Is it better to say nothing and simply let the corporate media buy into their own propaganda? This is the kind of rhetoric and spin that got them into trouble during the 2016 election, after all.
Lawrence O’Donnell and other pundits chimed in during MSNBC's coverage of the South Carolina primary to make the argument that Donald Trump's crushing 20 point lead over establishment favorite Nikki Haley in her home state is actually a "disastrous" result that will lead to his defeat in the November presidential election.
“These numbers are disastrous for Donald Trump.” Lawrence O’Donnell gives a reality check on Trump’s South Carolina primary win. (Video: MSNBC) pic.twitter.com/Nw6e6Syjye
— Mike Sington (@MikeSington) February 25, 2024
The leftist commentators seem to be overlooking some important factors in their comparison to Joe Biden's "win" in South Carolina's Democratic primaries. First and foremost, Biden's 96% victory in SC was due to the reality that he is the incumbent candidate and his only competition was two no-name proxy candidates which no one has heard of (run Biden against RFK Jr, for example, and watch his primary numbers plummet).
Second, SC runs open primaries, meaning anyone including Democrats can vote on the Republican side of the election. Nikki Haley has consistently courted Democrats to vote for her in open primary states to thwart Donald Trump's campaign, and the media has also been encouraging Democrat voters to rig open Republican primaries.
Far from indicating a "disastrous" voter gap for Trump, the Democrats voting for Haley in South Carolina were always going to vote for Biden in November anyway. MSNBC's ignorance of this basic fact might be theatrical; a lie by omission designed for an audience that never fact checks their news. Or, they may be completely delusional.
Joe Biden is currently sporting the worst presidential approval rating in modern history next to Jimmy Carter, with an attempt at a tyrannical pandemic lockdown, attempted forced vaccinations, a stagflationary crisis and a massive illegal immigration crisis under his belt. On top of all this, the majority of Democrats don't support his reelection run and prefer he step down.
Regardless of one's position on Donald Trump, it is undeniable that with the current numbers and under normal election conditions Biden would be facing a near certain loss in November. Who knows what might happen in the next several months, but the level of denial coming from corporate outlets as the primaries roll forward is extraordinary.
