Columnists Game Changed: MSNBC Throws Bernie Into a Fire, Hillary Into a Pillow Fight

[riversedge]

I am not a fan of Mediaite. but this is interesting. Poor Bernie--it is about time he got asked some tough questions.


Game Changed: MSNBC Throws Bernie Into a Fire, Hillary Into a Pillow Fight

http://www.mediaite.com/tv/game-changed-msnbc-throws-bernie-into-a-fire-hillary-into-a-pillow-fight/

by Tommy Christopher | 11:49 am, February 26th, 2016

After months of displaying a demonstrable anti-Hillary Clinton and pro-Bernie Sanders bias, something seems to have changed at MSNBC, if the network’s two most recent interviews are any indication. Morning Joe hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski, who only ever take time out from attacking Hillary to fluff Donald Trump, conducted a nearly 40-minute interview with Clinton that was softer than a warm roll of Charmin. The interview aired Friday morning, and here’s a taste of what Hillary faced on that snuggly firing line:


....................

By contrast, Bernie Sanders did an hour-long town hall special with Chris Matthews Thursday night, and the questioning there went beyond adversarial and into sneering derisiveness that was just this side of abusive:

Now, there are ways and there are ways to conduct a “tough” interview, but spending 14 minutes stuck in the same ditch while you yell at a guy is just a waste of everyone’s time. Whether you like Bernie’s answer or you don’t, it shouldn’t take any grown adult fourteen minutes to get it to sink in. Sanders seemed to grasp this as well, because in the highlight of the interview, he finally loses patience with Matthews, gets it back, and loses it again. I love the way he winds up lowering his voice to a near-whisper, as if he’s calming an excited toddler:

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But that’s beside the point here. This pair of interviews seems to signal a media narrative shift that’s pretty stark, a bait-and-switch away from Hillary as damaged goods vs. upstart Bernie, and to a Hillary who’s turned the corner and a Bernie who can’t possibly do anything ever.

Hillary Clinton supporters might find this a refreshing change, but a softball interview like that doesn’t do her any favors, nor does haranguing Bernie like a rabid chihuahua for fifteen minutes. Really good, challenging questions are an opportunity for candidates, especially in settings like these, and both candidates were denied those opportunities, as were voters. I still haven’t heard how Hillary Clinton plans to get us to universal coverage, or how Bernie Sanders plans on convincing Americans to ignore his foreign policy blind spot when some yoyo scares the crap out of them in a couple of months by hollering “ISIS.”................

[Rose Siding]

1. The conclusion is easy questions don't help her and

hard questions to Bernie don't help her? I think the Matthews interview should help her a lot! He really nailed Sanders down on how could you make this happen and got NO good answers.

Chris really surprised me with how thorough he was.

[Tarheel_Dem]

7. You guys make it sound like I missed something. I tuned out MSNBC cuz their basic coverage...

has been All Trump, All the time. And when they got tired of "fluffing" Trump, they'd switch to doing the same thing to BS. I'm almost sorry I missed that interview now.

[Thinkingabout]

2. Matthews did not ease past the questions he was asking.

It was an enlightening interview, realized more information than has been given by Sanders in the past.

[Control-Z]

3. At least it wasn't 11 hours.

"but a softball interview like that doesn’t do her any favors, nor does haranguing Bernie like a rabid chihuahua for fifteen minutes."

[charlyvi]

5. Excuse me but I don't think Hillary's ever had a softball interview in her life.

But I didn't see it. As for Bernie, so far the media and the Repub party have yet to tear any bark off Bernie. They/ve criticized him, yes, but nothing like the the red hot vitriol they've flung at Hillary for 25 years, Chris Matthews being among the most vocal. If this was a fluff Hillary piece, the only thing I can figure is that they much prefer her to Trump.

[radical noodle]

9. I saw part of it

Joe and Mika went after her for a few minutes over the stupid transcripts. That's the only bit I saw. It was far too early in the morning for me.

I purposely missed the thing with Bernie and Chris Matthews. That show is called Hardball for a reason. If Matthews wants an answer to something, he can be like a pit bull.

[charlyvi]

10. Yep

He should name the show Hard Bull!

[radical noodle]

12. LMAO! Yes! eom

[hollysmom]

4. excuse me - pro-Sanders bias - I missed it ----- ever.

Now pro-Trump bias was is and ever and always.

[Cha]

11. Too bad you missed it.. it was there. This is Hillary's Group, FYI

[BillyDawg]

6. I don't see anything wrong with this

He needs to face tough questions. Prove that he can handle it, because Hillary has already done that.

[fleabiscuit]

8. Now that they have gone 24/7 election ~

If their ratings change reflect real life polls between HRC and BS, then they are probably hearing crickets as a result of the slant they have been presenting lately. Effers. The only thing I can still stand to watch now and then is Rachel, and even then there are days...

[Historic NY]

13. I've given up on the TV media...

thankfully there is media on twitter that doesn't take sides and calls out bias. Those that do will respond and engage not run and hide. Many work print media.

[Starry Messenger]

14. Finally.

I thought they were making him co-anchor all the past months.

[Nonhlanhla]

15. "A warm roll of Charmin"?

Did they get their Pillsbury rolls and their toilet paper mixed up?

Inquiring minds want to know...