I just had an impromptu conversation with some colleagues about what to make of Trump campaign manager Kellyanne Conway at once hammering Clinton’s medical secrecy while also saying that Dr. Oz agrees with her that Trump has a “right to privacy” when it comes to his health records.
I had a chance to read New York Times public editor Liz Spayd’s much discussed column on “false balance.” I’ve seen many ‘false balance’ critics attacking it and countless national news reporters embracing it. Spayd locks in on some real shortcomings of this media critique. But they are largely clumsy versions of the argument which allow Spayd to ignore the actual criticism. And she concludes with what amounts to a generalized, all good, Times reporters!, please don’t be “intimidated” by these arguments.
The reality is that the contemporary journalistic concept of ‘balance’ is inevitably in tension with accuracy. How to resolve that tension is a point of debate. To essentially deny the tension, as Spayd does, shows you’re just not engaging the question.
ICYMI: I explain why “deplorables” was always more of a double-edged sword than Team Trump realized.
In one of the more surreal but telling moments of the 2016 campaign last night, Trump supporter David Duke took to Twitter to attack Wolf BIitzer after Mike Pence refused to call Duke “deplorable.”
Wolf Blitzer demands that Pense call me “Deplorable” and he refuses.. Wolfie boy, still upset that I outed you on CNN as an AIPAC AGENT?
— David Duke (@DrDavidDuke) September 13, 2016
And there we have it. In what the Post calls a “tense” rally in North Carolina this afternoon, where Trump focused on “deplorables” and was repeatedly interrupted by protesters, a supporter shoved and punched two male and one female protesters before the protesters were led out of the arena. Trump condemned what he called Clinton’s “hate-filled campaign” with “no policy, no solutions and no new ideas.”
The attacker was apparently allowed to stay. The return of Trump rally violence was first flagged as it happened by NBC’s Ali Vitali.
I’m not sure how I missed this. At the Family Research Council Action convention last week, where Trump spoke, Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin (R) both lamented and called for revolution and bloodshed to “redeem” what will be lost if Hillary is victorious.
Apparently this just happened, according to NBC News reporter Ali Vitali …
A Trump supporter just grabbed a protester by the neck then punched him. Protester escorted out, man stayed.
— Ali Vitali (@alivitali) September 12, 2016
Mike Pence refusing to label David Duke as “deplorable” is a good example of why “Deplorable” was always far more of a double-edged sword than the Trump crew seemed to realize.
As we noted over the weekend, the “half” part of Clinton’s remarks was what got her in trouble. Some argue that you should never attack a candidate’s supporters. That’s probably true if you place the percentage so high. But Trump’s white nationalism and embrace of dominance politics is both what gives his campaign fuel and keeps it locked at about 40% support nationwide. The racist demons Trump has brought openly into the public square are a major liability for him.
Veep candidate Mike Pence is currently being interviewed by Wolf Blitzer. And it’s not going terribly well. One key moment happened when Pence refused to call David Duke “deplorable.” Transcript after the jump …