It’s been a week since Hillary Clinton took to the podium at the United Nations and tried to put an end to any questions about how she handled her e-mails, both personal and professional, while she was secretary of state. In that time, the media scrutiny has just gotten more intense — and more unfavorable.
But here’s the thing that must be driving the Clinton team crazy: Some of the most hostile coverage is coming from the liberal wing of the media. The very folks the Clintonistas were counting on to protect and defend her have turned into some of her most skeptical questioners.
Of course, the coverage from Fox News has been suspicious and unflattering. Ditto the conservative talk-show circuit and right-wing blogosphere. We’d expect nothing less from those quarters.
But that’s not the coverage that’s got her team worried. Remember, it was The New York Times that first broke the story about her private e-mails and secret server. Some of the most provocative and unflattering coverage has come from the likes of MSNBC and Huffington Post, as well as Time magazine and the Washington Post.
What on Earth is going on here?
What we’re seeing are not just a few bumps on the road to what was supposed to be Clinton’s smooth and certain coronation as the Democratic nominee for president in 2016. No, what’s happening is an avalanche of hostility that could derail her nomination. After all, when the mainstream media starts comparing the way Clinton handled her e-mails to Richard Nixon and the Watergate tapes, you know the lady has some serious credibility problems.
Yes, I know. Schadenfreude isn’t the noblest of emotions. We aren’t supposed to enjoy the misfortunes of others. But it’s hard not to sit back and smile when you see a devious schemer like Clinton trying to squirm her way out of a controversy that she herself has caused.
Of course, the far left wing of her party has never been happy with Clinton. They don’t like her ties to Wall Street, her lack of fervor for their favorite causes, the small fortune she’s collected for her writings and speeches, or the large one that her foundation has collected from repressive foreign governments.
Could all of this be enough to cost Clinton the nomination? The left-wing zealots in the Democrat Party would love to see Clinton pushed aside and someone like Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), the flamboyant demagogue, replace her. But I doubt if that will happen. There are too many pragmatists in the Democratic ranks who know that would lead to a disastrous defeat.
So it looks like we’ll have Clinton in the media spotlight for another year, as she claws and scratches and obfuscates her way to the Democratic National Convention. Frankly, I’m delighted. Because one thing can be guaranteed: The Clintons are guaranteed to give us plenty to write about.
Until next time, keep some powder dry.
Chip Wood was the first news editor of The Review of the News and also wrote for American Opinion, our two predecessor publications. He is now the geopolitical editor of Personal Liberty Digest. This article first appeared on PersonalLiberty.com and has been reprinted with permission.
