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Ear to the Ground

Conservative Media’s Fickle Affections

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Posted on Feb 15, 2008
Murdoch and Clinton
radaronline.com

Media baron Rupert Murdoch poses with Hillary Clinton.

It wasn’t so long ago that Matt Drudge and Rupert Murdoch’s minions cooed over Hillary Clinton’s centrism, but in the end the self-styled titans of right-wing media couldn’t resist bashing her, much to their readers’ delight. Politico chronicles the rise and fall of conservatives’ brief love affair with Hillary Clinton.

Politico:

Over the course of her six years as a New York senator and in the early days of her presidential campaign, Hillary Rodham Clinton cultivated an unlikely set of allies: the conservative media.

From Rupert Murdoch to David Brooks to Matt Drudge, her campaign courted them with every instrument at its disposal, including targeted leaks and Bill Clinton’s legendary personal charm.

But when Sen. Clinton’s campaign started to stumble, those hard-won friends were the first to go. Murdoch’s pet tabloid, the New York Post, repudiated her and endorsed Sen. Barack Obama. The Drudge Report rode her decline as gleefully as it watched her rise. And the pundit class moved from its grudging respect for Clinton into an infatuation with Obama.

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By kevin99999, February 17 at 9:37 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

LOL the same thing can be said about the left.

In this campaign season I have learned that left’ hollier than thou attitude about the political discourse is hypocritical and is misplace. They pretty much behave in the same manner and with as much venom as the right.

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By Louise, February 16 at 8:35 pm #

There’s a good lesson to be learned here. Reaching out to all sides, in an effort at conciliation is probably a good thing. The trick is to remember it’s better to hold hands across the table than climb into bed.

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By rage, February 16 at 4:55 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

Oh, give me a break!

As long as Hillary’s coronation was presumed inevitable, all the press on her was inundated with glowing praise and Clinton worship. Now that she’s boasting an 8-game losing streak, that the press is treating her the way it treated the winless Dolphins this season should not come as a surprise. Mediocrity and failure just don’t sell in American media. Just ask Tom Brady, from whom we’ve heard nearly nothing since the Manning suppression of the Super Bowl. Retirees are coming out of the woodwork now to kick Brady while he’s down. It’s the American way.

In the end, the Aussie Rupert Murdoch can’t vote in this election. So, regardless of what happens March 5th, Murdoch still has to run his media business in the continued interest of making himself an obscenely huge pile of money, even if that means cashing in on a ‘friend’s’ shortcomings and ill fortune. If the money Murdoch has invested in Hillary’s run for the Oval Office is not enough support to get her over every political hurdle in this Oval Office marathon, then Murdock’s vicious minions will be released on her just as they would be turned loose on any other loser. Alas, it’s not personal, but media business.

Instead of whining about how unfair the media is, Hillary needs to focus on snatching either Wisconsin or Hawaii, in an effort to build momentum for Texas, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. It’s what Barak did before Super Tuesday when the media was being mean to him. Barak didn’t fuss and grumble about the media. Instead, he got out and stomped the yard to put the brakes on Hillary’s inevitability. Even with success, the media has been chilly toward Barak. Still, though, he packs out halls and stadiums getting out his gospel of change and unity. His FlavorAde is not much different from Hillary’s. It’s just more attractively packaged in flavors the public likes more than Hillary’s standard Mickey D orange drink.

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By republicanSScareme, February 16 at 2:55 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

Who does that sleazebag Murdoch think he is? The biggest right-wing, hate-spewing Zionist nut-job on the planet endorsing a Democrat? Are we suppossed to believe that?

Murdoch must realize that, being the most despised person in America, even the Devil would not want his endorsement.

I hope he doesn’t endorse Jesus Christ.

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By republicanSScareme, February 16 at 2:44 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

Who does that sleazebag think he is? The biggest right-wing, hate-spewing Zionist nut-job on the planet endorsing a Democrat? Are we suppossed to believe that?

Murdoch must realize that, being the most despised person in America, even the Devil would not want his endorsement.

I hope he doesn’t endorse Jesus Christ.

Report this

By troublesum, February 16 at 7:17 am #

The “love affair” is what killed her with the party’s base and maybe that was the motive all along.

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