the morgue after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and was the pastor who gave last rites for all of those pulled from the towers.
I have long maintained that politicians outside New Yok have been all too eager to exploit the worst day of my life for their own selfish ends. This is the most naked example I've seen.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 3:16 AM on April 22, 2018 [37 favorites]
I have long maintained that politicians outside New Yok have been all too eager to exploit the worst day of my life for their own selfish ends. This is the most naked example I've seen.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 3:16 AM on April 22, 2018 [37 favorites]
“He must be stuck on stupid,” [Sharon Stubbins] says.posted by scruss at 5:10 AM on April 22, 2018 [4 favorites]
Side convo: the thing of wives succeeding dead (or retired) politicians always seems dangerous in a democracy - very monarchist vibe - but it's also been pointed out that given the sexist limitations of electoral institutions, it's one of the few more reliable access routes to politics for women.
posted by latkes at 7:24 AM on April 22, 2018 [8 favorites]
posted by latkes at 7:24 AM on April 22, 2018 [8 favorites]
I'd rather if the title were "The Pope's" Long Con.
posted by Nancy Lebovitz at 8:03 AM on April 22, 2018
posted by Nancy Lebovitz at 8:03 AM on April 22, 2018
The Underpants Monster's comment "He found his like-minded friends there, that's for certain." has me itching to defend my hometown, but I'm struggling to find a way to do it unequivocally.
And honestly, that's part of the magic of this place, an urban refuge in a deeply corrupt and conservative state. A city that's still among the most segregated in the US. A city that can, in some ways, support remarkably progressive causes with incredible fervor, but still have a (Democrat) mayor who can claim to be "Proud to be found in compliance of [the White House's] immigration policies." A city that can be remarkably welcoming to refugees, but at the same time push a pilot program to automatically dispatch drones to gunshot sites (but only in the very black west end, please).
So, that's what Louisville is, and that's its defense. A city that sits at the cultural nexus of the South, the East, and the Midwest. A big, complicated thing. And a big complicated thing worth fighting for. At least for me.
To give a little more context, the counties surrounding Louisville became bedroom communities in the 70's, following the integration of Louisville's schools. Oldham county, where I grew up, is where more moneyed white folks generally settled. My high school class saw Ivy League graduates and Opioid overdoses in roughly equal measure. Bullitt county, where "The Pope" found his seat of power, is where the white folks without money fled, and which has been gutted by underpaid warehouse jobs for Amazon, Zappos, Best Buy, and others.
posted by Zuph at 8:44 AM on April 22, 2018 [15 favorites]
And honestly, that's part of the magic of this place, an urban refuge in a deeply corrupt and conservative state. A city that's still among the most segregated in the US. A city that can, in some ways, support remarkably progressive causes with incredible fervor, but still have a (Democrat) mayor who can claim to be "Proud to be found in compliance of [the White House's] immigration policies." A city that can be remarkably welcoming to refugees, but at the same time push a pilot program to automatically dispatch drones to gunshot sites (but only in the very black west end, please).
So, that's what Louisville is, and that's its defense. A city that sits at the cultural nexus of the South, the East, and the Midwest. A big, complicated thing. And a big complicated thing worth fighting for. At least for me.
To give a little more context, the counties surrounding Louisville became bedroom communities in the 70's, following the integration of Louisville's schools. Oldham county, where I grew up, is where more moneyed white folks generally settled. My high school class saw Ivy League graduates and Opioid overdoses in roughly equal measure. Bullitt county, where "The Pope" found his seat of power, is where the white folks without money fled, and which has been gutted by underpaid warehouse jobs for Amazon, Zappos, Best Buy, and others.
posted by Zuph at 8:44 AM on April 22, 2018 [15 favorites]
This is really good and shows the importance of local journalism. Although it's unsustainable I suspect, in the sense that a lot of corruption is probably really boring and wouldn't make riveting listening.
I am glad that they were willing to call him a liar since it was accurate. But: When they talk about how institutions fail they talk about the press. But NPR still bends over backwards to avoid calling Trump a liar despite serial fabrications. Is this where we are? A lot of high quality work and they can manage to use plain language about a single state representative, as long as he's dead.
posted by mark k at 10:24 AM on April 22, 2018 [9 favorites]
I am glad that they were willing to call him a liar since it was accurate. But: When they talk about how institutions fail they talk about the press. But NPR still bends over backwards to avoid calling Trump a liar despite serial fabrications. Is this where we are? A lot of high quality work and they can manage to use plain language about a single state representative, as long as he's dead.
posted by mark k at 10:24 AM on April 22, 2018 [9 favorites]
The Underpants Monster's comment "He found his like-minded friends there, that's for certain." has me itching to defend my hometown, but I'm struggling to find a way to do it unequivocally.
I've been wishing I had found a better way to express that, and I do sincerely apologize to you and the people of Louisville. I've been there myself, and I've known other people from the area, and my best friend went to college there and has nothing but good memories. I have no doubt that you could find a community of orneries of some particular flavor in every city of a certain size; he just happened to find the one that suited him there.
I probably shouldn't have weighed in on this post at this time, with things so fresh.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 10:55 AM on April 22, 2018 [1 favorite]
I've been wishing I had found a better way to express that, and I do sincerely apologize to you and the people of Louisville. I've been there myself, and I've known other people from the area, and my best friend went to college there and has nothing but good memories. I have no doubt that you could find a community of orneries of some particular flavor in every city of a certain size; he just happened to find the one that suited him there.
