Hillary Clinton on Tuesday night went down to defeat in Indiana. This is her 18th primary or caucus loss to Bernie Sanders. The former Secretary of State has won an unimpressive 23 times against the aging socialist. Yet, ABC and CBS largely glossed over Clinton’s string of losses and insisted the important part is that she’ll win the nomination.
Good Morning America’s Cecilia Vega lectured that Sanders’s victory “was not enough to cut into Hillary Clinton's lead and this morning her sights are set on November.” Vega reminded, “Even with that Hoosier State victory, the math is a different story. It will still be impossible for Sanders to win enough pledge delegates to clinch the nomination.”
After a few stray mentions, CBS This Morning’s Gayle King finally got around to Clinton’s latest defeat ten minutes into the program:
GAYLE KING: Hillary Clinton lost in Indiana, as you've heard. She is still the Democrat most likely to face Donald Trump in November. Bernie Sanders beat Hillary Clinton by four points in yesterday's primary. 52 to 48 percent. Clinton now has 92 percent of the delegates she needs to win the nomination. She leads Bernie Sanders 2,202 to 1,389.
Despite the loss, Nancy Cordes regurgitated, “Clinton argued she's uniquely qualified to take on someone like Trump.” Stating the obvious, she added, “The surprise win in Indiana Tuesday left Sanders even more determined to see the race through to the end.” (Yes, victories tend to make people not want to quit the race.)
In contrast, Today’s Matt Lauer hyped, “Hillary Clinton suffers another stinging loss to Bernie Sanders in Indiana.” The NBC host even managed, “Is it the Democrats who are now facing a contested convention this summer?”
Providing more balance than ABC and CBS, Andrea Mitchell noted:
ANDREA MITCHELL: Good morning, Savannah. Hillary Clinton now knows her likely opponent in the fall, but as Ted Cruz clears the decks for Donald Trump, Bernie Sanders is vowing to fight on through several more states, all the way to the convention.
She added, “Bernie Sanders bolstered overnight with a surprisingly big win over Hillary Clinton in Indiana." Mitchell offered a focus lacking on ABC and CBS, reminding, “But before she gets to Trump, Hillary Clinton has to get past Sanders.”
Clinton will likely win the Democratic nomination. But 18 losses and just 23 primary/caucus wins does not inspire confidence. Journalists should investigate this and whether or not the frontrunner is a weak candidate.
A transcript of the GMA segment is below:
GMA
5/4/16
7:10:12am ETROBIN ROBERTS: Now to the Democratic candidates. Bernie Sanders notching another win in Indiana last night, saying that the race with Hillary Clinton is not over. ABC's Cecilia Vega has the latest. Joins us from Columbus, Ohio. Good morning, Cecilia.
CECILIA VEGA: Robin, good morning to you. This win gives Bernie Sanders the psychological boost he needs to keep going, but it was not enough to cut into Hillary Clinton's lead and this morning her sights are set on November. Ahead of that big Indiana win, Bernie Sanders's wife Jane joining him on stage to deliver the early results.
BERNIE SANDERS: We're going up? We're going to win?
VEGA: This morning, Sander is not just vowing to fight the fight. He is coming out swinging.
SANDERS: Secretary Clinton thinks that this campaign is over. I've got some bad news for her.
VEGA: Sanders says he's going all the way and there's no stopping him.
SANDERS: I think we can pull off one of the great political upsets in the history of the United . States.
VEGA: But even with that Hoosier State victory, the math is a different story. It will still be impossible for Sanders to win enough pledge delegates to clinch the nomination. He's now planning for a contested convention.
SANDERS: I do not deny it for one second that we have an uphill battle in front of us.
VEGA: Hillary Clinton thinks she has a path to victory too by taking on Donald Trump.
HILLARY CLINTON: We cannot allow ourselves to be divided against one another. To be set against one another. To have scapegoating and shaming and blaming and insulting.
VEGA: She took to Twitter overnight calling him the presumptive GOP nominee. Telling her supporters, "Chip in now if you agree we can't let him become president." And not just that her campaign chairman overnight sent out a statement calling Donald Trump, quote, "Simply too big a risk." This primary fight still underway. This is very much a sign of the general election fight to come, Robin.
