The Club 20 debate John Hickenlooper blew off this weekend was completely overshadowed by the media vultures playing a game of gotcha with the candidate who did show up, U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner.
Less than 24 hours after the passing of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the media danced on her grave and politicized her death, insisting Gardner join them on the cemetery dance floor.
Gardner did not.
Gardner declined to play the gotcha game or school the local and state media on the nuances of Senate confirmations.
Instead, Gardner said this:
“I hope that before the politics begins — because there will be plenty of time for that — that we have some time for this country to reflect on the legacy of a great woman who rose to our nation’s highest court and the work that she has done for this nation, whether you agree or not,” the Republican senator told Club 20, a Western Slope business group.
Here’s how the Denver Post headlined their Club 20 coverage:
In first appearance after Ginsburg’s death, Gardner declines to say when justice should be replaced.
Senator dodges question about whether he stands by 2016 remarks.
The Post makes it sound like Gardner went into hiding after Ginsburg’s death was announced Friday night, yet the Club 20 debate was the next day at 2 p.m.
Hardly the months-long basement hiding strategy employed by Hickenlooper, who only recently emerged to prove he’s still alive.
The gotcha game the media is playing in Colorado and nationally as they do the Democrats’ bidding, is to compare apples and oranges — the nomination of Barack Obama’s Supreme Court pick in the last year of his administration, to anyone President Trump might pick.
Obama was serving out his last term, he was not up for reelection, his presidency was literally on its last legs when he nominated Merrick Garland.
Trump’s presidency is not over, by constitutional standards anyway. Trump is up for reelection.
Gardner was right not to dance on Ginsburg’s grave, and it’s too soon to know what will happen with whomever Trump picks to be his nominee.
The Senate is controlled by Republicans, who are likely and rightly of a mind to get the Supreme Court seat filled if the nominee is suitable and time allows.
Let’s be honest. If Trump is reelected and the Senate falls into Democrat control, or Joe Biden is elected and the Senate remains Republican, we all know this Supreme Court seat will sit empty for years.
It is not the media’s job to be cheerleaders for a political party and present political talking points as journalism.
We were really looking forward to the coverage of Club 20, but as usual, Western Slope issues are just not important enough for the media to cover.
Which probably explains why Hickenlooper hardly bothers to campaign in that half of the state.
