According to the networks, it’s not news that the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee thinks being a capitalist is now harmful inside the party. ABC, CBS and NBC on Thursday morning all skipped Hillary Clinton blaming her capitalism as yet another reason she did so poorly.
Talking to Time executive Alan Murray on Wednesday, Clinton said that not being a socialist “probably” hurt her. She added, “It’s hard to know, but I mean if you’re in the Iowa caucuses and 41 percent of Democrats are socialists or self-described socialists, and I’m asked ‘Are you a capitalist?’ and I say, ‘Yes, but with appropriate regulation and appropriate accountability.’ You know, that probably gets lost in the ‘Oh my gosh, she’s a capitalist!”
That’s a rather startling admission. But despite a combined eight hours of air time, ABC’s Good Morning America, CBS This Morning and NBC’s Today all skipped the remark. Instead, the networks devoted much of that air time to frivolous topics.
GMA offered 4 minutes and 33 to looking at the latest “steals and deals” available to save money. CBS This Morning hyped the fad of surfing on landlocked water for 4 minutes and 31 seconds. The Today show donated 4 minutes and 42 seconds to the Mean Girls Broadway musical. Clearly, there was ample time available for Clinton.
Aside from what this might say about Democratic voters, it’s another example of Clinton blaming others — not herself — for the 2016 loss. In March, she bitterly attacked half the country as “backward,” bigots for not making the right decision. The networks initially ignored that.
Finally, one reason that the networks don’t find this to a big deal is because they fail to see socialism as a problem. In October of 2017, Today touted socialistic Denmark as the key to happiness.
