Bobby Burack
Videos by OutKick
Blame is a dirty game, especially when it’s used to disguise those who truly deserve it.
Thursday, the book publisher Simon & Schuster announced it had canceled plans to publish Sen. Josh Hawley’s (R-MO) upcoming book The Tyranny of Big Tech amid the recent storming of the U.S. Capitol. The publication says Hawley’s role in objecting to the electoral results of the presidential election was a “dangerous threat to democracy and freedom.”
Is Simon & Schuster partly blaming Hawley for the violence at the U.S. Capitol? Is the publication that blind to what led to the disgusting act in Washington? Based on the following statement, it appears so:
“After witnessing the disturbing, deadly insurrection that took place on Wednesday in Washington, DC, Simon & Schuster has decided to cancel the publication of Sen. Josh Hawley’s forthcoming book.”
Sen. Hawley plans to fight back against Simon & Schuster and cancel culture:
My statement on the woke mob at @simonschuster pic.twitter.com/pDxtZvz5J0
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) January 7, 2021
The Left’s extensions in the media, Hollywood, Silicon Valley, and corporate America are determined to blame their conservative enemies for crimes committed by those who turned a peaceful protest into a violent scene. I’d much prefer we put the blame solely on those who acted in violence and instead work together toward easing the country’s divide. I’ve long had the belief that unless a prominent figure encourages violence — which neither Donald Trump nor Hawley did — blaming them only excuses strangers who carried out criminal activity.
There is no excuse for violence. None. But since others have demanded that we have this conversation and dig up what led to Wednesday’s boiling point, let’s do it.
Silence is precisely the reason Trump supporters are so angry, and decisions like the one from Simon & Schuster makes them feel like their voices are being pushed away, punished, and no longer important.
Whether accusations of voter fraud are accurate, somewhat accurate, or completely false, this week’s protesters gathered together primarily because they believe that their votes in November didn’t matter. These same feel suppressed on social media, a grievance which, unlike voter fraud, has been proven true.
Just yesterday, Facebook blocked the President from posting indefinitely. Twitter threatened to ban Trump permanently if he continued to propagate ideas about voter fraud. Big Tech’s answer to the concerns of the president and average Americans alike has been to come down even harder, leaving even less doubt about their intentions to silence dissent.
Trump supporters also see decisions made in other influential industries as politically-driven, an undeniable level of hypocrisy. They believe that Hollywood, sports, pop culture not only lean left but want to silence and omit those who disagree with their leftist ideas. Members of all three industries supported riots this summer. Now, many of these same people want the 25th Amendment invoked over the riot at the Capitol building and book publications canceled.
Like Big Tech, the media, and politicians — Simon & Schuster’s response to the widespread frustrations among Trump supporters has been to censor another voice who represents them. No one’s voice or frustration should lead to violence, but they should lead to honest conversations. Such conversations are impossible if one side has been muzzled.
Simon & Schuster is guaranteed to get more retweets, cheers, and puff pieces from the New York Times amid their decision to cancel business with Josh Hawley. Simon & Schuster’s decision will also come with lost support among conservatives, more anger from those already in dismay, and a greater divide in the country. Perhaps, for the publication, that’s a win. But for America, it’s an unequivocal loss.
I don’t follow politics super close but Josh Hawley calls balls & strikes and a spine. Gotta respect that.
We will not recognize this country in another year.
You couldn’t have been more on point with what you’ve written here. I was a Journalism major in college, many years ago. I can’t imagine what my professors would think or the state of Journalism, and what passes for Free Speech today.
Simon & Shuster is a private company. They aren’t obligated to publish anyone’s book.
Also, it kills me that people don’t see right through Hawley. His election challenge had no chance of going anywhere and was just done to raise his profile with Trump supports for a future presidential run. Judging by the comments on this site it worked.
Your what’s wrong with America. Go to China
I appreciate you opinion, but I think I’ll stay, Gary.
Bob in PA, you are almost correct. Simon and Shuster is a division of Viacom/CBS, a publicly traded company and is not obligated to publish anyone’s book. That doesn’t mean what they did is obvious, reeks of censorship and collectivist shunning. It also opens Viacom/CBS to people stopping to use their products. Would anyone miss another smarmy hour of Colbert and his trained seal audience?
Interestingly, Simon and Shuster used to lead a celebration of Library Week by publishing previously banned books. Now they’re into banning an entire segment of society. My…how things do change when you get the fever.
As for Hawley, two days ago Antifa/BLM dimwits attacked his home in DC where his wife and kids were, and he was not. So over 3 days the Left has attacked his home and family in person, and walked away from a contract to censor his views.
Do you like your left side of America? Do you not see what the Left represents here? You can disagree with Hawley’s politics, but you folks are all about dimissing those you disagree with entirely from society. You’ll miss us when we’re gone. We built the damn thing.
Not only will they miss us when we’re gone…they’ll start to eat each other.
