Media Blow It Again

Discussion Policy

Comments that include profanity or personal attacks or other inappropriate comments or material will be removed from the site. Additionally, entries that are unsigned or contain "signatures" by someone other than the actual author will be removed. Finally, we will take steps to block users who violate any of our posting standards, terms of use or privacy policies or any other policies governing this site. Please review the full rules governing commentaries and discussions. You are fully responsible for the content that you post.

That was then. This is now.

"A big night for Hillary Clinton," Tim Russert said last night, even as the race was too close to call.

"A stunner," said Brian Williams.

And then, at 10:31, MSNBC projected Hillary as the winner. CNN and Fox followed suit 15 minutes later, and the scrambling began. Spin was modified, explanations revised.

"One of the greatest political upsets in American political history," Russert said.

"Bill Clinton helped her in the end," Fox's Bill Kristol said.

CNN's Anderson Cooper questioned whether people lied to pollsters about supporting an African American candidate. MSNBC's Joe Scarborough raised the same issue. Washington Post columnist Gene Robinson said he didn't think it was a major factor.

But a lot of people made up their minds in the last 24 hours--too late to be caught by the almighty polls.

Now to the coverage.

NYT: "Her victory in the Democratic primary on Tuesday night was portrayed by her campaign as a stunning turnabout. Given how dire her situation had appeared just hours earlier, the spin was not unjustified."

LAT: "She became the first female candidate ever to win a major-party primary and took a significant step toward becoming the nation's first female president."

WP: "It provided a huge psychological boost to the Clinton campaign, just as the results Tuesday buoyed Republican John McCain, and instantly deflated the almost giddy sense of anticipation inside Obama's headquarters."

< 2 >