Usually when the network news programs want to destroy a candidate they call that candidate “conservative” (or hard right, ultra conservative, right-wing, etc.) as much as possible. So, how did the networks cover Rand Paul today? Interestingly enough the word “conservative” was completely missing from coverage.
Of course, to you and me, the word “conservative” is not a drawback, but you can tell how the Old Media establishment feels about someone by looking at the labels they use to describe politicians. So, what happened today? Newsbusters has the story.
On Tuesday, April 7 Kentucky Senator Rand Paul became the second Republican to officially enter the 2016 presidential race, following Senator Ted Cruz’s announcement on March 23. However, on the morning of their respective presidential announcements, the “Big Three” (ABC, CBS, and NBC) networks went out of their way to label Cruz a “conservative” 13 times, compared to zero conservative labels for Senator Paul this morning.
The discrepancy in the “conservative” ID comes despite the two senators’ having nearly identical ratings from the American Conservative Union. Cruz has a lifetime rating of 100% whereas Paul’s ACU rating is 98.67%. Although the networks never once labeled Senator Paul a conservative, CBS and NBC each labeled him libertarian once.
Immediately following Cruz’s announcement in March, NBC and CBS quickly identified the Tea Party favorite as a “conservative firebrand” and stressed how he planned to run a “very conservative campaign.” ABC’s Jon Karl noted that he’s a “conservative’s conservative, somebody who delights not just in fighting liberals but mainstream Republicans too.”
So, what do you guys think of this? Is it meaningful? Tell us your thoughts below.