NY Times Edits Ryan's Key Phrase Out of Transcript

NY Times Edits Ryan's Key Phrase Out of Transcript

Remember when ABC News elided Mitt Romney’s entire opening speech from their transcript of the first presidential debate? Now it’s the New York Times that has cut a key phrase (and one of the best lines of the night) from Paul Ryan’s closing speech in his debate with Joe Biden last night.

For those who watched or listened to the debate, remember Ryan saying this as he closed?

The choice is clear: a stagnant economy that promotes more government dependency, or a dynamic, growing economy that promotes opportunity and jobs. Mitt Romney and I will not duck the tough issues.

Fine so far, right? But then Ryan continued, “And we will not blame others for the next four years.

That’s nowhere in the New York Times transcript. It’s been cut out. The stark contrast Ryan pointed out between two men who will take responsibility and the two men at the head of this country who whine, blame, and point fingers at everyone but themselves has absolutely disappeared form the New York Times, which claims it published a “full transcript of vice-presidential debate.”

It’s a neat and dirty trick. What Ryan followed with was this:

We will take responsibility. And we will not try to replace our founding principles; we will reapply our founding principles. The choice is clear, and the choice rests with you, and we ask you for your vote. Thank you.

The edit is very smooth; if you read the transcript and hadn’t seen or heard the debate the transition looks perfect.

But that’s not everything Ryan said, and the power of that one elided phrase was palpable. The New York Times has needed to change their byline for years. How in the world can they ever claim “All the news that’s fit to print”?

Follow William Bigelow on Twitter @williamtbigelow

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