I'm not a Hillary Clinton supporter and not a Democrat, but it's really interesting to hear the spin she gets in supposedly neutral reports on the election.
You expect people on the right to be against her (Ann Coulter aside), though the vitriol from people on the left is even worse. (If I didn't know better I'd swear Frank Rich thinks she's an ex-wife.) But their comments are generally labeled as opinion.
I was listening to a radio news spot the other day that started out with the headline that Hillary had strongly criticized Barak Obama at the latest debate. The newscaster then played an actuality (if they still call it that) of Obama speaking at the debate that neither responded to the point or even mentioned Clinton. Next sentence, John McCain got some licks in - not about either Democrat - and then the piece ended by making fun of Mike Huckabee making fun of himself on Saturday Night Live.
Clinton's points, ostensibly the "lead" and most important news of the piece, were not so much dismissed as completely ignored. And that's probably the gentlest spin she gets.
I don't think it's just because she's a woman, but I think that's a big part of the reason. She's in a full-spin zone that has very little to do with her positions or even who she is, and everything to do with the prejudices and preconceived notions of the media and the people who consume it.
As are we all, I suppose.
1 comment:
I watched the debate and agree with you that there's a slant to the coverage you would not see if Hillary wasn't a woman. Her performance was immediately characterized by one analyst as "feisty", Obama as cool and unfazed. Had she been a male, I think the perception would have been that she scored some very important points insofar as showing a far greater understanding of the complexities of various issues, particularly foreign affairs.
There's also some of the usual horse race mentality here. Pick a favorite, run with him, portray the candidate who's trailing in the polls as desperate. Perception and reality become a circular feedback loop. Never changes.
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