In early October, ABC reporter Kate Snow sprang to the defense of Senator Hillary Clinton's much maligned laugh. On Thursday's "Good Morning America," the correspondent marveled over Bill Clinton's successes and also how his wife is able to make turning 60-years-old a good thing. While an ABC graphic wondered if the Democratic power couple are "masters of spin," Snow gushed, "The Clintons have always been masters at turning bad news into good..."
Snow's piece focused on the Clintons' ability to, essentially, spin the American public. The GMA reporter featured comments exclusively from liberals such as Gail Sheehy (author of the sympathetic book "Hillary's Choice") and the Washington Post's Sally Quinn. Quinn asserted that the Clintons ability to "pretend to have a wonderful marriage" "works" for them, as well as other political couples. Snow continued this theme by credulously repeating, "...On the eve of this birthday, Hillary is trumpeting the strength of their marriage." The correspondent rhapsodized over a money-raising birthday party the senator is throwing and marveled that "instead of facing gray hair and retirement, for Hillary Clinton, being a member of AARP is fund-raising gold."
The MRC's Tim Graham noted that the London Daily Mail featured a slightly less masterful spin-job from the New York senator about her marriage. In an odd contrast to the age issue, while ABC's segment touted Hillary Clinton's ability to overcome being 60, Harry Smith referred to the Clintons on Tuesday's "Early Show" as a "still-young couple."
The media's crowning of the Clintons as kings of spin seems to be a self fulfilling prophecy. Reporters constantly gush over the their ability to "turn bad news into good," just as these journalists play no small role in helping the couple do exactly that. However, it's important to remember that for all the media fawning, Bill Clinton never received more than 50 percent of the vote in 1992 or 1996 and he was also impeached.
A transcript of the October 25 segment, which aired at 7:15am, follows:
DIANE SAWYER: Now, the race for '08. Believe it or not, ten weeks, just ten weeks until you cast your first vote in the election, the Iowa primary. And the candidates are being watched more closely than ever, especially Hillary Clinton. Firing up the after-burners, holding a big bash for her 60th birthday party tonight, which is a political party and a political party. To explain, ABC's Kate Snow's here. Kate?
ABC GRAPHIC: The Clinton Image Machine: Masters of Spin?
KATE SNOW: Good morning, Diane. The Clintons have always been masters at turning bad news into good, if you will. And all week they've been capitalizing on a milestone that makes a lot of women cringe. We're talking about the big six-o. But, instead of facing gray hair and retirement, for Hillary Clinton, being a member of AARP is fund-raising gold. Bill Clinton set the pace last year, raising money hand over fist for his foundation when he turned 60. So tonight, Hillary Clinton takes a page from her husband's play book. Billy Crystal is back to introduce British rocker Elvis Costello and the Wallflowers to a sold-out crowd at New York's famed Beacon Theater.
SENATOR HILLARY CLINTON: It's hard to sneak by a certain birthday when everybody seems to know about it.
SNOW: Call it cashing in on being a baby boomer. Tonight, Clinton will raise more than $1 million.
FILE FOOTAGE OF BILL CLINTON FROM '92: We're going to organize ourselves to compete and win.
SNOW: When Bill ran in 1992, he was just 45. At 60, Hillary is about the average age for presidential wannabes.
BILL CLINTON [CAMPAIGN AD CLIP]: What's your birthday wish for Hillary?
Snow: Bill is asking people to sign a birthday card and maybe drop a little change too. And on the eve of this birthday, Hillary is trumpeting the strength of their marriage.
GAIL SHEEHY (AUTHOR, "HILLARY'S CHOICE): Well, I think everything that Hillary Clinton says is quite calculated and -- bring up the idea of romance in connection with her husband and look happy and assured about it, it goes a long way to reducing some of the suspicions that people still hold about will we go back into the old soap opera?
SNOW: In an interview with Essence magazine, Clinton said she never doubted her decision so stay in her marriage and she says Bill is romantic, buying impromptu gifts like a gift of a wooden giraffe from this shop in Africa over the summer.
SALLY QUINN (REPORTER, THE WASHINGTON POST): In the same way you have to talk about religion when you're running for office, you have to pretend to have a wonderful marriage even if you're not speaking to each other. Is it real? I don't know. But the fact is that it works. And I'm not just talking about the Clintons either. It work for every couple who runs for office or who's in politics.
SNOW: A new poll finds only 16 percent of registered voters think she made the wrong choice staying married. No word on what Bill is giving Hillary for her birthday. But, this, Diane, is the Chanel watch that he apparently recently gave her. She said that he gave it to her because it looks like teeth and she was having dental surgery. $4,200 bucks by the way for this watch.
SAWYER: Boy-- Doesn't get more romantic.
SNOW: Doesn't get more romantic than that.
SAWYER: So you think it's bad news, turning 60?
ROBIN ROBERTS: Easy, easy.
SNOW: No, no, no.
SAWYER: You want to elaborate on that?
SNOW: [LAUGHS] I think 60 is gorgeous and beautiful.
SAWYER: Oh, grow up.
ROBERTS: Nice save there, Kate. Nice save.
—Scott Whitlock is a news analyst for the Media Research Center.
















