By ,
Published January 23, 2017
I'm told Donald Trump is re-assessing his debate performance.
I think it's a good time for the media to do the same.
Because if you think that debate was lopsided, and it was, Hillary Clinton got the better of him.
You should see how the media continues to bash Trump, because now they're really doubling down on him.
Fair and balanced? Read it and weep.
Retired Virginia Republican Senator John Warner is a voice of integrity for supporting Hillary Clinton. Not a word about the 88 retired generals and other military officials endorsing Donald Trump.
No, much more coverage of 50 former national security officials, all Republicans, saying Trump would be the most reckless president in American history. Not nearly so much about those deplorables who want to make Hillary Clinton history.
So the New York Times devotes stories to "Parsing What Makes a Trump Supporter Tick," but nothing about what keeps a Hillary Clinton supporter onboard.
His fans are crazy. Hers are cool. His are rabid. Hers are reserved.
What's weirder? That it's a contest, or that the New York Times can't believe it's a contest? So maybe it pushes stories to make it "less" of a contest?
So, much discussion about what Trump said about a certain Miss Universe, but nothing about what Hillary Clinton said of countless women who claimed affairs with her husband.
His family messes. Not her family messes.
His temper. Not hers. His slip-ups. Not hers. His lavish lifestyle. Not her lavish lifestyle.
Much said of how he used bankruptcy to advance his wealth. But, not a peep about how she and her husband leveraged public service to advance theirs.
Much more interest serving up his insults. But not her server.
I heard one former debate moderator, I kid you not, say no one cares about Hillary Clinton's emails, so, if she were asking the questions, they wouldn't even come up.
Never mind that few polls show much interest in Trump's tax returns, this moderator says she wouldn't let go.
You would think someone would do the math and reveal the polls couldn't possibly be this close if it were just angry white men in Trump's corner.
Until you dig a little deeper and discover many independents, and particularly young independents are moving to his side.
I don't have a horse in this race, and remember Donald Trump does not do this show, I'm just reflecting on the media's drive to all but call Donald Trump the horse's ass in this race.
Don't get me wrong, Donald Trump gives them plenty of material, so the media pounces.
But so does Hillary Clinton, and most times, the media passes.
So fixated on what Trump said years ago as a private citizen musing on current events.
Not so much on what Hillary Clinton said and did as a U.S. Senator and Secretary of State influencing those events.
That doesn't make him right or her wrong; just that the media is far more fixated on making him look wrong, and that's not right.
To parse what he said years ago about an Iraq War of which he was, at best, skeptical.
And latch onto those comments because he wasn't unequivocal.
I'm not saying ease up on one candidate. Go after both candidates.
Go ahead and interrupt Donald Trump five times in a debate, amuse me and try it just once with the other candidate in the same debate.
Go ahead and pound Trump on what he said when it didn't matter, but would it kill you to dig up what she said when it did?
Go ahead and look at Trump's inconsistencies. But would it kill you to at least report hers?
The time she called this big Asian Trans Pacific Partnership trade deal the gold standard when she wasn't running for president.
How does that jibe with her ripping that deal now that she is running for president?
Go ahead and ask Trump how he's going to pay for all his tax cuts.
But do the math on how the heck Hillary is going to pay for all of her spending with all those tax hikes.
Go ahead and say Trump's going to start a trade war.
But do go after his opponent when she brags about her husband's record as President, courtesy all those trade deals.
You either like those deals or you don't.
You either accept those consequences or you don't.
You can pick and choose your issues.
But you can't pick and choose your facts.
Or the time you are devoting to those facts.
The fact is, if you're going to say the Bill Clinton years were great for our economy, focus on those trade deals that Hillary Clinton herself praised as integral to that great economy.
Just like you can't ignore Trump's flip-flops, you can't ignore hers.
So if you're going to demand Trump release his taxes to see if he's hiding something.
Try demanding why Hillary Clinton dragged her feet releasing crucial emails and ask her if she is compromising anything.
After all, it's just one guy's money, but in her case, it's all our national security.
This isn't about slighting any candidate. It's about being tough on both candidates.
So go ahead and ignore Democratic Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee proudly wearing a Hillary campaign button to work.
Just keep that in mind when you're taking those rabid Trump supporters to task.
Keep mentioning how they're white, and uneducated, even though many are not.
Keep mentioning how his opponents are a rainbow, even though if that were the case this race wouldn't be close.
Fair and balanced isn't left or right.
It's just appreciating when something going on is wrong.
When you're so worked up hating a candidate that you can't even see yourself blindly ignoring the ills of another candidate.
Trust me, Hillary Clinton is tough. I've seen it. She can take it.
So how about you appreciate good journalism.
And just do it.
Neil Cavuto serves as senior vice president, anchor and managing editor for both FOX News Channel (FNC) and FOX Business Network (FBN). He is anchor of FNC's Your World with Cavuto - the number one rated cable news program for the 4 p.m. timeslot - as well as the FNC Saturday show Cavuto on Business. He also hosts Cavuto on FBN weeknights at 8 p.m. In addition to anchoring daily programs and breaking news specials on FNC and FBN, Cavuto oversees business news content for both networks and FNC's weekend business shows, including Bulls & Bears, Forbes on Fox, and Cashin' In. Click here for more on Neil Cavuto.
https://www.foxnews.com/transcript/cavuto-media-far-more-fixated-on-making-trump-look-wrong