Bernie Sanders fought the left-leaning media and the Dem establishment. They won.
Bernie Sanders dropped out of the Democratic primary race yesterday, and essentially handed the nomination to Joe Biden. It was a somewhat shocking moment.
Back on February 22, which feels like approximately 14 years ago but was actually just 47 days ago, Bernie Sanders had just won the Nevada caucus. That went with his dominating New Hampshire win, and his near win in Iowa. It was "panic button" time for the left-leaning media and Democratic establishment. "No one else is as hungry, angry, enraged and determined as Sanders voters," said MSNBC's Joy Reid. "Democrats need to sober up and figure out what the hell they are going to do about it."
Reid joined her colleagues like Chris Matthews, who was busy equating Sanders to Hitler, and Lawrence O'Donnell, who was tweeting things like this: | |
And then, several things happened. Joe Biden won South Carolina by a gigantic margin. Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar, who had performed fairly well in the first four contests, suddenly dropped out entirely and threw their support behind Biden ahead of Super Tuesday. Michael Bloomberg's campaign strategy to throw money only at Super Tuesday states was a dud. Elizabeth Warren severely underperformed on Super Tuesday and dropped out - and notably, did not endorse Sanders.
And then, of course, came coronavirus. Suddenly, it was over for Sanders.
But there's a major element to this story that we can't forget, when the post-mortems are written. Sanders was torpedoed by the left-leaning media - MSNBC, CNN, and others - who believed he was ill-equipped to beat Trump in November. It mirrored the initial way Donald Trump was treated by Fox News and other right-leaning media outlets, who believed he would never be able to beat Hillary Clinton and preferred other candidates in the primary. MSNBC and CNN were beginning to pivot - I wrote on February 26 about how "MSNBC and CNN will have to make adjustments to stop the negative Sanders coverage and accept the inevitable."
But Trump was able to withstand the heat from the media, and the party establishment. Sanders ultimately wasn't. And that says something about the power of the left-leaning media to influence the primary - in conjunction with the Democratic establishment. Maybe they has more power than the other side of the aisle.
Now we're seeing two intriguing media storylines emerge. First, the calls for Sanders to embrace Biden and drive his supporters behind the uninspiring eventual nominee. His "legacy hangs in the balance," writes Politico's John Harris.
But we're also seeing the fight ahead. Briahna Joy Gray, Sanders' press secretary and former journalist, retweeted a Daily Caller clip of Tucker Carlson last night, attacking Biden. "Bernie was too kind to go after Biden, but it's coming," she said. "Either Dem leadership cares more abt maintaining a corporate status quo than getting rid of Trump, or they're planning to replace Joe."
The Bernie vs. left media fight isn't over - and when the coronavirus crisis subsides in a few months, we'll see it on full display again. | | The curious case of Chris Hayes
Without getting too far into a story I don't believe I'm at liberty to tell, the first time I encountered Chris Hayes was in a place far outside the confines of MSNBC. Why was he there, I asked? Because he was curious. Because he was interested in intellectual discomfort. I have great respect for people who step outside their comfort zone.
Hayes is profiled this week in a lengthy, must-read profile by The Hollywood Reporter's Jeremy Barr. It provides some insight into Hayes, the person, and particularly into why he's "obsessed" (his words) with coronavirus.
You listen to Chris Hayes' podcast, "Why Is This Happening?" and, quite often, it is fantastic. It's thoughtful and nuanced - this conversation with Crooked Media's Jon Favreau I found to be perhaps the most interesting conversation about Democrats in 2016 and 2020 I've ever heard.
And yet - his cable news show is...mostly a typical cable news show, except when he does it in front of a studio audience, when it is a bit better and more interesting. The show is not a success in the ratings.
But if podcasting is Hayes' best medium, Twitter is clearly his worst. He tweets constantly, and nuance-free. His tweets are full of exclamation points, as if he's yelling the little bursts of thought. During the coronavirus crisis, he has been both early to identify the issue, and often incredibly hysterical.
Take this tweet from yesterday. Read the tweet under it first, a quote from President Trump, then his response above. Think about what he's implying, so cavalierly. | | Hayes is implying that not President Trump, but Dr. Fauci, Dr. Birx - the experts - are lying to the American public to make Trump look good. It's disgusting - the kind of thing an idiot so blinded by Trump hatred would say. But Hayes is smart. Why would he do this?
