On Friday night, both NPR and PBS rolled out their red carpets for South Carolina Congressman Jim Clyburn to talk about the Democrat presidential primary season officially beginning in his state -- NPR offered eight minutes, PBS seven. Nowhere in those 15 minutes did either the hosts or the guest mention that President Biden had any primary opposition. The names Dean Phillips and Marianne Williamson were completely absent.
So when Biden won the primary with 96 percent, one reason for that is dramatic bias by omission. Phillips drew 19.6 percent of the vote in New Hampshire, but it spurred nothing.
Many voters can't believe were inevitably slipping back to a Trump vs. Biden rematch -- but the "public broadcasters" are happy to ignore Biden's primary opponents. Nobody laughed when Clyburn boldly proclaimed Biden's general election appeal was "freedom and democracy."
It's another occasion to point and laugh at NPR calling their evening news All Things Considered. Biden's opponents were not considered. Both NPR host Juana Summers and PBS NewsHour anchor Geoff Bennett stuck to general-election worries, and allowed Clyburn to claim there were no problems for Biden.
SUMMERS: In 2020, Black voters made up about 60% of the electorate here, and there are some polls that suggest that former President Trump is gaining support among Black voters. President Biden's approval rating is down. Do you see that here in South Carolina, and why do you think that is?
CLYBURN: Well, no, I don't see that here in South Carolina, to answer your question. I don't see that anywhere in the country. The biggest picture on the wall of my barbershop is Joe Biden - even bigger than the one they got of me.
So Summers underlined his denial of the current evidence:
SUMMERS: It sounds like you don't put much stock in these polls. You don't think the president -- you are not concerned, it does not sound like, about the president's standing with Black voters. Is that right?
CLYBURN: I'm concerned about how we message this campaign.
Over on PBS, it was the same indulgent routine:
BENNETT: A December Associated Press poll found that 50 percent of Black adults said they approve of President Biden, but that's compared with 86 percent who said the same thing back in July of 2021. What do you think accounts for that slip in support overall?
CLYBURN: Well, I don't think there's been a big slip in support.
"Who are you going to believe? Me, or your lying polls?"
Bennett rolled over and let Clyburn answer for more than three minutes. The congressman claimed that Biden was less popular because nobody in his state knew that Biden has wiped out $137 billion in student loan debt (by executive fiat, forget Congress or the courts). Is that because he represents Democracy??
