It's been bubbling up in theory and sound bites over the decades, like they were prepping us for this corruption of reality

And I wonder if some of the origins don't stem from a business orientation. In MBA school we were consistently taught to tweak the numbers, the assumptions, the model or plan to produce profits, the more the better. Facts were fungible. In pursuit of profit, I doubt even the professors realized the methods they were using. To me, that is what is behind conservatism - the pursuit of more money, more private property, amassing wealth for the owners.

In regards to Chuck Todd, I'd draw a comparison. Chris Wallace has been throwing facts at Republicans for months in interviews. I really don't watch him enough to know if he's been doing it all along, or when it began. I think he does it in the interest of journalism, a healthy nod to the stature of him and especially his dad. Chuck Todd is late to the game and a dim-witted entry.