You think power grab stops when your so called ‘enemies’ are de-platformed and kumbaya utopia rules the land…nah son…it’s every man for himself after that. That’s why I support civilization and not communism because it’s truly the difference between building a functioning society and hunger games.
What do you mean “you folks”? I’m a registered Republican and I voted for Trump. I think you’re the one doing the dismissing here.
As for Simon and Shuster they are choosing not to publish his book. That’s not censorship it’s a business decision. There are other publishers out there and I’m sure many of them would want to publish his book since there seems to be a fertile market of people who buy into his BS.
Business decisions like braking a contract Bozo
It happens all the time, Gary. You only care because it happened to a politician that you like.
Yeah right, a business decision. LOL, can’t you see right through Josh Hawley? Don’t you know that Hawley really doesn’t hold the positions he claims, he only supported Trump to raise his profile? It is complete crazy talk to actually believe that a Senator wouldn’t be gutless and actually do the job he was voted in to do. Any Trump supporter who doesn’t like Hawley’s ideology is lying about being a Republican and/or Trump supporter.
I said that Hawley supported the election challenge to raise his profile with Trump supporters. He knew full well that it wouldn’t go anywhere but that people like you work eat it up.
Hawley’s ideology includes teaming up with Crazy Bernie to further blow up the debt by sending more free money out. Is that conservative? Should all Republicans support that?
Stop blindly following politicians like some cult member and develop your own political identity.
I was fully aware of Josh Hawley before any election challenges so I didn’t eat anything up. Your suggestion that somehow Hawley and Sanders share all this common ground is a misrepresentation and laughable. The guy you claimed to vote for was just fighting to up the $600 stimulus checks to $2000. Why would you have voted for him if he was in favor of blowing up the debt? Are you a cult member?
@ Ron. I support policies over politicians. No, I’m not in favor of $2000 checks instead of $600 checks. I agree with Trump on most things which is why I voted for him but I disagree on that. There will never be any politician who’s views 100% line up with yours.
I’m with Bob. Stop with the checks and open businesses back up! No stimulus needed.
It was a business decision that has legal consequences. Yes it does happen daily (businesses breaching agreements), but most businesses don’t breach contracts so haphazardly unless there is some compelling reason, here its politics. Politics trumps (no pun intended) everything. Plain and simple. If Josh Hawley wants to hire me I would be more than happy to sue Viacom/CBS and Simon and Schuster for breach of contract. It would be fun. We should all look at this as an opportunity. There will be a market for competing products/services in all the areas the Woke Crowd won’t touch. Everything from bakeries to publishers. Lots of litigation too. This should be fun.
He’s welcome to sue for breach of contract and perhaps he has a case there. I’m not a lawyer and none of us know the contract details so it’s impossible to gauge the viability of such a suit. Would love to see Clay weigh with his opinion. Not sure if he has discussed it.
Conservatives usually don’t like businesses being forced to do things they don’t want to, i.e Masterpiece Cake Shop v. Colorado. But many so-called conservatives here on Outkick seem to be ok with it if it is a politician that they like writing a book.
No we don’t know what the contract reads, you are right. Perhaps there was an early termination fee that was paid by SS to release itself from its contractual obligations. Liquidated damages clause which limits the amount of damages Hawley could seek maybe. Indemnification possibly. I know plenty of conservative businessmen who are willing to sue at the first hint of the breach of an agreement so I am not sure your last paragraph is accurate. The only thing I know about Hawley is that he called out the NBA in the summer for the NBA’s support of China. What is right is right, the law is the law, so if a contract is breached I think the aggrieved party deserves redress, I don’t think that is necessarily a conservative or liberal view.
Rush was hilarious this morning. He kept saying Simon and Shuster with a German accent. I was dying 😉
Fuck simon and schuster he will find another publisher no problemo
Of course he’ll find another publisher. And you know what? He’ll sell a ton more books than he would have with Simon and Shuster. Why? Because of this disingenuous martyr act that he’s putting on about this whole thing that is ginning up more publicity for the book.
Hawley is a law professor. He knows that this is not a first amendment issue and that Simon and Shuster is 100% within their rights to not publish his book.
Hawley is a master manipulator and y’all eat it up.
Do you have something specific you don’t like about Hawley? I really don’t know much about him other than news like this.
I am starting to think Bob in PA is the 3rd iteration of Eminem II (Mason Mauler), aka erin miles, aka Bob in Pa. Troll alert, troll alert.
Not a troll at all. I’m a big Outkick fan, been listening to the show for years. Just here for lively debate. Sometimes people just disagree with you. It’s ok.
I have no problem with disagreement. Your comments are fine and debate is fine. It is just the tone sounds eerily similar to Eminem II (Mason Mauler), aka erin miles. No worries, I can handle debate.
Come on, I make way better arguments than Mason Mauler. Disagree with me all you want but don’t put that on me 🙂
He’s not Mason “Erin” Mauler…IJS.
Bob, what specifically is wrong with Hawley?
I don’t think S&S should be forced to publish a book but it feels like they are bowing to cancel culture and having to breach contracts to do so. I felt the same way regarding about Woody Allen’s book not being published. Overall, its not the direction we need to go.
