"Just stop this, @MartinOMalley," sneered Washington Post WhoRunsGov.com writer Greg Sargent on Twitter earlier today, reacting to an O'Malley aide's complaint about the DNC rigging the primary debate process in favor of frontrunner Hillary Clinton.
"Rather than giving appearance of rigging the process and cutting off debate, DNC should take themselves out of the process," the New York Times's Jeff Zeleny tweeted, quoting an unnamed O'Malley official.
"A 'journalist' opposing more debates and dialogue? Jeez...not a good look, Greg," shot back Lis Smith, O'Malley's Deputy Campaign Manager and the former "director of rapid response" for Obama for America.
Hat-tip and thanks for the screenshot to @DCToddM.
Update (4:59 p.m. Eastern): Sargent tweeted me the following:
@KenShepherd @Lis_Smith see follow up tweet. I object to "coronation" language, not to a lot of debates.
Fair enough, but still, should a political journalist demand a candidate "stop" the complaint about a "coronation"? And, what's more, if Sargent really does want more debates, wouldn't it be wise for him NOT to be dismissive of the complaints of Ms. Clinton's primary rivals? After all, if journalists starting picking up and amplifying the complaints of Messrs. O'Malley and Sanders, it's arguable that the DNC might be successfully pressured to hosting more debates than they presently say they will sanction.
