Jon Stewart: Media can’t pick a GOP frontrunner

Daily Show | PEJ
On Thursday night’s show, Jon Stewart relived the coverage cycle of the GOP presidential race, pointing out that Michele Bachmann, Rick Perry and Herman Cain received the same surge-slump story treatment that Newt Gingrich — now surging again — received. “That’s the political media, they care about two things,” Stewart said, “Are you gonna win or are you dead? … The media has basically declared all four of those candidates dead, yet somehow the zombies continue to be allowed to the podium.” As of mid-October, Gingrich, who is now beating Mitt Romney in some polls, had received more negative coverage than any of the other candidates, according to tracking done by the Project for Excellence in Journalism. Gingrich also received negative coverage almost every week between May 2 and October 9, PEJ reports. “It’s amazing what paying attention to a candidate can do to their candidacy,” Stewart said. Video of the full segment follows. || Related: Who will Manchester (N.H.) Union Leader endorse after being cut short by Cain?