This Sunday's New York Times ( NYT ) article by Amy Chozic ko , headlined "Issues in Hillary Clinton's Past Leave Her Muted in Furor Over Donald Trump" ("Clinton Treads Lightly Amid Furor Over Trump" in the print edition) provides a fine example of how the mainstream press covers up Hillary Clinton's problems, even when they claim to be reporting on them.
The article introduces itself as explaining Hillary's "virtual silence" regarding the issues of Donald Trump's piggish treatment of women--issues that she herself raised in this campaign. The article mentions, in the most non-specific way possible, that she's an "imperfect messenger" for these issues because of her "missteps" in dealing with her own "husband's history" of piggish behavior. It alludes to her "role in countering the women who accused him of sexual misconduct" as part of a "painful past" that "haunted Mrs. Clinton last Sunday" when Trump brought some of her husband's accusers to the debate.
The article goes on at length to quote from Michelle Obama's speech, to elucidate how Hillary slyly changes the subject to cat videos when asked, and to talk about how she struggles to overcome the electorate's lingering resistance to a woman president. It mentions how, "without mentioning the accusations against Mr. Trump," she says things like: "This election is incredibly painful. I take absolutely no satisfaction in what is happening on the other side with my opponent."
What the article does not do is mention a single specific "misstep" or "imperfection" in the way she "countered" her husband's "accusers" and verified mistresses. In an article of some 1300 words, there is not one that clearly describes any of the things that Hillary Clinton did and said in that regard--the precise things that cause Hillary to "tread lightly" about Donald Trump's abusiveness, and cause her the discomfort the article purports to explain.
Despite what Ms. Chozicko does take many words to mention, what puts Hillary in a "complicated place" now is not that she "stayed as a devoted wife to her husband through infidelities and humiliation." As Melinda Henneberger and Dahlia Lithwick remarked back in 2008: "Sure, her husband's behavior has humiliated her. But she has also helped him humiliate the women he's been involved with."
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
4
3
1