I probably shouldn't have weighed in on this post at this time, with things so fresh.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 10:55 AM on April 22, 2018 [1 favorite]
I have long maintained that politicians outside New Yok have been all too eager to exploit the worst day of my life for their own selfish ends.
And at least one New York politician.
posted by TedW at 11:16 AM on April 22, 2018
And at least one New York politician.
posted by TedW at 11:16 AM on April 22, 2018
His financial disclosure forms, filed in Kentucky in connection with his political campaign and his election, list the public benefit as his only source of gross income in 2015 and 2016.
According to the New York Workers’ Compensation Board, 9/11 workers and volunteers who performed rescue, recovery and cleanup duties are eligible for benefits if they were injured or became ill as a result of their efforts.
He goes far beyond most politicians though, his sole source of income is raiding the 9/11 benefits program.
This fucking guy.
posted by adept256 at 4:17 PM on April 22, 2018 [8 favorites]
According to the New York Workers’ Compensation Board, 9/11 workers and volunteers who performed rescue, recovery and cleanup duties are eligible for benefits if they were injured or became ill as a result of their efforts.
He goes far beyond most politicians though, his sole source of income is raiding the 9/11 benefits program.
This fucking guy.
posted by adept256 at 4:17 PM on April 22, 2018 [8 favorites]
Going to Maine: as you note, this is irrelevant, but the (far better) original of Seventh Son was first performed by the great Willie Mabon:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfQobWv4QCs
posted by Mr. Justice at 5:49 PM on April 22, 2018 [2 favorites]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfQobWv4QCs
posted by Mr. Justice at 5:49 PM on April 22, 2018 [2 favorites]
There was something I felt about this I can't quite explain, as it dawned on me that it was an obituary. A relief without comfort.
posted by adept256 at 5:17 PM on April 22 [4 favorites +] [!]
I had this too. This isn't just an obituary though.
After more than seven months, we would share our work with the world.
[...]
Within hours, television stations and newspapers across the state began to pick up the story.
Outrage ensued.
[...]
We wondered: How will Johnson respond?
[...]
Brenda Jackson lives in Johnson’s district. She voted, but not for him.
That night, she said, politics didn’t matter.
“He’s a fellow human being,” she said.
What drives someone to become Donny Ray Johnson? How deep are the wellsprings of shame and anger? Which act, where, at what point in time, is the one where you decide, "If this ever gets exposed, I'd rather die than face the shame", and then how do you keep that secret fear buried so you can continue? How much terror do you live with day to day?
Do I have secrets like that? Compulsions that would push me to become a monster before I face the shame of admitting I'm wrong? Something that started innocently enough, I just wanted to not be poor, so I did something a little ethically questionable, and it worked, so I went a little further, and before long it took over my life... And people cheered me on!
And if you're the one who exposes the lies, or even just hears the story, how should you feel when you know...sometimes there is no redemption at the end of the story? When just the act of telling is enough to crush someone? And when the telling, in your community, shows up half the voters for being suckers? You've crushed a family and a dream and turned the dead man's widow into the caricature of her rival.
There's nothing comforting about any of this.
If I can find comfort here, it's that investigative journalism is a public good just as much as the internet and clean water. The "fake news media" can and does drive public con artists to self-destruct. The shame of being discovered is often more powerful a deterrent than fear of punishment. I hope the next time we get sane government in Washington, we can bake public media into our country's bones. We need this.
posted by saysthis at 3:29 AM on April 23, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by adept256 at 5:17 PM on April 22 [4 favorites +] [!]
I had this too. This isn't just an obituary though.
After more than seven months, we would share our work with the world.
[...]
Within hours, television stations and newspapers across the state began to pick up the story.
Outrage ensued.
[...]
We wondered: How will Johnson respond?
[...]
Brenda Jackson lives in Johnson’s district. She voted, but not for him.
That night, she said, politics didn’t matter.
“He’s a fellow human being,” she said.
What drives someone to become Donny Ray Johnson? How deep are the wellsprings of shame and anger? Which act, where, at what point in time, is the one where you decide, "If this ever gets exposed, I'd rather die than face the shame", and then how do you keep that secret fear buried so you can continue? How much terror do you live with day to day?
Do I have secrets like that? Compulsions that would push me to become a monster before I face the shame of admitting I'm wrong? Something that started innocently enough, I just wanted to not be poor, so I did something a little ethically questionable, and it worked, so I went a little further, and before long it took over my life... And people cheered me on!
And if you're the one who exposes the lies, or even just hears the story, how should you feel when you know...sometimes there is no redemption at the end of the story? When just the act of telling is enough to crush someone? And when the telling, in your community, shows up half the voters for being suckers? You've crushed a family and a dream and turned the dead man's widow into the caricature of her rival.
There's nothing comforting about any of this.
If I can find comfort here, it's that investigative journalism is a public good just as much as the internet and clean water. The "fake news media" can and does drive public con artists to self-destruct. The shame of being discovered is often more powerful a deterrent than fear of punishment. I hope the next time we get sane government in Washington, we can bake public media into our country's bones. We need this.
posted by saysthis at 3:29 AM on April 23, 2018 [3 favorites]
« Older Enthusiasm is the mother of effort. Also treats.... | “So we did some exhaustive Googling, as all... Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
posted by Going To Maine at 8:57 PM on April 21, 2018 [4 favorites]