You can read Howard Kurtz‘s 2,500 word dissertation on last night’s coverage, or you can read the 270-word version below:
• Ohio may have been too close to call early on, but that didn’t stop the MSNBC boys from slapping Hillary around. Chris Matthews asked whether Clinton is “on a route now to destroy the credibility of Barack Obama.”
• On Fox, meanwhile, there was talk about Rush Limbaugh urging Republicans to vote for Hillary, and she had been shortchanged by the media. “There’s a backlash against the gentle press treatment of Barack Obama,” Bill O’Reilly declared.
• On CNN, Paul Begala was excited by news that McCain would visit the White House today for a Bush embrace. “Democrats — we’re jumping up and down at that prospect.”
• Kelly O’Donnell provided a reminder of the journalistic malpractice of last year by saying that months ago McCain “was much figured to be out of the race.” Pretty much figured by media people, that is.
• MSNBC was a little slow on the uptake, putting up a banner that said “Sources: Huckabee To Drop Out of Race.” Unfortunately, the former governor had already told the world he was getting out.
• Fox seemed to regard Obama as the inevitable nominee. He gives high-flying speeches, Fred Barnes said, and “McCain has to bring him down to earth.”
• At 10:55, at virtually the same moment, CNN, Fox and MSNBC called Ohio for Hillary. (ed. note: If virtually means within four minutes, then yes. A TVEyes search shows MSNBC reported the news at 10:52:15, CNN at 10:54:55 and FNC at 10:56:05)