Why the Media Is Worse for Biden Than Trump

[Galraedia]

Over the last week, the media has hammered Joe Biden with relentlessly critical coverage of his pullout from Afghanistan, resulting in noticeable drops in his approval ratings. Put aside for a moment whether this reflects failures by Biden or biases by the media. One conclusion we can draw is that this sort of dynamic is a regular feature of Democratic presidencies, and — as the Trump administration showed — a near impossibility during Republican ones.

But wait, you’re thinking. Didn’t the media hound Donald Trump for four straight years at least as hard as it’s hounded Biden over the last week?

Well, sort of. The mainstream media certainly gave Trump harsh and even overtly hostile coverage. But the mainstream media only describes roughly half the media landscape. The other half of the media is a right-wing messaging apparatus that makes no effort to follow traditional journalistic norms. Republicans communicate to their base through a media that functionally operates as part of their party, while Democrats communicate to their base through a media that still exerts substantial independence. If you want to understand the strange difficulty that Joe Biden’s sane, competent administration has in yielding measurably higher approval than Trump’s insane, incompetent presidency, the asymmetrical relationship between the two parties and their respective media environments is the most important place to start.

Read more: https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2021/08/why-the-media-is-worse-for-biden-than-trump.html

[Poiuyt]

1. I think the MSM is just trying to prove that they're not the "liberal press/"

They're going out of their way to bash Biden to refute conservatives.

[Cha]

2. The US m$$$$$Fm is a big part of Why

we got trump in the First place.

They Own this... fuckers are too self righteous to ever Own up to IT.

[Hoyt]

3. Last year and a half, media was tough on trump, and rightly so. Biden chose this time

to withdraw from Afghanistan and they weren't prepared. Doesn't mean Biden should be crucified, resign, anyone is going to vote for a GOPer, etc. But we weren't ready to carry it out.

I'd expect the media to be on it. It would be covering it up to do otherwise.

There is a reason we haven't seen Democrats come to Biden's support, other than (rightly) offering support for troops killed/wounded today. No Clinton, no Kerry, no Schumer, no Pelosi, etc. The best we get is, "I support the withdrawal, but this ain't the way to do it."

Biden should have consulted Hiliary Clinton, she predicted this mess in May -- government folding, Taliban taking control, etc. -- and she recognized the need to help a lot of women get out. Not sure others did.

[Skittles]

4. they were worse for Hillary than all others combined

FACT

[KentuckyWoman]

5. Disagreement is allowed again.

I am fine with adversarial as long as real info comes out. The trouble is when even so called trusted news edits for ratings instead of info.

[vanlassie]

6. I just don't agree that "this was the wrong way to do it"

based on the facts and the results. But, the holier than thou pontificating about how “appalling” and “chaotic” and “unplanned” it was? Pure bullshit. Breathlessly scolded by people who have never participated in ANY military exercise? Just unbelievable nonsense.

[NoMoreRepugs]

7. 20 years of chaos, your predecessor negotiates with the enemy undermining

the civilian government, the security forces you trained and outfitted - some of whom lay down their arms or cross lines and the most successful evacuation in history of losing US conflict should somehow have been done better?? Those here siding with any of the media’s take on this can go pound salt as far as I’m concerned.

[planetc]

8. We had 2,500 troops in Afghanistan at the beginning of the month, and ...

Trump had earlier pressured the Afghans to release 5,000 Taliban? Though not a general, I don't like those odds. Pausing only to airlift tens of thousands of people out of Afghanistan to anywhere else, calmly accepting delivery of several babies en route, American forces continue to carry out their mission. American forces did not succeed in making a democracy of Afghanistan, but we have left behind many Afghans who don't think America is the Great Satan, and who have made good use of the education our presence made possible. We did not build a nation, but then, sending an army to carry out that mission was ... confused thinking. At best. I think American forces have done this country proud.