Sunday's World News Tonight on ABC and the NBC Nightly News on the eve of the Iowa caucuses (with golf on CBS) previewed the Democratic race. ABC parroted Hillary Clinton’s dismissal of e-mail scandal as a partisan hit job while NBC touted an “exclusive look” at a smartphone app that will be utilized by the Clinton campaign.
After ABC News chief anchor and former Clinton Foundation official George Stephanopoulos allowed Clinton on This Week to shamefully compared the e-mail scandal to the deadly terror attack in Benghazi, correspondent Cecilia Vega promoted Clinton as having “hint[ed]” that “it’s a dirty trick” by her opponents.
“I just have to point out the timing and some of the leaks that led up to it are concerning and I just want the matter resolved,” stated Clinton.
Before tossing back to anchor David Muir at the end of her longer segment, Vega noted how the Clinton camp has gone as far as having “2,000 people showing up for a dry run” for Monday’s caucus on Friday.
NBC Nightly News had its own Clinton highlight as White House correspondent Kristen Welker promoted their ability to get “an exclusive look” at the Clinton campaign’s vote-counting app (plus a soundbite from a Clinton staffer):
Getting people out to vote tomorrow is today's top priority. Teams of volunteers and organizers knocking on doors one last time, making sure every supporter knows two things: Where their caucus location is and how they'll get there. And the Clinton campaign allowing NBC an exclusive look at their specially developed app which is like a caucus night calculator helping them keep close tabs on caucusgoers and how they're voting tomorrow night.
With plenty of liberal bias over the next 24-48 hours from not just the “big three” networks of ABC, CBS, and NBC but cable and print outlets like MSNBC, be sure to stick with NewsBusters as we’ll have coverage throughout the day and night. To join in the conversation on Twitter, use the hashtag #TTT16.
The relevant portion of the transcript from ABC’s World News Tonight with David Muir on January 31 can be found below.
ABC’s World News Tonight with David Muir
January 31, 2016
6:07 p.m. Eastern[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Race for 2016; Dead Heat; Clinton and Sanders Neck and Neck]
CECILIA VEGA: And Clinton, still on the defensive over that bombshell revelation that she had 22 e-mails from her private server now deemed top secret. Clinton on This Week hinting it's a dirty trick.
HILLARY CLINTON [on ABC’s This Week, 01/31/16]: I just have to point out the timing and some of the leaks that led up to it are concerning and I just want the matter resolved.
DAVID MUIR: And Cecilia is with us live here in Iowa as well tonight and Cecilia, Hillary Clinton knows what this is like. Eight years ago here, on the night before her Iowa loss and they're taking no chances, actually rehearsing turnout?
VEGA: That’s right, David, 2,000 people showing up for a dry run on Friday. Not just that, volunteers are now sending hand-written notes to voters trying to get them to caucus for Hillary Clinton. For Bernie Sanders, they’ve knocked on more than 75,000 doors just this weekend alone. Every single detail counts when the race is this tight, David.
MUIR: A lot of work on both sides tonight, Cecilia, thank you.
The relevant portion of the transcript from January 31's NBC Nightly News can be found below.
NBC Nightly News
January 31, 2016
6:32 p.m. Eastern
KRISTEN WELKER: Just hours before voters caucus, Clinton and Sanders in a statistical dead heat, 45 to 42 percent in the final Iowa polling. Getting people out to vote tomorrow is today's top priority. Teams of volunteers and organizers knocking on doors one last time, making sure every supporter knows two things: Where their caucus location is and how they'll get there. And the Clinton campaign allowing NBC an exclusive look at their specially developed app which is like a caucus night calculator helping them keep close tabs on caucusgoers and how they're voting tomorrow night.
UNIDENTIFIED CLINTON CAMPAIGN STAFFER: It allows us to streamline the process and help the precinct captains .be able to move more quickly through the process, so they're spending less time calculating and more time persuading.
WEKER: The Clinton campaign estimates 125,000 door knocks this weekend alone, 4,200 trained precinct captains and team members are in place and Sanders ground team equally impressive. 76,000 door knocks, over 15,000 volunteers.
