The level of media bias in reporting the Democratic National Convention is as high as I have ever seen outside of North Korea and the old Soviet bloc. The GOP convention was declared a disaster many times during its four-day run, but the DNC, reeling from revelations of the rigging of the primary contests, is getting far more benign descriptors, as the media avert their eyes from unpleasant realities.
Among the most unpleasant realities for Democrats and the media is the anger of Bernie supporters now that it is clear the campaign into which they threw their hearts and souls was fixed all along. Somehow, that ager must be minimized, trivialized, and eventually extinguished if Donald Trump is to be stopped. And in the eyes of the media, that threat is so overwhelming that no restraints whatsoever are justified in making the case against him as propagandists rather than honest observers and reporters.
So the focus last night at the DNC was "history being made," (no Y chromosomes at the top of the ticket) and a soft focus look at Hillary's record as a left wing activist using children as a front for demanding leftist policies and selected aspects of her personal relationship with Bill Clinton, the most popular living Democrat (if you ask Democrats).
As propaganda, it was skillful. The Dems, after all, have 10 times or more the access to high level Hollywood talent than the GOP does. But there was an awkward reality to be minimized, the walkout by angry supporters of Bernie. M.J. Lee of CNN reported on it:
Bernie Sanders fans are staging a walkout now after Hillary Clinton is nominated #DemsInPhillypic.twitter.com/HTBrmcK6x7
- MJ Lee (@mj_lee) July 26, 2016Some Bernie Sanders supporters have walked out in protest. Now in press tent #DemsInPhillypic.twitter.com/LUlDqXHPrM
- MJ Lee (@mj_lee) July 26, 2016Bernie walkout has turned into a mostly silent sit-in. #DemsInPhillypic.twitter.com/J15MosdSM2
- MJ Lee (@mj_lee) July 26, 2016Here is some footage from Fox Business Network covering the walkout:
This is footage of the #DNCwalkout and #Demexit from Fox Business. They are describing thousands outnumbering cops. pic.twitter.com/b0rZkzv7T3
- #Demexit (@acynicalvoter) July 27, 2016It wasn't all kumbaya:
Cops aren't stopping bonfire. Small US flag just burned #DemsInPhilly#DemConventionpic.twitter.com/VVmGsZ9fg3
- Steven Nelson (@stevennelson10) July 27, 2016Dave Weigel of the Washington Post estimated the number delegates who walked out at 150:
There are around 1900 Bernie delegates; looks like 150 or so walked out, obscured by media. pic.twitter.com/jQlrbDHN1l
- daveweigel (@daveweigel) July 26, 2016But the crowd looked bigger to others. No doubt once outside the arena, more people joined them.
But the same reporter noticed some amusing theatrics among the Oregon delegation:
Oregon delegates walk out wearing black gags pic.twitter.com/Tndw1E6Lz7
- daveweigel (@daveweigel) July 26, 2016Imagine, for a moment, that Ted Cruz delegates had walked out on the GOP convention. Would the media have interrupted its coverage of the convention floor to follow the out and give them plenty of air time to speak their minds? Or, would they have just "chilled"?
Some media just chilling and working while maybe 25 Bernie delegates sit in. Interesting but fringe protest.
- daveweigel (@daveweigel) July 26, 2016
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