Mimsy Were the Borogoves

Book Reviews: From political histories to bad comics, to bad comics of political histories. And the occasional rant about fiction and writing.

Stephanopoulos: No bias in media

Jerry Stratton, September 2, 2012

At the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida, George Stephanopoulos was asked if he believes there is a liberal bias in the media.

I don’t,” he said.

Really, George? You were aware of it when you wrote your autobiography. In my review of All Too Human I quoted Stephanopoulos as saying that Ted Koppel helped him win a debate against the Republicans. This was on page 96, and it started around page 93. The debate that Koppel helped “turn” in Clinton’s favor was that Hillary Clinton kept going on TV and saying things far to the left of the mainstream. This particular gaffe was relatively minor: Hillary mildly denigrating staying home to drink tea and make cookies, but the problem was an ongoing one. For the more substantive, and thus harder to sound-bite, progressivisms, the media was able to ignore it, but “tea and cookies” was obviously going to be a memorable line.

Why did the media ignore Hillary Clinton’s progressive gaffes when they could?

Most of the reporters shared her progressive side and kind of liked her sarcastic sense of humor. So did I, but the Republicans would have a field day if Hillary didn’t clean this up before the close of the news cycle.

Stephanopoulos was happy to accept a “progressive” bias then, both that it existed and when it helped them:

What turned the debate was Ted Koppel’s using his anchorman’s authority to subtly suggest that the attacks on Hillary were misleading. All I had to do was fall in behind and remind viewers that the Republicans were up to their old tricks.

Emphasis mine, and the bias has only gotten worse since then. The only time Conservatives have the opportunity to “fall in behind” is when they’re joining in attacks on other conservatives.

In response to All Too Human: George Stephanopoulos writes about his time in the Clinton campaign and White House. He also talks about his hero worship and subsequent disillusionment.