It’s way too early to talk about the 2024 presidential campaign, but it cannot be staved off any more than you can stop Jim Acosta from yelling. Liberals are already concerned about the Republican candidates’ press strategy.
New York magazine posted David Freedlander’s article, “Why Republicans Stopped Talking to the Press.” This headline is inaccurate, unless you think the liberal press is the only press. But it’s true that Republicans are wising up to the ardently editorializing, anti-“false balance” liberal press.
“I just don’t even see what the point is anymore,” said an adviser to one likely GOP aspirant, who requested anonymity to discuss strategy. “We know reporters always disagreed with the Republican Party, but it used to be you thought you could get a fair shake. Now every reporter, and every outlet, is just chasing resistance rage-clicks.”
Another consultant agreed, saying the rise of Twitter has given Republicans “a direct view into the id of every political reporter in America.”
Freedlander correctly deduces that sitting down with the “mainstream press” is now seen as “consorting with the enemy,” and their approval is the “political kiss of death.” See anchors like Jake Tapper asking Rep. Liz Cheney if she will run for president.
Some liberals are naturally bitter. “Fundamentally, they don’t want to have to defend Donald Trump and his falsehoods about the election,” said Jeremy Peters of The New York Times. That’s certainly true. One candidate could claim they believe Joe Biden to be the legitimate president. Yet, the liberal media will inevitably want the race to be about Trump, election denialism, and Jan. 6, who would find that gauntlet a productive way to win?
A primary race should cause Trump-skeptical Republicans to be more aggressive in telling voters that Trump’s failure to concede defeat makes him unelectable, and dwelling in the past won’t lead to victory. Biden has contributed to many of the country’s problems, including immigration, crime and inflation.
Try to imagine John Harwood-style moderators handling a Republican discussion. All Republicans turned against Harwood in 2015 because of his obvious bias. This is why the Republican National Committee rightly signaled it wouldn’t submit to another cycle of abuse from the Commission on Presidential Debates.
Instead, it’s a commonly held Republican belief that a hit piece from the liberal media is much better than a puff piece. Take CBS “60 Minutes” correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi harassing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis discusses his COVID-19 reply at a press conference as part their hit piece. This is the same show where Steve Kroft lobbied over Barack Obama so many time that they made a slobbery DVD following their 2008 victory.
Last weekend, “mainstream” reporters complained about lack of access to the Sunshine Summit thrown by Florida Republicans. “My message to them is to try crying about it. Then go to kickboxing and have a margarita,” DeSantis spokeswoman Christina Pushaw replied on Twitter, mock-quoting a comment previously made by then-White House press secretary Jen Psaki. “And write the same hit piece you were gonna write anyway.”
In a world filled with right-leaning websites and podcasts, why should Republican candidates ever be interviewed by people who hate them more than Democrats who submit their interviews to Fox Newsmax or New York Post?
A Republican nominee who needs more votes than Republicans can help broaden the media strategy for the general election phase. Democrats should be forced to accept at least as many hostile interviewers and debate moderators as Republicans in any presidential race.
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