Reviving Conventional Wisdom: Tracking Political Figures and Forces

Every sting operates on a common premise: the target enters the scenario believing they are in control. This setup succeeds only if those orchestrating it remember where they placed the cameras. Recently, the hunters are frequently appearing in their own footage.

Eric Schmitt

During the Senate Judiciary Committee’s hearing with Jack Smith, the Missouri senator accused the former special counsel of perjury. Schmitt claimed Smith had used an Atlanta Hawks game as a cover to meet Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. However, Smith was at an Iowa Hawkeyes game in Maryland. Schmitt’s perjury accusation was mistaken by three letters and multiple states.

Kash Patel

The FBI director announced that Dutch police had arrested “one of the alleged leaders” of ShinyHunters. This arrest occurred a week before the group allegedly posted FBI agents’ personal records obtained from the bureau’s recruiting site, reportedly including Patel’s. Patel managed to capture one ShinyHunters leader, but the rest caught Patel.

Jay Clayton

When asked who should fill the vacant role of White House AI czar, President Donald Trump suggested his director of national intelligence: “He’s a good man. He’s right here. That’s a good idea.” Clayton subsequently appeared on CNBC to declare superintelligence “a national security issue.” In Trump’s Washington, simply being present in the room is a noteworthy credential.

Joe Gebbia

The Airbnb co-founder turned U.S. chief design officer launched America.gov, a government chatbot powered by Gemini and Grok. On the day of its launch, the chatbot asserted “official sources show no widespread fraud that changed the outcome” of the 2020 election and identified the Pentagon as the Department of Defense. Within hours, it stopped responding to political inquiries.

Nigel Farage

With Labour rising in the polls, Andy Burnham, who is still a relatively new Prime Minister, used his first conference as PM to state that Brexit had done “more harm than good,” then informed the BBC that Britain could “go all the way” back into the EU. The Reform UK leader spent a decade seeking a second act; Burnham has initiated a revival of his first.

Chris Hansen

The To Catch a Predator host refers to A24’s Primetime, where Robert Pattinson plays a darker version of him, as “complete fiction.” Hansen also purchased 30-second ads that appear before the film on 3,500 screens, inviting viewers to “have a seat” and test his streaming service. Hansen dislikes the movie to such an extent that he is paying to be involved in it.

Conventional Wisdom originally featured in Newsweek’s print edition, using arrows to indicate whose stock was rising or falling in the political arena. This column is being revived for the digital era because the issue it mocked—hyperbole and partisan certainty posing as insight—has only grown more severe.

Conventional Wisdom assigns arrows—up, down, or sideways—to the figures and influences shaping current events. The arrows do not forecast the future or claim to have special insight. They reflect the prevailing sentiments of the moment, free from partisan noise. In an age when media often strengthens rather than challenges beliefs, Conventional Wisdom stands at the center—skeptical of both left and right, dedicated to deflating exaggerated reputations and acknowledging neglected truths.

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