Hillary Clinton doesn’t need the media, and it’s driving the media crazy

The press kvetched about Hillary Clinton declining to take questions for almost a month. They counted up the days like it was the 1979-'80 Iran hostage crisis. And others piled on, for 28 days in all. Finally, on May 19th, she took a handful of questions from reporters in Iowa. The Clinton camp says she always planned to do that, implying that the media hue and cry had nothing to do with the decision to talk with reporters. Right now, reporters are nearly as irrelevant to Clinton as they are irritated about being treated like vestiges.

Hillary Clinton doesn't need the press. Maybe she will later on -- if she slips in the polls -- and that would be an argument for giving them care and feeding now. But the laws of politics are simply different for Clinton than they are for the other presidential candidates. Almost all presidential aspirants need the media to build their name ID and their credibility as candidates, to amplify their ideas, and to crush their rivals. Without the amplification of "earned media" -- such as newspaper articles and television appearances that they don't pay for -- it's hard to convince voters, and early donors, that they are serious contenders for their party's nomination or the presidency. or Clinton, the equation is different. Everyone knows her. She's a credible candidate.