This is the dumbest, shittiest kind of response to this of all: the fake-savvy argument that the targets of a cynical outrage campaign have some duty to beat the cynics at their game

Penn specifically is because the 100 million donor didn't like her. Antisemitism was the cover. Rich white guys want DEI gone.

It is in fact an option to tell Republican freaks to go fuck themselves, one that is woefully under-utilized.

"I would have simply said the exact combination of smart things that would dissuade Stefanik from attacking me to advance her broader goals"

I suspect people are defaulting to this cynical response because it’s become uncomfortable to say that defending unpopular expression can be the right thing to do. Social media is giving us an ethic of “read the room.”

Agreed, but there's also a kernel of truth in it -- Congress doesn't call in the provosts, who actually run institutions. They call the figure heads, who really should have been better at this. I blame General Counsels.