RNC Threatens to Boycott Networks That Air Hillary Clinton Documentaries

With NBC and CNN both planning to devote special coverage to the potential 2016 presidential candidate, Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus says his group will freeze out networks that put a “thumb on the scales of the 2016 presidential election.”

Priebus has something of a point. As he says, such media time not only threatens Republicans, but could give an unfair disadvantage to Democrats, such as New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Vice President Joe Biden, who might also run in 2016.

That said, Hillary Clinton, who has not yet even announced a desire to run, is a famous person who has led multiple interesting lives and there’s plenty of material there for a fascinating documentary or two. The GOP chair should reserve his hissy fit until we can determine whether these planned programs show warts and all, or, as he so fears, turn out to be puff pieces.

And if they are, we might point out that it was a Republican who killed the Fairness Doctrine and a conservative-dominated Supreme Court that decided corporations can spend unlimited amounts of money promoting their preferred candidates. So it’s a little late to be whining about unfair coverage in the media.

Or, as top Democratic strategist David Plouffe tweeted:

Better RNC debate plan. Held in hermetically sealed Fox studio. Avoid exposing swing voters to Crazy S*#t My Nominee Says.

— David Plouffe (@davidplouffe) August 5, 2013

— Posted by Peter Z. Scheer