Did PC culture lead to rise of Trump, Sanders?

Comedian Bill Maher says Americans are sick of political correctness

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NY DAILY NEWS CALLS TRUMP A 'CLOWN' AND HIS SUPPORTERS 'MINDLESS ZOMBIES;'HUFFINGTON POST REFERS TO TRUMP AS A 'RACIST, SEXIST DEMAGOGUE' AFTER NEW HAMPSHIRE WIN

Michelle Fields: I actually think this is good for Trump. You know a lot of these supporters, they know that some of the things Trump does are polarizing and some people may find it offensive, but when they see how the media reacts to these things, it makes them like him more because the way the media reacts is it's so over the top. He says something that's polarizing and they go with, they were calling him Hitler at one point. That makes them like Trump even more so I think it's a good thing for Trump.

Jonathan Hoenig: Well, it's an election. We're talking about electing the most important man in the world. Someone who has just unbelievable influence over our pocketbook, our lives. There was this big uproar for years about how the media didn’t vet Obama. Well, this is the process that we’re undergoing right now. The media now includes social media. That's where a lot these barbs are being thrown and that’s where they’re most impactful.

Jessica Tarlov: What I would say is that I see in the Daily News and The Huffington Post here as quite different. I wouldn't call Donald Trump supporters zombies. I think Michelle is right. That just encourages people to like him because he’s going against this PC attitude and they like that about him. But what The Huffington Post did, calling him racist and sexist and a demagogue, that's based on things Trump has said and the way he behaves and The Huffington Post asked voters to do some soul searching before they check the box for him and I would encourage them to do that same thing.

BILL MAHER CLAIMS RISE OF TRUMP AND SANDERS IS DUE TO PC BACKLASH

Jessica Tarlov: I mean, I think this is more an issue on the right than it is on the left. There are certain lines that I think are ridiculous. We have to take down American flags and can't say merry Christmas and things like this. In general, the left is not really interested in the kind of straight talk Donald Trump is putting up there. The real issue is the independents, those in the middle who may be left leaning and are sick of the pc culture and that’s where I think Maher could be right.

Jonathan Hoenig: I think there's a difference between being politically correct and just being a jerk. I think often times the former is used as an excuse for the latter. I don't think it's politically correctness as much as just stop evading reality. So, when the president talks about terrorism, he can't get the words out Islamic terrorism and keeps talking about the success of all these green energy subsidies, he can’t admit that they actually don't work.

Michelle Fields: I think the reason why people gravitate towards Bernie Sanders, not because of what he's saying is politically incorrect. Most of his supporters are the people who want to be in a safe space.
People like him because he's challenging the status quo. When it comes to trump, he's doing the same thing. That is his appeal, but it's also because people feel as though they are marginalized.

PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES INVESTING IN FUNNY ADS TO WIN VOTES

Jonathan Hoenig: I don’t think political ads work. There's no correlation between spending on advertising in a campaign and winning that campaign, so what matters is consistent, truthful ideas. What candidate the voter wants to represent them and America. And these aren't even that funny.

Michelle Fields: I think ads are sometimes very effective. I like the one that Cruz made with the children and the eminent domain. It's clever and devastating for trump because it hits him on his character.
Which is a big issue going into South Carolina. I think it's good. If it's funny, actually funny, a lot of them aren't, then it's a good thing.

Jessica Tarlov: I thought it was interesting Cruz decided to use kids again after he got so upset about The Washington Post cartoon about his children when he used them as shameless props in his bedtime story ad earlier on. I didn't think it was particularly funny. I thought the Clinton one was funnier.