During the January presidential debate, CNN managed to do the unthinkable. They treated a Democrat like he was a Republican.
Despite his vehement denial, that Bernie Sanders told Elizabeth Warren a woman couldn’t win the presidency was treated as fact by the network, and even after the Massachusetts senator rudely refused to shake the socialist’s hand after the event, the rest of the marquee media came out to bat for Warren.
Going into the debate, the commentary ranged from dishonest — The Cut argued that Warren has “tried not to talk about” sexism — to the delusional.
You know one clear way to demonstrate that you believe a woman can and should be president? Don’t try to defeat a woman running for President.
— Matthew Dowd (@matthewjdowd) January 14, 2020
Uh, okay.
But even after Warren further undercut her credibility during the debate by refusing to call Sanders a liar, the coverage didn’t focus on whether Warren was honest. It was all about sexism.
Once again, the takes ranged from the inane — Frank Bruni proudly declared that “Warren and Klobuchar [taught] the boys a lesson” about sexism — to the insane.
Still thinking about the Warren-Bernie squabble and I have a question to people who have accused Warren of lying: isn’t the lesson of #metoo and the last few years that we believe women and don’t call them liars?
— Julia Ioffe (@juliaioffe) January 14, 2020
Naturally, the Bernie bros are apoplectic, and because they’re the Bernie bros, they’re going to overshoot in the vile and frequently (yes) sexist manner that they tend to. The only actual innocent in the story will be Sanders, who will be smeared as a sexist twice over, first thanks to a media-bolstered and politically charged lie, and second for his own grotesque followers.
The only candidate who benefits from this is Joe Biden. Despite being a year younger than Bernie, he comes off as the only adult at the top of an exceedingly petty and pathetic primary.
Warren and Bernie’s squabble and “the handshake” will be the last debate memory before the Iowa caucuses. Both senators will now be stuck in the Capitol for President Trump’s impeachment trial, so that’s the last impression. All the while, Uncle Joe can coast the way he has for a year: above the fray, bumbling and bubbly all the way.
