Dagger

The October surprise release of an 11-year old tape showing Donald Trump at his worst, provides irrefutable proof that the main stream media have become "democratic operatives with bylines" (to quote Instapundit's Glen Reynolds). I'll explain why in a moment.

After the ascendency of Barack Obama and despite his dismal performance on the the domestic and foreign policy fronts, the media elite have decided that they and they alone hold the keys to the presidency. Their strategy is to ensure that (1) only a democrat (no matter how dishonest, corrupt, or incompetent) is elected president; (2) to guarantee item #1 they will winnow the news in a way that benefits the Democrat contender; and (3) they will work hard to eliminate any serious opposition to the likely democrat by omission or commission.

Now, back to the Trump tape.

Think back to the beginning of the year when a field of 17 GOP contenders were vying for the nomination. Sitting governors, a few senators, and even a few private sector people—all at least as competent, as accomplished (in their own way), and as intelligent as Trump. And all much more likely to give Hillary Clinton, even then the slam dunk nominee, a hard time in the presidential race. Yet the media gave Trump more airtime, more free publicity, and more space than any other GOP candidate. With that help, he built momentum and won the nomination.

Here's the thing. NBC had the Trump tape in its archive but amazingly, didn't remember it until last week. They could have used it then to disqualify him during the primaries. But they didn't. Why?

Steve Miller comments:

... why hasn’t all this terrible audio already surfaced? At any point in the last year, when there was still time to deprive Trump of the GOP nomination, did NBC brass ask Apprentice producer (and Trump friend) Mark Burnett for a look into his archives? Or were they complicit in allowing Trump to cruise to the GOP nomination when they knew there was likely evidence in Mark Burnett’s basement that could disqualify him?

... There are clear lines of accountability here – to NBC News Chairman Andy Lack and NBC CEO Steve Burke. Did these executives just look the other way for many months while a former employee whose bad behavior was well-known got closer and closer to the White House? And did they place the career of Billy Bush – reportedly being groomed to replace Matt Lauer on the hugely profitable Today program – ahead of the US presidency? That sounds absurd, but this is the twisted world of network television and NBC has some explaining to do.

Nah ... it's all just a "coincidence." They just found the tape four weeks before the election ... just like that! Just like all of the other "coincidences" that occurred during Barack Obama's presidency and over Hillary Clinton's sordid 30 years in the public eye.

Sure, the Trump tape is a dagger, but the target isn't directed at Trump alone, it wounds the ability of the GOP to run an effective opposing candidate to the media-annointed preference-the Democrats.

After all, the Dems have done such a great job managing the country, there's no reason for any opposition. We have a booming economy, low debt, fewer people in poverty and dependency, lower crime, better racial relations ... oh wait, none of that is true.