Campaigns & Elections

The pundit class in the U.S. and much of the rest of the world is still seething over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's electoral triumph last week. On Monday, Dan Perry at the Associated Press took that hysteria to a new level, in effect attempting to discredit Bibi's win by writing that, after all, it may not really be correct to call Israel a democracy. That's because "Palestinians" who are…

Appearing on Fox News's Kelly File Tuesday night, Texas Senator Ted Cruz mocked the virulent media coverage of his newly-announced presidential campaign: "Well, look, there's nothing like the warm embrace of the mainstream media."

On Wednesday's New Day, CNN's John King, along with National Journal's Ron Fournier and the AP's Julie Pace, offered Hillary Clinton some advice, after the Democrat told a friendly audience of journalists that she hoped for a "new relationship with the press." Fournier replied that "she...needs an intervention of folks who understand the media, and can explain to her, they're not your enemy. They…

Discussing the presidential bid of Senator Ted Cruz with Fox News host Bill O'Reilly on Tuesday's CBS Late Show, host David Letterman described the Texas Republican motivating "extreme" supporters: "...he announced at Liberty College [sic], which is Jerry Falwell's place.... And that was, of course, purposeful, because he wanted to establish his – the base, the core of the extreme right-wing part…

On Tuesday night, Comedy Central host Larry Wilmore viciously attacked Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) and deemed his 2016 presidential campaign "'Backlash 2016: The unblackening' begins tonight. It is time for America to say f*** you to the notion that once you go black you never go back." The Nightly Show host opened his broadcast by shamelessly proclaiming "we ask the question can a foreign-born half-…

It's as if they were waiting, breathlessly. The moment Ted Cruz announced his presidential campaign, the national media proclaimed their horror. He was “brash,” a “hardliner,” an “uncompromising conservative,” they warned. ABC anchor David Muir announced his agenda was the usual No list: “Promising no abortion, no gay marriage, no gun control, no IRS.” Apparently there's no room for hope and…

Hardball host Chris Matthews was at it again tonight, comparing Sen. Ted Cruz to Joe McCarthy and prattling on with his usual hyperbolic bluster. But Matthews also misinformed his audience by insisting, twice, that the Texas Republican has never voted for an Obama appointee. That's demonstrably false. 

Hillary Clinton keynoted an event stuffed with political journalists on Monday night, for the Robin Toner Prize, handed out by Syracuse University and named for a liberal New York Times reporter who died in 2008. Mrs. Clinton spoke for 20 minutes, and refused to take any questions. She won a standing ovation anyway. The prize was awarded to Washington Post chief correspondent Dan Balz, but the…

The New York Times on Monday welcomed Ted Cruz to the 2016 presidential race by highlighting accusations that the Texas Republican is a "demagogue" and a "political flamethrower." In a piece by Nick Corasaniti and Patrick Healy, the two writers declared, "He sometimes deploys the soaring diction of a preacher while staking out uncompromising and rigid conservative positions, often playing the…

On Tuesday, the hosts of The View continued their merciless attack on Senator Ted Cruz following his announcement that he will seek the Republican nomination for president in 2016 with Whoopi Goldberg once again lumping the Texas senator in with the birther movement. 

In a preview of the 2016 campaign, all five late night comics on Monday night mocked Ted Cruz, hitting the Republican as anti-immigrant, regressive and stupid. CBS host David Letterman didn't bother with a joke. Instead, he lectured, "Here's what I find interesting about Ted Cruz, he was born in Canada. His father fled to the United States from Cuba. Yet, Ted Cruz is against immigration. Isn't…

In interviews with all three broadcast networks on Tuesday, newly-announced Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz was pressed on whether he would abandon his conservative principles in a White House run. Matt Lauer: "In your short time in the Senate you've developed a reputation as a guy who does not back down, who will not compromise....Will you bring that brand of no-compromise to the…

On Monday night, the major broadcast networks devoted full segments to the announcement from Republican Senator Ted Cruz (Tex.) that he will seek the Republican presidential nomination in 2016, with CBS touting how he could face “some rough sledding” if he seeks support from “mainstream Republicans” and ABC made sure to point out his promises of “no abortion, no gay marriage, no gun control,” and…