The Atlantic publishes an idiotic hit job on Chesa Boudin ahead of recall

As the recall vote against San Francisco DA Chesa Boudin approaches, his opponents are ramping up their attacks. It’s truly vicious and shockingly dishonest, a San Francisco Swiftboating. In one case, Boudin was presented as callous towards a victim of an anti-Asian hate crime, before it turned out that the incident was most likely not a hate crime and that Boudin’s predecesor had prosecuted the alleged attackers. As the Bold Italic noted, a recent story in the San Francisco Standard falsely asserted that Boudin is not prosecuting dangerous drug dealers.

“Recalls are supposed to be for exceptional circumstances, not for when the losing side wants a do-over,” the SF Examiner wrote in an endorsement of Boudin. “They shouldn’t be used to unseat a DA who's doing what he said he'd do — especially when the campaign's based on fear and misinformation.”

On Friday, the Atlantic threw its hat into the ring with a bizarre feature that boosts the lies of Boudin’s opponents.

“The People vs. Chesa Boudin.” it’s called, as if “the People” started an organic movement to oust Boudin after careful review of his record. In fact, the recall campaign is funded by millionaires and billionaires, some of whom don’t even live in the city.

It’s a truly weird piece of reporting. The author, Annie Lowrey, who has always struck me as reasonable, cites statistics that show violent crime in San Francisco is down, even as some property crimes have increased. She notes that homicide rates are much higher in neighboring Oakland and in Sacramento. Then she does a Carrie Bradshaw-esque, I couldn’t help but wonder … to insinuate that Boudin’s reforms are behind everything from poop on the street to murder.