…..by MARTIN KNIGHT @ Red State….
A lot of people, including, surprisingly, a number of current and former RedState frontpagers are apparently very distressed at the open state of war between the Administration and the news media. Confused and upset at seeing the Press Corps treated with none of the traditional deference – and fear – to which they have become accustomed, many appear to have convinced themselves that the current state of hostilities between the Trump Administration and the news media is solely due to the unique awfulness of Donald Trump.
The mistake being made here is assuming that the Washington Post, the New York Times, ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, etc. would be acting any differently if the President were anyone but Donald Trump. Awful in many ways as he is, the news media’s antipathy toward his Administration is really nothing unique, and has a lot less to do with Donald Trump than a long running institutional, ideological and partisan animus against the Republican Party.
For all the complaining about Donald Trump calling the media the “Enemy of the People”, the fact is that the media has long labeled every Republican President and the Republican Party as a whole the exact same thing.
For those of us who can still vividly remember the media’s seething hatred and contempt toward George W. Bush and his Administration from the onset, there’s no doubt that the same scornful disdain and loathing, at best only marginally less pronounced, would have met a Cruz, Rubio, Perry or even Fiorina Administration. Along with the perennial charges of racism, sexism, homophobia, etc.
Simply put, the evidence does not support the argument that any Republican President would have been able to avoid a similar torrent of negative coverage as what has confronted the Trump Administration – no matter how careful his speech or disciplined his behavior. There is a fifty year pattern of behavior by the news media when it comes to Republican Administrations and Presidential nominees that we just can’t ignore….
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Basically, if you’re a Republican running for office, from the Presidency to the Governor’s office, House or Senate, there is no possibility of a rapprochement with the news media. As a Republican President, you will always be portrayed as some unholy combination of bigoted, cruel, corrupt and/or stupid. Every speech, action, decision, policy, staff hire, nomination, etc. made by you will be cast as an assault on the American people.
In fact, your very election to the office will be portrayed as a result of some form of chicanery or appeal to bigotry.
Note that in the last 60 years, not one Republican President’s successful campaign for the White House has been considered legitimate – clearly and cleanly won – by the media. Richard Nixon’s 1968 and 1972 victories are attributed to the “Southern Strategy”. Reagan’s victories in 1980 and 1984 were due his speech at the Neshoba County Fair in Mississippi, George H. W. Bush to the supposed racist Willie Horton ad by an independent PAC, George W. Bush’s win in 2000 due to his brother somehow “stealing the vote” in Florida and again in Ohio in 2004. Trump’s 2016 victory is now claimed by the media to be a result of hacking by Russia.
So let’s make no mistake, every GOP President entering the Oval Office is greeted by the media with a declaration of war….
Note….
The author fails to note that the media has beat up on EVERY Democratic President also….
The author above ails to note the media going after people like Al Franken and Bill Clinton….
The author above fails to cite the media actions against Hillary Clinton on her email….
The author above seems to be crying over the very concept of critical media?
Sure the media/press gets stuff wrong, sure they DO have an agenda ….
EVERYBODY DOES.….