Howard Kurtz:
The liberal media are freaking out over the possibility that Donald Trump might win the presidency.
They are denouncing their profession, decrying what they see as a press corps that coddles Trump and castigates Hillary Clinton, and demanding a change before it is too late.
Let’s take a deep breath and see if they have a credible case, or whether this is pure partisanship.
It’s been just 18 days since Politico reported that Hillary Clinton’s advisers were telling her to prepare for a possible landslide in the Electoral College. Now, with Trump pulling roughly even in national polls and ahead or within striking distance in most battleground states, a Trump administration is no longer some distant mirage.
Some folks on the left are so convinced that Trump would be a disaster, and so mystified why roughly half the country doesn’t view him with the same disdain, that they are lashing out at the media.
I would pose this question: Why do these pundits think they’re so much smarter than everyone else that they can clearly see Trump’s flaws but others are blinded by lousy media coverage?
I’d also pose this question: Can anyone seriously say there hasn’t been an avalanche of negative coverage about Trump and the birther issue, Trump and the Khan family, Trump and the comments about “Second Amendment people” taking care of Clinton, Trump and the Mexican-American judge, and on and on?
At the same time, I’ll confirm this point: Trump creates so many serial controversies that it’s hard for journalists to keep up with them all. He changes positions, such as on mass deportations, with barely an acknowledgement. He backtracks, such on his earlier birther crusade, without apology. I pressed him last week on the lack of any public record for his contention that he opposed the Iraq invasion. As reporters chase each story, other ones, such as his refusal to release his tax returns, slip off the radar.
But it’s not like Americans haven’t had sustained exposure to Trump’s strengths and weaknesses for more than 15 months.
Perhaps the most vociferous plea comes from Nick Kristof, the liberal, Pulitzer-winning New York Times columnist who often writes about human rights around the world. He thinks Trump is a “crackpot”:
“I wonder if once again our collective reporting isn’t fueling misperceptions.
“A CNN/ORC poll this month found that by a margin of 15 percentage points, voters thought Donald Trump was ‘more honest and trustworthy’ than Hillary Clinton. Let’s be frank: This public perception is completely at odds with all evidence….Clearly, Clinton shades the truth — yet there’s no comparison with Trump.
“I’m not sure that journalism bears responsibility, but this does raise the thorny issue of false equivalence…Is it journalistic malpractice to quote each side and leave it to readers to reach their own conclusions, even if one side seems to fabricate facts or make ludicrous comments?…
“We owe it to our readers to signal when we’re writing about a crackpot. Even if he’s a presidential candidate. No, especially when he’s a presidential candidate.”
Kristof is among the journalists making the case for false equivalence, that Trump is so much less credible than Clinton, even though Clinton has had problems with her private email server and family foundation. So it must be that the press is being too tough on her and not tough enough on Trump.
Liberals think the liberal media is favoring Trump?
That is about as weak as a video causing Benghazi.
Liberals are natural born liars and whiners its just their used to lying and whining its become a game for them