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So, I posted my first reaction to the MSNBC/David Shuster/Clinton debacle a couple of days ago. And it's really stuck in my craw. And I finally figured out why. The question of how offensive the comment was really isn't the point of all this. I happen to think it wasn't particularly offensive. Your mileage may vary. Certainly, it's far less offensive than a lot of the things that have been uttered about the Clintons by Matthews, Scarborough, Carlson, and yes, even Olbermann. And let's make one thing clear. David Shuster did not call Chelsea Clinton a prostitute. He never once implied that she was literally having sex with superdelegates in exchange for votes for Hillary, nor that she was doing it at Hillary's insistence. He was speaking metaphorically and anyone who doesn't realize that is either a blithering idiot, or willfully ignorant. And I've dealt with that in the White House for eight years. I don't want that anymore.
But the real point of all this, is that no matter the level of offensiveness of the comment, the decision to discipline Shuster and the severity of that discipline is an internal matter for NBC news. The Clintons should have no say. If they were offended they should say so and be done with it. But instead, they're making a mountain out of molehill and using it to strongarm the network. It's not appropriate for a presidential candidate to attempt to manipulate a news outlet because they don't like what that news outlet is saying. It's certainly not something I want my president to do.
I've been leaning toward Clinton in the race so far. And let me tell you, I've been overlooking a lot of bad behavior, because I really think she could be a good president. But I can't overlook this. If this is how she's going to deal with criticism in the media, then I don't want her anywhere near the White House.
And it makes me sad, because I was actually fairly excited about her until all this happened. And now I'm just voting for Obama this April because he's my only other option. It would've been the first time since I was old enough to vote that I voted for someone rather than against someone else. And she ruined that for me.
I'm also pretty pissed off at Keith Olbermann right now. Because you know that if it were George W. Bush attempting to strongarm a news outlet instead of Hillary Clinton that I'd be anxiously awaiting a special comment tonight instead of trying to forget that absolutely awful apology from Friday.
But the real point of all this, is that no matter the level of offensiveness of the comment, the decision to discipline Shuster and the severity of that discipline is an internal matter for NBC news. The Clintons should have no say. If they were offended they should say so and be done with it. But instead, they're making a mountain out of molehill and using it to strongarm the network. It's not appropriate for a presidential candidate to attempt to manipulate a news outlet because they don't like what that news outlet is saying. It's certainly not something I want my president to do.
I've been leaning toward Clinton in the race so far. And let me tell you, I've been overlooking a lot of bad behavior, because I really think she could be a good president. But I can't overlook this. If this is how she's going to deal with criticism in the media, then I don't want her anywhere near the White House.
And it makes me sad, because I was actually fairly excited about her until all this happened. And now I'm just voting for Obama this April because he's my only other option. It would've been the first time since I was old enough to vote that I voted for someone rather than against someone else. And she ruined that for me.
I'm also pretty pissed off at Keith Olbermann right now. Because you know that if it were George W. Bush attempting to strongarm a news outlet instead of Hillary Clinton that I'd be anxiously awaiting a special comment tonight instead of trying to forget that absolutely awful apology from Friday.
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