Media Bias? Really?

2016 is the Year of Media Bias. Naturally it is an election year. I don't think that there has ever been as much obvious bias as there has been so far this year and the election is three months away.

Donald Trump's campaign for President has been declared dead about thirty times since last summer. Every couple of weeks something happens and the networks and newspapers announce Trump's demise. So why is he still around? He is still here because the voters who support him don't care what the mainstream media says about him.

Today might have been one of the worst cases that I have ever witnessed. Bill Bratton was appearing on the CBS This Morning Show hosted by Charlie Rose and Gayle King. He had appeared an hour earlier on MSNBC and given virtually the same spiel.

Bratton had announced that he was retiring and going into consulting work. There were stories earlier that protesters were calling for his replacement. So he was making the morning show circuit today.

One would think that the first order of business would be to discuss why he was retiring. NO, the first order of business was to discuss the Trump candidacy. In what might be the most inane remark made this year, Bratton said “I always wonder about tough guys...they talk tough, but I wonder if Mr. Trump has ever taken a punch in his life.” The hosts positively swooned  over Mr. Bratton and his remarks.

Did they ask if Mrs. Clinton has "taken a punch"? Did they ask if Mr. Obama has ever "taken a punch"? Is this the new standard for measuring strong leadership? Reagan ever take a punch? Eisenhower take a punch?? I am not sure that Mr. Bratton's standard has any degree of rationality.

Did any of these "reporters" challenge Mr. Bratton's claim? Of course not, he was criticizing Donald Trump. Anything is okay in that case..

I am fascinated by Bratton's standard of qualifying strong leadership. According to Bratton, you must have taken a punch to be a leader. Robert E. Lee ever take a punch? Henry Ford take a punch? George Washington take a punch? Thomas Jefferson? No need to go on with this line of questioning.

Here's what is undeniably clear. There wasn't enough strong leadership or high moral values in that CBS studio (or MSNBC) to call Mr. Bratton on his baseless accusations and absurd standards for measuring real leadership!!