Is the media to blame for Gov. Paterson dropping out of race for New York governor?
If you ask Rep. Yvette Clarke, the answer would likely be a strong “Yes!”
Earlier this month, Paterson officially announced his candidacy despite low approval ratings from within his party and the public. Clarke, a Brooklyn representative, voiced her support for the governor – but with an unusual approach: She attacked political reporters.
Clarke said political reporting has not been truthful about the work Gov. Paterson has performed.
“The type of news reporting in our political arena has really degraded to one of rumor, innuendo and speculation,” said Clarke behind a podium bearing a Gillibrand-for-Senate sign at a campaign stop.
Her issue, specifically, seemed to be with the type of articles by The New York Times that had some experts predicting would be the end of Paterson’s campaign. As recently as Wednesday, Ben Smith from Politico reported a Times article about the governor’s intervention in a domestic violence case “appears likely to end the governor’s tottering political career.”
While Clarke never specifically addressed which parts of news stories were untrue about the governor – or which reporters or media outlets failed to report truthful stories – she did urge those who know the “truth,” like herself, to speak up: “I can talk about the truth of what Governor Paterson has done for the state of New York.”
Not to discount her concerns, Clarke has a strong and valid point about journalism and political reporting. Rick Klein, senior political reporter for ABC News, agreed, saying journalists need to be careful against “the easy stories that involve the kinds of storylines” around gossip and unsubstantiated speculation.
But Clarke seemed to have failed in recognizing that the very stories she was attacking were not about what Paterson has done for New York as governor, but instead what he has done for himself and others around him while governor.
Klein suggested that if the political reporting isn’t original investigation, look to see who is feeding the reporter information.
“Just about all campaigns engage in the ‘dark arts’ of opposition research, and eagerly trade gossip with reporters, even while decrying the fact that journalists play these games,” said Klein in an e-mail.
Now that Paterson officially withdrew from the race amid the allegations against him, Clarke and more than 70 percent of the public may likely blame the media for it – though that’s speculation, too, based on a Rasmussen poll last month that showed a majority of the public thinks the media has too much influence on picking candidates for office.
But one thing is certain: Clarke’s decision to support Paterson right through the end was strategic for her own campaign. She no longer has to choose against the unpopular but only black Democratic candidate for governor of New York.
She can now easily slide into a supportive role for Cuomo’s campaign along, at least, a party line basis – without the possibility of alienating her large number of black constituents this election year.