Free Speech? Rodeo Clown OK, Hillary Docs not so much
Republicans are once again engaging in a “pick and choose” approach to freedom of speech this month as they make good on their threat to block NBC and CNN from the 2016 GOP debate calendar for scheduling Hillary Clinton TV documentaries.
There is a warranted suspicion that the Republican National Committee never wanted their debates to air on non-conservative networks anyway and this is just an excuse to remain encased in their (mis)information bubble. But how unseemly to try to manipulate programming on major TV Networks while at the same time rushing to defend the first amendment rights of the Obama masked rodeo clown.
Stepping back from the heated political rhetoric some basic facts become quite clear. The rodeo clown was distasteful, disrespectful and borderline racist. It was also a not-so-subtle attempt to cheer simulated violence against the President of the United States. If Republicans choose to defend this as a free speech issue, that’s up to them, whatever their conscience allows.
However we see the RNC’s professed love of free speech quickly evaporate when it comes to Hillary Clinton, one of the most popular women in American history and one of the most influential public servants in modern memory. RNC chairman Reince Priebus demanded that the FOX produced (yes, FOX) documentaries set to air on CNN and NBC is be halted. Since they correctly refused to give in to his threats Priebus is taking his ball and going home.
