John McLaughlin Asks 'Is the Press in Love With Obama?' Eleanor Clift Says 'No'

March 11th, 2012 5:05 PM

The host of PBS's McLaughlin Group asked his panelists this weekend, "Is the press in love with Obama?"

Not surprisingly, all in attendance said "Yes" with the exception of Newsweek's Eleanor Clift who predictably protested, "No, they aren't" (video follows with transcript and commentary):


JOHN MCLAUGHLIN, HOST: You think journalists are manufacturing or at least exaggerating the inability of, the alleged inability of Romney to connect with voters on some kind of a transformative way, by the way he looks, or things like that, that he lacks any real full identity? Do you get that from the press? You know, the press is about, what, 85 percent they voted for George McGovern for President of the United States?

ELEANOR CLIFT, NEWSWEEK: That’s been a while, John.

MCLAUGHLIN: Is that true now?

MORT ZUCKERMAN, US NEWS AND WORLD REPORT: Oh, yes. It is.

MCLAUGHLIN: The press can't be against Obama. Is the press in love with Obama?

ZUCKERMAN: Yes.

CLIFT: No, they aren’t. They’re disappointed in Obama.

JAMES PETHOKOUKIS, AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE: That relationship is solid.

Despite Clift's protests, I think our friend Ann Coulter said it best last year, "Liberals would drink Obama's bathwater."