@Zep. Clay had him on the show a few months back and I just thought he came off as really fake and rehearsed. Which is the exact opposite of Trump which makes it ironic to me that so many Trump supporters are praising him.
Like it or not with Trump what you see is what you get. I think Hawley’s election challenge gambit is to just earn the praise of Trump supporters just as I think all of his Anti-Nike rhetoric in the summer was to curry favor with people who were tired of woke sports. There’s no substance behind it. He’s still an ineffectual backbencher.
His recent tag team effort with Crazy Bernie further cemented my feelings about him.
@Bob. I can’t really disagree with your opinion of Hawley, I just don’t see where you provided evidence of him being a bad representative of his constituents.
I think at a national level he is trying to appeal to a bigger base than what is local.
I’m from CA. Valadao and Nunez are the biggest profile reps in my area. They are far from perfect but I feel they are acting more in my interest than those who ran against them. (Also, to those that think CA is lost, the cenral valley is still here.) From what i hear, Hawley is acting more in line in my belief system than anyone willing to be publicly.
Tell me, where am I wrong on a national scale to Hawley’s policies?
It’s a matter of character with Hawley. I think he and any other member of congress that supported the election challenge this week lack it. The challenge had no chance and emboldened those who stormed the capitol. He has no principles. Anyone willing to team up with Crazy Bernie to send more taxpayer dollars to support blue states that refuse to open their economies is no true conservative. We need more Rand Pauls and Mike Lee’s in the GOP and fewer Josh Hawleys.
Bob I appreciate your arguments and see from your logic flow that you aren’t a troll. One thing to consider as you criticize Hawley for raising his profile – no one else with an audience is speaking for those among the 70 million who voted for Trump who see issues with the total overhaul of the election process permitted under the guise of lowering covid risk. Hawley is increasing his profile yes but its aligned to filling what as I see as a massive leadership vacuum. No one is allowing election questions to be answered – or even normalized! It’s all “nothing to see here. Stop being anti democracy.” From the same people who refused to recognize the results of the last election for four years. Who themselves marched on DC in January 2017. Who began impeachment in February 2017. They got a huge witch hunt with Mueller. No one is even going to look at the election overhaul unless someone speaks up. Cotton won’t do it. McConnell won’t do it. It needs to be done and I’m glad Hawley is doing it even if it demonstrates his self interest as well.
Hi Nita, I don’t know the specifics about the changes in elections laws in other states. Here in PA mail in voting was approved by a GOP dominated legislature pre-covid in 2019 as a compromise to end straight party line voting which the Democrats here favor. There’s some question about whether or not to count some of the ballots that were not dated properly but even if you didn’t count them there are not enough ballots to flip PA to Trump.
I know that Hawley is questioning the constitutionality of PA’s mail in voting law as it pertains to PA’s constitution. Like it or not the PA Supreme Court made their ruling. Let’s see if Hawley follows up and pushes the PA legislature to change the law. I doubt he will.
Regarding Hawley filling a leadership void I very much disagree. I feel strongly that Hawley had no intention of pushing election challenges further than the vote in the Senate last week knowing full well that it would fail but allow him to gain support and name recognition among voters loyal to Trump. He knows he’ll be competing in a presidential primary with Cruz, Cotton, etc. This was his attempt to appeal to Trump voters. Nothing more, nothing less.
All has been revealed while the tantrum of the Left continues…
Doesn’t this help give weight to Hawley’s fight against cancel culture and censorship?
Simon & Shuster does have the right to cancel Hawley’s book. The problem is everything that is being cancelled (or suppressed) is on one side of the political spectrum. Doesn’t matter if it’s Facebook, Twitter, or S &S…we are seeing a dangerous trend that is growing worse by the day.
Being a Trump supporter is the new black. As Rushie said, we are now in a world of being one word away from having a target plastered all over you. Sad times.
The phrase “is the new black” means something is suddenly very popular. Your statement makes no sense.
at Bob – 75 million people voted for Trump, even at the discount rate of Biden democrats cheating; Trump is more popular than any previous sitting POTUS. no way people actively voted for Biden at the rate claimed.
Trump is the new Black. and he has done more for blacks than any politician has. whats Biden gonna do to help black people and any poor minority? everything was made Free by Obama and that didn’t work. Whats Biden gonna give away?
Chris, I think that many Trump supporters overestimate his popularity and discount how much he is disliked by many. Think about 2016, yes many voted for Trump because they liked him but how many more voted for him because of their feelings about Hillary? This time around Democrats were similarly motivated and came out in droves. Anecdotally I know of voters that voted Biden but also for Republicans down ballot because they didn’t want to give Democrats control of Congress but just thought Trump was too caustic.
Regarding giveaways I think Trump’s 11th hour push for $2k stimulus checks is going to give Biden a tailwind to push for more free stuff. I hate to harp on Hawley again, but him teaming up with Sanders to further push that was a betrayal of conservatism.