It seems to me that 2018 was a banner year for the media. “Banner,” meaning it was their most humiliating year ever. I suppose 2017 might’ve bested it, as the press was in full TDS mode. 2016 was a real beaut as well and a strong contender. But honestly: 2018 gave us all the Trump-averse idiocy (including North Korea nonsense), plus Mueller mania and Kavanaugh craziness. It was a triumvirate in which stupidity ruled.

Nevertheless, The White House Correspondents Association announced its 2019 award winners this week, and it compared CNN’s handling of the Brett Kavanaugh hearings to a “symphony.”

Can symphonies be played on turds?

How do they fasten the strings?

From the judges:

CNN’s coverage on the day of the hearings on Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh was aggressive, relied on deep sourcing and felt like one was watching a symphony. The news-making moments in which Sen. Jeff Flake, R-AZ, was confronted by two women was just a piece of the extensive coverage that followed every angle, all day.

Uhhh…define “every angle.” How about the angle that Brett might be innocent?

I’m your run-of-the-mill just-compare-it-to-turds kinda person. Newsbusters went with a more analytical approach:

[S]tudies found just how little attention was given to Kavanaugh’s supporters, how CNN (and MSNBC) presumed him guilty, and tagged him with the word “rape” 191 times in an 18-day period.

When it comes to falsehood, CNN definitely skimped out on the facts at times. Here’s a few NewsBusters headlines on that front:

• CNN’s Cuomo Slams Kavanaugh Hearing as ‘Traveshamockery,’ Resurrects Guttenberg Conspiracy Theory
• CNN Assails Kavanaugh With Debunked Claims He Called Himself a ‘Choir Boy’
• CNN’s Raging Cuomo Lashes Out, Smears Kavanaugh, Lies About Him
• CNN’s Cuomo Bitterly Demands Kavanaugh Not Be Presumed Innocent

Newsbusters also listed some of its headlines covering CNN’s Kavanaugh conspiracy theories:

• WHAT?! CNN, MSNBC Compare Brett Kavanaugh to….Convicted Sexual Predator Bill Cosby
• Rather: If GOP Confirm Kavanaugh, They’re ‘Extinct’ Like the Dinosaurs
• Opposition Party: CNN Panel Blasts Kavanaugh Supporters as Racist, Sexist Conspiracy Theorists
• CNN’s Camerota: Ford’s Tale ‘Makes More Sense’ Given Alleged Kavanaugh Ice Throw
• Hysterical CNN: ‘Founding Fathers’ Would Be ‘Upset’ Today; Americans ‘Ought Not Have Faith in Their Supreme Court’
• CNN’s Camerota: Uncorroborated Deborah Ramirez Accusation ‘Certainly Credible’
• CNN’s Cillizza Compares Kavanaugh, Climate Change Skeptics to Murderous Regimes

I covered the MSNBC Cosby story as well; find it here.

Recently, CNN’s Don Lemon suggested Kellyanne Conway be banned from the network, in order to protect CNN’s “dignity.” I’m of the opinion that that quote — upon which I expounded here — should be up there with “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself,” “I’m not a crook,” “I have a dream,” and “That’s all, folks” in the American lexicon. Whole books and semester-long classes should be devoted to it. It should go down in history as one of the most absurd statements ever made (along with this one, also from CNN). The network has made a giant fool of itself since Trump became a contender.

I hope you’ll visit my article and review all the examples to the contrary of Don’s contention.

And in the meantime, if the White House Correspondents Association invites you to symphony, bring nose plugs and toilet paper. Or better yet, stay home and read RedState. You can find all my RS work here.

And when you’re done with that, I suggest bingewatching Downton Abbey (stick with it; it gets good), Arrested Development, Outlander, Seinfeld, True Detective Season 1, and early 80’s Saturday Night Live for starters. I appreciate your suggestions here as well.

-Alex

Relevant RedState links in this article: here, here. and here.

Find all my RedState work here.

And please follow Alex Parker on Twitter and Facebook.

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