Hayes would hate to hear this, but in some ways, he's like Trump. He's "good" at Twitter, because he can rack up RTs and followers. But he's also very "bad" at Twitter, because he says things on Twitter that he'd never think about saying if he was sitting down to record his thoughtful, nuanced podcast. He, like many Americans (me included), would be better if they used Twitter less.
Rachel Maddow said to THR of her colleague, "He was made for this moment." I'm not sure I disagree. But this moment calls for Hayes to lean on his best qualities, and serve his audience and the American public. I hope he uses this moment to lean on that intellectual curiosity which has served him well in the past. | | Pence plays politics with coronavirus experts I've said before - and said in this Fox News story this week - that if the media wants to be seen as serious and objective, and serving the public, they would air the coronavirus briefing in full. CNN, and MSNBC, have not - and that's their editorial choice. But the punishment for refusing to do so should not be for the White House to keep experts such as Dr. Birx and Dr. Fauci off of CNN. Like it or not, millions of Americans watch CNN - and many watch CNN exclusively, as we saw in a new Gallup poll on the "liberal news" media consumption of Democrats. It's important that all Americans get access to expert information related to the coronavirus pandemic. CNN reported today VP Mike Pence's office blocked all appearances by experts in the coronavirus task force for a week, because, as a Pence spokesperson said, "When you guys cover the briefings with the health officials then you can expect them back on your air." Again - the White House is right, on principle. CNN should air the briefings in full. But the retribution should not be denying CNN's viewers the latest information. By the end of the today, the Trump administration reversed course - CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield was on tonight, and Dr. Fauci is on tomorrow morning. It's the right choice. | | | The Troll-in-Chief strikes again
This Donald Trump parody account really nailed the President's tone with this tweet today: | | The Wall Street Journal puts out a very mild critique of the moments Trump veers into the egocentric portion of the coronavirus briefings - and the Trump parody account hits back with weirdly-quotation-marked words and phrases, bragging about ratings during a pandemic crisis where thousands are dying, and then ending it with calling the Wall Street Journal - the WALL STREET JOURNAL - "fake news."
Anyway, it's a well-executed parody account that... wait. That's really a presidential tweet?
This is embarrassing. Get focused, Mr. President. | | QUICK HITS
- Former New York Times reporter Alex Berenson has become the most influential heterodox voice on Twitter related to coronavirus. He got profiled by Fox News.
- I'm not sure I 100% agree, but the New York Post's Kyle Smith has a fascinating column on the problem with "the Cuomos Show."
- The Free Beacon has a supercut of the dumbest questions asked at the coronavirus briefings - and it's a must-watch. | | WATCH IT... A really interesting Dave Rubin interview with author Bret Easton Ellis - on cancel culture, Donald Trump, his own privilege and the media.
HEAR IT... Joe Buck made a memorable appearance on Bill Simmons' podcast last week - particularly their conversation about how many in the media fear taking chances. Simmons was also on Buck's new podcast recently.
READ IT... Twitter is actively policing speech now - and... it's complicated. Two great reads on it, from the Washington Examiner's Becket Adams and from Stratechery's Ben Thompson. | |
⏪REWIND // FAST FORWARD ⏩
⏪ 8 years ago, this would have been me making this mistake to put through an inappropriate social media post during a CNN town hall tonight.
⏩ Saturday Night Live returns this weekend, in a format that will be completely unique in its long history. | | | MORE TK
My next "BCC Interview" is coming Sunday, with Fox News host Greg Gutfeld. We talked coronavirus, the media, "Red Eye," and more. One thing I asked was for him to recommend one non-Fox Twitter follow. His answer: "I'm a big Scott Adams fan. His Periscopes in the morning are indispensable. And most of the people who know anything about the world watch them." The full email interview will run Sunday...
| | | GREAT MOMENTS IN JOURNALISM | | | So, is Oliver Darcy the Diamond and Silk of CNN? Or are Diamond and Silk the Oliver Darcy of Fox News? | | Thanks for reading. Happy Passover to those who celebrate, and who recounted the 11th plague - of 2020 - this year...
- Steve Krakauer
@SteveKrak | | Thanks for reading. Happy Passover to those who celebrate, and who recounted the new 11th plague of 2020 this year...
- Steve Krakauer
@SteveKrak | | | |
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