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Romantic, huh?
October 25, 2007 - 12:29 ET by mytwocents"SNOW: Doesn't get more romantic than that."
Good thing she wasn't having a colonoscopy!
Duh!
October 25, 2007 - 12:31 ET by landsharkThe Clintons don't even have to do their own spinning - the media is getting dizzy doing it for them.
It's a bit of a victory that the MSM is even acknowledging the possibility of bad news for them in the first place. Must have been an oversight.
Double Duh!
October 25, 2007 - 13:09 ET by mattmIt's easy to turn bad news into good when you have 24-7 media spin in your favor....
The theme song for whoever runs against Ms. Rodhams should be "Don't Get Fooled Again"
(I know it's "Won't" but the lyrics also say "don't" which fits better)
The Master of Spin?They
October 25, 2007 - 12:40 ET by bigtimerThe Masters of Spin?
They both should be behind bars.
The msm makes me sick, I just look forward to watching/listening to them when she is defeated.
She said that he gave it to
October 25, 2007 - 12:47 ET by motherbeltShe said that he gave it to her because it looks like teeth and she
was having dental surgery. $4,200 bucks by the way for this watch.
SAWYER: Boy-- Doesn't get more romantic.
SNOW: Doesn't get more romantic than that.
Oh, please. $4200 is chump change for the Big He. He probably picked it up at the last minute, in the duty free shop at the airport.
He probably had one of his
October 25, 2007 - 12:50 ET by NortonalecHe probably had one of his "interns" pick it out for him.
Nortonalec
Another thing...
October 25, 2007 - 12:54 ET by Nortonalecwho are these idots talking to? My guess is each other. $4200.00 is a lot of money for a lot of people, especially for a toothy watch.
Nortonalec
Of course they're the
October 25, 2007 - 13:03 ET by fitzfongOf course they're the masters of turning bad news into good. Bad news for others is always good news for the Clintons. They built a fortune fleecing retirees out of their life savings. And just about every apologist they hang out with has done the same thing. The Clintons and their minnions are structured just like the mafia...they commit crimes without any fear of punishment. Sandy Berger should be spending the rest of his sorry life in jail, instead he's already been brought into the Clinton fold and will get a cabinet position if Hillary wins. How is it that a bunch of poor Chinese residents can't afford to pay for their own healthcare, but can pony up $1,000.00 to support Hillary's Presidential campaign? For all the hand-wringing over the Enron scandal Toupee Terry McAuliffe's illegal profiteering with Global Crossings has been ignored by the media...no doubt on orders from the Clinton Crime Family. It's a predictable scam...buy off the regulators and the media, use the authorities to threaten dissidents....whack anyone who gets in the way.
"[Giggle] The Clintons are
October 25, 2007 - 13:05 ET by fossten"[Giggle] The Clintons are soooooo good at using us to spin their bad deeds into good! Tee hee!"
- Kate Snow
Forget 911, I dial 9MM.
You Gotta be kidding
October 25, 2007 - 13:52 ET by kbworkmanDoes this idiot really think we are this gullible?
GAIL SHEEHY (AUTHOR, "HILLARY'S CHOICE): Well, I think everything that
Hillary Clinton says is quite calculated and -- bring up the idea of
romance in connection with her husband and look happy and assured about
it, it goes a long way to reducing some of the suspicions that people
still hold about will we go back into the old soap opera?
Romance?
Come to think of it, I guess a lot of people are. Otherwise HrC would be booed of the stage with her phoney accents and pandering speeches
Are these women
October 25, 2007 - 13:54 ET by MidAmericaAre these women supposed to be 'journalists'? If you take away the names you can easily mistake this conversation as having come from The View.
MidAmerica, That was an
October 25, 2007 - 17:27 ET by msh1973MidAmerica, That was an excellent point!
"...being a member of AARP
October 25, 2007 - 14:04 ET by Senior Chief"...being a member of AARP is fund-raising gold."
Take note AARP members and those over 60. You're just a fund-raising gold in the clintonland. You'll be in for a big spin in hillary's presidency. Be careful in whom you give your dough to, be careful....
Absolutely! AARP will
October 25, 2007 - 18:46 ET by JerryAbsolutely! AARP will NEVER get a penny from me.
When asked if he went to war with Iraq to derail the impeachment vote: “I don’t think any serious person would believe that any President would do such a thing." - President Clinton (Dec 1998).
What the Clintons are good at...
October 25, 2007 - 14:04 ET by celatorWhat Billy and Hilly Clinton are good at is being three steps of the law. Someday, when the country wakes up, these two parasite cockroaches will be put in the slammer for their misdeeds. The wheels of justice may move slowly, but they do indeed move. Just be patient.
I threw up yesterday over
October 25, 2007 - 15:33 ET by kgI threw up yesterday over this. Oh man, here it comes again!
Spin describes the Clintons
October 25, 2007 - 18:54 ET by JerrySpin describes the Clintons perfectly. After all, spin is just SIN with a little Pee thrown in.
When asked if he went to war with Iraq to derail the impeachment vote: “I don’t think any serious person would believe that any President would do such a thing." - President Clinton (Dec 1998).