Halfway through the article. Just wanted to say it seems great so far. It's the kind of thing you would think would have been done several times by now, yet this is the first such article I've read. Also, kudos to the author for listening to what must have been hours of drivel a day without going crazy.
My physical profile could potentially fit in with some of these groups but I would have a tough time keeping myself from rolling my eyes and pretending to enjoy this sort of talk even for ten minutes.
You'd need a specific mix of journalistic talent, patience for nutheads like the stars of this article, the ability to keep up an in-person alter-ego for months and charm (you could tell Mr. Nelson was a little into Ms. Moore).
A big takeaway from the article for me was the mention of how "each sect of the Republican Party each had their methods", it made me think of the different sects, their methods and desires:
Big Business Republicans providing the money and legal influence, pushing for tax breaks, looser regulations and cuts to public services
Far-right white nationalists recruiting from the side, casually inserting themselves in important positions with a mellowed view hoping to take over the "big tent"
Religious conservatives (including evangelists) pushing a homophobic, misogynist agenda through their services and lobbying for their version of religion be taught everywhere
Rural (redneck) conservatives believing and spreading strange conspiracies and stuff, lobbying for gun rights, also racist/anti-immigrant
Old conservatives wanting things to return to "the way it used to be", often including racist, homophobic and anti-immigrant takes.
It's like some five-headed chimera fusion, who as long as they don't get in each other's way seem to be able to coexist. Interestingly about this article is that it focused on the people and things around Inmate #P01135809 rather than Inmate #P01135809 himself, which was refreshing.
Is investigative journalism considered "news"? I guess it is reporting on facts. I'm not saying I don't want to see it, and I'm not saying any "rule" has been broken or anything. I just like seeing things categorized correctly 🤷
I think of it like this: "news" is "things that happened". So an article about Trump being arrested is fine to post as news, because that is reporting on an event that happened. "Politics" would be the community for articles that are like opinion pieces or investigations that are specifically about political figures or groups.