In the midst of a 2016 presidential race overflowing with candidates, Monday’s NBC Today instead decided to devote three minutes of air time to a Maryland congressional contender with little chance of even securing the Democratic Party’s nomination for the seat.
Co-host Matt Lauer introduced the fawning segment: “Caitlyn Jenner getting a lot of attention right now, but she's not the only transgender American breaking new ground.” Fellow co-host Savannah Guthrie chimed in: “That’s right, NBC’s Kristen Welker introduces us to the former Navy SEAL who is now setting her sights on Congress.”
What followed was less a news report as much as it was a lengthy campaign commercial. Welker declared: “Pounding the pavement, she isn't your typical candidate....Kristin Beck is built like a Navy SEAL because she was one....Kristin Beck was Chris, part of the elite all-male SEAL Team Six, with a bushy beard and broad shoulders.”
As inspirational music played in the background throughout the entire segment, Beck described himself as “a fighter” and “a patriot,” followed by Welker proclaiming: “A patriot who one day showed up to work at the Pentagon in a dress.”
Moments later, Welker asserted: “And now Beck is waging a new campaign for her country....Retired after 13 deployments, now she's taking on one of the top Democrats in Washington, Steny Hoyer, in a longshot primary challenge for the Maryland seat he's held for 34 years.”
Welker briefly wondered about “skeptics who say this is going to be too difficult,” teeing up Beck to announce: “There’s nothing too difficult for the American people. We can do anything we put our minds to.”
Wrapping up the puff piece, Welker observed: “While this former Navy SEAL says her toughest struggle was to just be herself, she's now a candidate with nothing left to run from and everything to run for.”
Welker never bothered to ask why Beck was running or even where he stood on key issues.
After the report, Guthrie assured viewers: “She’s got a tough race in that district, but we will definitely keep an eye on it.”
Like NBC, The Washington Post found the longshot congressional candidate to be a major news story, placing Beck on the front page of the style section on June 22.
When Beck first came out as transgender in 2013, CNN anchor Anderson Cooper was eager to interview the self-avowed “warrior princess.”
Such extensive coverage of a minor political candidate in an otherwise busy election year has become a pattern. In 2014, the media provided widespread coverage of openly gay American Idol contestant Clay Aiken running for Congress as a Democrat in North Carolina. Aiken proceeded to lose the race in a landslide.
As long as a candidate seems to advance liberal identity politics, the press will make that campaign a priority no matter what the odds.
