Do you think Republican National Committee Chair Reince Priebus is where he wanted to be in life? Do you think that after the party's mighty efforts to "rebrand" themselves, after Mitt Romney's 2012 loss, Reince Priebus imagined himself having this conversation?
Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus on Monday charged that CNN was fueling violence at Donald Trump’s rallies by spending too much time reporting on violent incidents at his campaign events. [...]
When cable shows are on a constant loop on a couple knuckleheads pushing each other, in a 24/7 loop, you know, you create an environment, I think, that just adds fuel to the fire,” Priebus charged.
We could sit here and argue about who punched who, or who pushed who over, or which top campaign aide physically assaulted which reporter, but don't blame Reince if all that talk angries up the blood. Trump supporters are easily suggestible; if they see someone else punching someone they all want to join in. Stop showing that!
“Shouldn’t we focus on that if there’s violence at campaign events?” [CNN host Alisyn Camerota] pressed.
“Mentioning it is fine,” Priebus replied. “I’m questioning the 24/7 loop. I’m questioning three hours in primetime at night every day talking about it. I mean, I get it. It’s news. I’m not questioning [whether] it’s news, I’m not. But it’s the obsession that I think that also adds to the problem.”
I am fairly certain news shows are not devoting three hours a night to the violence at Trump's rallies. I also have no doubt that it seems that long to Reince Priebus, who was supposed to be spending this spring talking about what marvelous inroads the kind and gentle Republican party have made in their quest to court minority voters, and women, and people who don't like being punched in the face.
“Granted, both sides have to disavow violence,” he added. “But I do think the media is obsessed to the point of it being very noticeable and almost bizarre.”
Both sides do it, Alisyn. I can't for the life of me understand why you think people being semi-regularly assaulted at the events held by one specific presidential candidate is so interesting.
Do you think this is how Reince Priebus envisioned this election cycle going? In all the reports and binders and slide shows, do you think he had written down bullet points for this one? I wonder if Reince ever sits down in his most comfortable chair and dreams about going into real estate.