When it comes to the impending presidential primaries, Republicans need not bother attacking each other. The liberal press seems content to do so for them.
That lesson appears obvious based on the initial coverage to date of Nikki Haley’s campaign. When former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley entered the race, the Trump campaign issued a press release chronicling her political history. Nathaniel Weixel, a “reporter” at The Hill, turned that press release into a partisan attack masquerading as a “news” item. He all but accused most Republicans of wanting to throw Grandma over the proverbial cliff.
Trump Campaign Release
But while the Trump campaign’s attack was vicious, the ensuing articles made it seem comparatively tame and conventional. This release consisted of a series of press clippings about and quotes from Haley, some of which discussed her prior support for structural Medicare and Social Security changes proposed by then-Rep. Paul Ryan when he was chairman of the House Budget Committee.
Compare that to how Weixel characterized the missive: “The Trump campaign noted Haley supported former Speaker Paul Ryan’s plan to eliminate Medicare and turn it into a voucher system.” Weixel then went on to claim, “Republicans have long favored cutting or even eliminating Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security.”
The Trump campaign’s release attacking Haley said not a word about “eliminating” Medicare or Social Security. Nor did it use the word “vouchers” against Haley. Weixel decided instead to insert those terms himself, among other attacks thinly disguised as “reporting.”
Partisan Bias
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