This morning on a local radio talk show, a NH Republican strategist gave advice to the remaining GOP presidential candidates. This strategist, (who shall remain nameless since I’m not gunning for a personal attack here), clearly stated:
The GOP candidates should “embrace” the media.
OK. Embrace the media. I have two thoughts about this statement, (well, more than two, but here are the ones in the forefront):
1.) To make the statement that the GOP needs to “embrace the media”, the Republican strategist must believe that the headline-garnering controversies that some of the GOP candidates are having would be reduced by actively engaging even more with the media. As if their “problems” were the cause of being too aloof with political reporters in general. That somehow, being more approachable or engaged with the media talking heads will make those same talking heads more sympathetic to the GOP.
I’m going to shoot that idea down right now. I can’t remember one single GOP candidate refusing to participate in any press events, or roping off reporters during Independence Day parades, or limiting the number of questions from reporters because “one is all they are entitled to”. The opposite might be true, in that some candidates can’t get any air time. (Has anyone seen Ted Cruz on any news or opinion shows recently?) It seems to me that embracing the media wouldn’t solve the problem here, as the GOP candidates are already girding their loins and actively “embracing” as much as the raging bull reporters will allow them to.
2:) The strategist must have a blind spot the size of Texas to not see that it isn’t the candidates but the media itself that is the cause of the controversies. Controversies generate ratings. But here is the kicker: when the media–who is dominated by individuals on the left side of the political spectrum–create a controversy for a supposed candidate on the right, they have a double win. They put all of their efforts into destroying candidates AND make money while doing it. Amazing. (What is more amazing is that the RNC lets this happen, and might even be helping a bit. But that is a topic for another post.)
To illustrate how the media get two for the price of one, here are just two recent examples: the Muslim question directed at Ben Carson on Sunday, and the overall structure of Wednesday’s CNN debate.
Let’s look at that Muslim question first. Chuck Todd asks Dr. Carson the completely hypothetical question of whether or not he would support a Muslim president. Setting aside the fact that there is no Muslim candidate for higher office anywhere near the ballpark, it is clear that Chuck was simply swinging for the ratings fences while also giving the Left more rotten tomatoes to hurl at a GOP candidate–regardless of what answer was given. More rotten tomatoes can then be hurled at additional GOP candidates when they are asked to “react” to Dr. Carson’s answer—even better for Chuck Todd, et al.
It makes absolutely no difference that the question was fabricated for nefarious reasons, or that Dr. Carson prefaced his answer with a qualifying statement; the media that our strategist would have the GOP “embrace” would rather field gotcha questions and “report” an edited answer than ask substantive questions of a candidate. They created another toxic soundbite to be played in the echo chamber that is the 24/7 liberal media with Dr. Carson’s truncated answer. And made money doing it. Winning!
Now for the debate itself, (and I believe this particular one is a travesty), CNN’s structure was wholly created to pit one candidate against another. Most of the questions were posed as if the candidates were in the fifth grade and Jake Tapper was the scolding teacher: “Mr. X, you said this about Mrs. Y. Mrs. Y, tell Mr. X why he is wrong.” Seriously? This is the best that CNN can do? It seems to me that the idea of a candidate debate for the highest office of the land should be more about substance and not about the responses of candidates who have been the recipients of ad hominem attacks by other candidates.
As voters and viewers, we learned virtually nothing new about the candidates’ positions on anything during that debate. But we know how small minded Jake Tapper and his faceless bosses are. And even more importantly, we know what they were doing with this debate structure. The leftist media, as represented by CNN in this example, is really only serving itself and its goal to rid the world of any type of conservative–and Donald Trump, too. I say Donald Trump, too, since he is the one candidate that the political elites of BOTH sides want to be rid of. Quickly.
So, to go back to that nameless Republican strategist from this morning: He wants the GOP to warmly embrace the very people that not only make a living at, but also get a moral satisfaction for, knocking the GOP into the dirt. No wonder the GOP is having a hard time here in New Hampshire, with advice like this!