RealClearPolitics, often referred to as nonpartisan by sources like
The Wall Street Journal and
The New York Times, emerged as a significant platform during the
2008 elections.
[15][16][17] Its founders, aiming to provide ideological diversity, curated political stories, op-eds, news analyses, and editorials to offer readers a balanced view of the political landscape.
[18][19] The site's utility was recognized by figures such as
Politico's executive editor Jim VandeHei, who called it an essential resource for political enthusiasts.
[20] The
Chicago Sun-Times in 2012 also acknowledged the site's balanced selection of stories, and BuzzFeed's top editor praised its polling average as highly reliable.
[21]
The site has shown a conservative inclination in its content and commentary, as noted by various sources over the years.
[22] In early interviews and articles, founders McIntyre and Bevan openly discussed their criticism of mainstream media biases. A 2001
Princeton Alumni Weekly article highlighted their political leanings,
[6] and a 2004
Time article described the site's commentary section as "right-leaning."
[23] By 2009, some academic texts have described it as run by conservatives while providing a range of opinion pieces. This blend of nonpartisanship and conservative tendencies has shaped its reputation and influence in political discourse.
In November 2020,
The New York Times published an article alleging that since 2017, when many of its "straight-news" reporting journalists were laid off, RealClearPolitics showed a pro-Trump turn with donations to its affiliated nonprofit increasing from entities supported by wealthy conservatives. RCP executive editor Carl Cannon disputed the newspaper's allegations of a rightward turn, saying that he had solicited donations from both conservative and liberal donors, without them "buying coverage".
[27] Several journalists who talked to
The New York Times in 2020 said they never felt any pressure from the site's founders to bias their stories.
[26] Cannon stated that RCP regularly publishes perspectives from both liberal and conservative publications, saying that "the simple fact is that the amount of liberal material published in RCP every week dwarfs the annual conservative content in
The New York Times".
[27] However, in 2016, the final RealClearPolitics national polling average before Election Day showed Hillary Clinton ahead by about 3 points (Clinton 46.8%, Trump 43.6%).
[28]
The New York Times also said that "Real Clear became one of the most prominent platforms for elevating unverified and reckless stories about the president's political opponents, through a mix of its own content and articles from across conservative media..." and that for days after the election, "Real Clear Politics gave top billing to stories that reinforced the false narrative that the president could still somehow eke out a win."
[26] Cannon responded by highlighting two articles suggesting that "Trump could somehow eke out a win".
cute.
