At the end of last night's MSNBC DemDebate, there was an incident that caused almost as much news as the entire event did. Pundits and journos criticized Rachel Maddow for hugging Bernie and Hillary at the conclusion of the Democratic debate.
Erik Wemple:
MSNBC host Rachel Maddow is taking some social-media heat for being professionally warm to Sen. Bernie Sanders and former secretary of state Hillary Clinton after their heated debate last night in New Hampshire. She hugged both contestants after the event, to the dismay of finger-wagging types.
Well @maddow is an uncommonly warm and decent person. Didn't surprise me. @brithume @brianstelter
— Joan Walsh (@joanwalsh) February 5, 2016
In a highly contested two hour event between two candidates, "the hug" would seem inconsequential to most people except those that want to carry out a vendetta of some kind. It was a spur of the moment action after what many viewed as a lively debate. If there had been seven participants debating as we'll see tomorrow night on ABC, I doubt any hugs would have been forthcoming.
And it's not like Rachel Maddow is trying to imitate Jim Lehrer, fergodsakes'. And it was Bernie who seemed to initiate "the hug" and it was good form for Maddow to carry it through.
But then we have IQ challenged Gretchen Carlson, host of Fox News' Real Story, who thought it was very odd behavior and immediately played the "if Fox News did it," game.
Carlson: ...but let me turn it this way for a minute. Can you imagine the uproar if one of the Fox News moderators went up on stage and hugged any of the GOP candidates after a debate? Obviously Maddow is a democratic opinion journalist, so it's no surprise she's voting for a Democrat, but it did seem a little odd.
And every one of the Fox News debate moderators, while trying to feign impartiality, all will be voting for a Republican, Gretchen. What's odd is your reaction to an innocuous event. And let's just say that if Donald Trump initiated a hug with Megyn Kelly to bury the hatchet after the next debate, Fox News would be running it non stop as if it was the greatest human interest story of the year.
Rachel had some fun with these jokers, by tweeting this out.
If/when GOP invites me and MSNBC to host a primary debate, rest assured I am definitely hugging those guys, too. #I'mAHugger
— Rachel Maddow MSNBC (@maddow) February 5, 2016
