As disappointed as I was by the behavior of many Bernie Sanders’ supporters at the opening of the Democratic National Convention yesterday, I can understand them. So many are young people, many of whom have never attended a National Convention before, don’t understand how it works, and frankly do not much care.
They bought into Bernie’s promise of a “revolution” and are not willing to stop pushing for it now just because Hillary Clinton is the presumptive nominee (can’t wait to be able to stop using that overworked adjective!). Their frustration was only fueled by the Wiki-leaks release of DNC e-mails (e-mails again?!) revealing the bias of that committee for Clinton. Hardly surprising to me that the epitome of the political establishment represented on that committee would be “for” the establishment candidate, but certainly some of their comments about Sanders were over the top.
So, I completely understand Sanders’ supporters. What I do not understand is the media. While one would think that Hillary Clinton would be the so-called “liberal media’s” ideal candidate for President, MSNBC in particular and CNN to a lesser degree seem intent on bringing her down.
Andrea Mitchell, for whom I used to have great respect as a journalist, can barely conceal her loathing for Hillary whenever she reports. And Chuck Todd, for whom I have never had much respect, actually asked one of his guests something like, I just don’t understand why Hillary Clinton is so distrusted and disliked by so many Democrats. Really!
Perhaps it’s because you, and the other pundits (not journalists, pundits!) persist in spreading the lies and half-truths circulated about Secretary Clinton by her enemies and to focus on those rather than making any attempt at objective reporting. After absolutely “making” Donald Trump by all the free advertising provided by your coverage, you now seem intent on fueling the fires of dissension in the GOP as well as the Democrats.
The old adage about sensationalist journalism “If it bleeds, it leads” now seems to have been replaced with “If they’re mad, we’re glad!” While nearly 80% of Bernie’s supporters have heeded his plea to throw their support behind Clinton and “the most progressive platform ever passed by the Democratic Party” (largely due to Sanders’ incredible campaign), the media persists in covering, interviewing, and endlessly analyzing the remaining 20% who are threatening either not to vote at all (real smart!) or to vote for a Green or Libertarian Party candidate (a reasonable solution…as long as they vote for Democrats “down ballot.”)
I switched over to C-SPAN’s gavel to gavel coverage early on yesterday and intend to stay mostly with that for the remaining days of the Convention. They actually broadcast the entire proceedings and all the speeches and spare us the half-baked opinions that Mitchell, Todd and others drone on about and try to convince us are “analysis.”
I’m not convinced.
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