According to MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow, it’s shocking that the liberal New York Times would praise the liberal Hillary Clinton. While recapping the Democratic presidential debate, host Maddow seriously claimed, “... The New York Times has its knives out for Hillary Clinton more so than any other mainstream media outlet in the country.”
Speaking of the paper that hasn’t endorsed a Republican for president since 1956, the anchor accused the Times of having an “inclination to look for the worst in Hillary Clinton in every instance and to advance every negative story line they can get their hands on whether or not it's comporting with the facts, even so.”
Yet, surprisingly, at least in the mind of Maddow, “the New York Times news coverage of last night's debate was absolutely glowing about Hillary Clinton's performance.”
The cable host then quoted the paper’s reaction to the Democratic debate:
RACHEL MADDOW: ... The op-ed page in the New York Times today was ecstatic about what the Democrats showed off collectively in this performance last night. They titled their op-ed about the debate last night, quote, "the grown-ups take the stage." Quote, "For those despairing about the future of American politics, here was proof that it doesn't have to revolve around candidates who pride themselves on knowing nothing or on believing that governing is all about destroying government." Referring, obviously, to the Republican candidates for president there. New York Times continues in their editorial today, "Civility was a big winner, the discussion of real issues."
Maddow cheered, “It was a really good night for Democrats. And Democrats and liberal-minded media outlets and folk who watched it and observers of politics right now are psyched about it.”
Maddow’s complaints about the Times undoubtedly refer to the paper's decision to actually investigate Clinton’s e-mail scandal, though timidly. In July, the Times reported on a criminal inquiry into the controversy. After the Clinton campaign complained, the editors altered their reporting for the website.
Hardly a paper with the “knives” out for Hillary Clinton.
A transcript of the October 14 Rachel Maddow Show segment is below:
9:04pm ET
RACHEL MADDOW: The New York Times which, of course, is the nation’s paper of record, but has really interesting relationship to this race because the New York Times is obviously mostly liberal on their op-ed page. The New York Times has this specific thing about this race, which is that in its news pages, the New York Times has its knives out for Hillary Clinton more so than any other mainstream media outlet in the country. So, they’re a very interesting outlet to watch at times like this when Democratic politics are popping live. And even with that inclination to look for the worst in Hillary Clinton in every instance and to advance every negative story line they can get their hands on whether or not it’s comporting with the facts, even so, the New York Times news coverage of last night’s debate was absolutely glowing about Hillary Clinton’s performance.
And the op-ed page in the New York Times today was ecstatic about what the Democrats showed off collectively in this performance last night. They titled their op-ed about the debate last night, quote, "the grown-ups take the stage." Quote, "For those despairing about the future of American politics, here was proof that it doesn’t have to revolve around candidates who pride themselves on knowing nothing or on believing that governing is all about destroying government." Referring, obviously, to the Republican candidates for president there. New York Times continues in their editorial today, "Civility was a big winner, the discussion of real issues." So, it was a really good night for Democrats. And Democrats and liberal-minded media outlets and folk who watched it and observers of politics right now are psyched about it. And you know what?
In life and in politics, if you’re going have a great night if, you’re going to look your best, if you’re going to surprise and delight the people who know you best with how much of your best you put out there to the world, if you’re going to have a night like that, the only thing you might also wish for in that great circumstance would be that everybody happened to be looking at you when you had that great moment, when you have that great night. And last night it turns out everybody was looking. I mean, if you’re looking for a historical comparison of a previous presidential campaign, you can’t look at 2012, right? Because in 2012, that was the incumbent Democratic president running for re-election. So, there is no primary comparison there for this year.
