The usually alert Andrew O'Hehir of Salon believes Democrats are pre-emptively blaming the media for a possible loss by Hillary Clinton. He crticizes the New York Times for running Paul Krugman's "How Clinton Gets Gored," in which Krugman noted "throughout the (2000) campaign most media coverage gave the impression that Mr. Bush was a bluff, straightforward guy, while portraying Al Gore... as slippery and dishonest."
There is no time now to explain the mainstream media's jihad against Al Gore in 2008, as Bob Somerby thoroughly did a few years ago. Characteristic, though, of the unbalanced general election reporting that was extraordinarily contemptuous of the Vice-President was a column by Frank Bruni of the "liberal" New York Times in which Al Gore was snidely condemned for demonstrating that he knew more about foreign policy than did his opponent. (After the debacle of the Iraq War was made clear, it didn't occur to Mr. Bruni to acknowledge his smear.)
However, there is no question what is happening to Hillary Clinton, in a campaign featuring phrases, as Michael Tomasky notes, similar to "nevertheless fuels the perception that the Clintons or their associates may have...." It is one thing not to observe the signs and signals but the mainstream media is telling us what is going on.
CNN has done its part, such as with the "countdown clock" (in video here, beginning at approximately 3:30). The other day, Ashleigh Banfield finally spilled the beans when she admitted
We get these e-mails from the RNC every day doing a countdown (of) how many days it has been since Secretary Clinton has held a news conference... big for everybody, not little gaggles and bits and pieces here.... I think we're at 176 or so.
Jeff Zeleny, he of the "liberal media," then identified the Republican National Committe as a neutral arbiter, claiming it is "trying to be the referee of this race." The same network's Dana Bash has remarked Hillary Clinton "is a seasoned debater. Yes, we saw Donald Trump in the primaries debate for the first time, but he is a first-time politician. So for lots of reasons, maybe it's not fair but it's the way it is, the onus is on her."
Maybe it's not fair but, hey, too bad. If someone is more experienced, more knowledgeable, or better qualified, they'll simply raise the bar for her. "Focus on the facts," Krugman advises. "America and the world can't afford another election tipped by innuendo." But it's what they do, and they're telling us they're doing it.
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