Crush Liberalism

Shocker: former ABC news anchor (current journalism prof) endorses Shrillary

Color me with the “not very surprised” crayon.  From the Boston Globe:

It was an unorthodox political endorsement, to be sure. And in throwing her support behind presidential candidate Hillary Clinton with an unprompted, heartfelt speech at a New Hampshire rally last month, Carole Simpson, the longtime ABC news anchor-turned-Emerson College journalism instructor, flung herself into the partisan fires.

While Clinton was quite taken by the unexpected backing, quickly issuing a press release touting it, others have taken offense. Over the past month, news of Simpson’s endorsement has barreled across the blogosphere, seized on by conservatives as proof of liberal media bias (you got THAT right! – Ed.). And Emerson students and faculty continue to debate the ethics of a journalism instructor and well-known former reporter making a public show of support for a political candidate.

Simpson, 65, said she immediately regretted her actions and offered her resignation the next day, which university officials refused to accept. Now Simpson is considering an offer from the Clinton campaign to stump for the candidate, namely before black audiences in the South. She and other university officials have agreed she will not teach political journalism courses if she campaigns for Clinton.

“I know I made a mistake. It was definitely the wrong venue for my first foray into free speech,” Simpson said. “But I’d really like to see her win. After being a reporter for so many years, where you wish you could do more than you can, it would be nice to make a difference.”

Simpson described Clinton, whom she covered extensively during President Bill Clinton’s administration, as the smartest woman she had ever met.
…
“I want to tell you tonight, because I happen to be here with my students, that I endorse you for president of the United States,” she said. “It’s very freeing now that I’m not a journalist and I can speak my mind, and I wanted you to know I think you are the woman, and I think this is the time.” 

Now that is a brilliant move, “Professor”: bring your journalism students to a campaign rally and show them that they can cast their professional obligations aside if they really, really like a particular candidate.  Then again, maybe she’s not teaching them anything different than any other journalism school is teaching.

But I’m sure she’s just an isolated example, and that her profound love for Billary never clouded her professional duties.  Yeah, right.

Supposedly, her former colleagues are perturbed:

Simpson said she immediately recognized her actions were unwise, and believes she has lost a measure of respect among her colleagues as a result.

“It used to be more collegial,” she said. “I get the sense the relationship has changed.”

They’re likely angry because their laughable claims that they are unbiased have been (once again) proven false, and by one of their own, no less!

In light of her public fawning over Her Highness, Prof. Simpson then tries this with a straight face:

Simpson said she regrets that the endorsement continues to be a flashpoint, and said her political opinions have never influenced her reporting or teaching.

“I anchored for 15 years, and I defy anyone to have determined my political feelings from that,” she said. “In no way would I ever let my own political feelings affect my teaching or my grades.”

Sniff!  Sniff!  Oh, is that a challenge I smell, Professor?  Well then…game on, be-yotch!

In 2001:

“What an exhilarating moment it must have been for [Hillary Clinton] – the first First Lady in history to be elected to public office. There, for all the nay-sayers to see, was the woman who had finally come into her own, free at last to be smart, outspoken, independent, and provocative, all qualities she had been forced as First Lady, to ‘hide under a bushel.’ Still she was voted one of America’s most admired women. Just wait. You ain’t seen nothin’ yet.” 

In 1999:

Most infamously, in a 1999 interview with President Bill Clinton at an Arkansas tomato processing plant, Simpson made the story all about herself and her glory: “I have to bask in this moment, for a moment, because I am here talking to the most powerful man on the planet, who was a poor boy from Arkansas….I am an African-American woman, grew up working class on the south side of Chicago, and this is a pretty special moment for me to be here talking to you. How does it feel talking to me? That I made it, too, when people said I wouldn’t be able to?” Clinton: “It’s a great country.”

That wasn’t too hard to debunk, Professor.  So can we please cut the crap about how you were never able to freely express your views as a journalist?  You did so uninhibitedly and repeatedly.

November 20, 2007 - Posted by crushliberalism | Hillary, media bias