When a Washington Post music critic gave Harry Truman's daughter a bad review, President Truman wrote him a letter suggesting he'd punch him out. When that happens you'll need a new nose. The letter was hardly kept private, and Truman's popularity skyrocketed. In 1996, President Clinton fancied himself a Truman reincarnation. Clinton didn't get as much credit for issuing threats through a mouthpiece, but it still helped him with normal Americans.
Journalists hate to admit it, but beating up the press is a populist gambit.
The media ranks at the bottom of almost every survey when it comes to public trust and confidence. More than a third of Americans think our press hurts democracy, according to one major survey. To comment on JWR contributor Jonah Goldberg's column click here.