A New York Times article by Patrick Healy and Trip Gabriel (10/23/15), on how the Republican presidential nominee has not yet been determined more than three months before the first voter weighs in, provided this piece of context as its second paragraph:

With Hillary Rodham Clinton emerging as the unrivaled leader in the Democratic contest, the unruly Republican presidential field suddenly seemed to lack a center of political gravity on Friday, leaving party strategists and voters to fear a long nomination fight that could end with a damaged standard-bearer facing a more unified left.

Hmm. The “unrivaled leader” leads her closest rival, Bernie Sanders, by 7 percentage points in an average of recent polls in the first caucus state, Iowa. In the first primary state, New Hampshire, she trails Sanders by 2 points; it’s been two months since she had a clear lead over him there. (In an accompanying graphic, the Times ranks Clinton as No. 1 in New Hampshire polls—based on a different polling average that has her ahead by 0.2 percentage points.)

Rather than “emerging” as a leader with no rivals, Clinton’s aura of inevitability has faded as Sanders has shown surprising strength in polling, fundraising and ability to attract crowds. Rather than signifying a “unified left,” the race for the 2016 Democratic nomination has revealed deep divides between the party’s grassroots and corporate wings.

There are at least four other significant declared candidates in the Democratic race: former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, former Virginia Sen. Jim Webb, former Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee and public interest attorney Lawrence Lessig. The article implicitly dismisses them as rivals for the nomination months before the actual nominating contest begins.

The New York Times, which strongly identifies with that corporate wing, would like its assertion that the 2016 Democratic primary season is over before it begins to be a self-fulfilling prophecy. Democracy would be much better served if the Times were to allow voters to determine who the Democratic Party’s next presidential nominee will be.

ACTION:

Please ask New York Times public editor Margaret Sullivan to address the Times‘ misleading claim that Hillary Clinton has no rival in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination.

CONTACT:

New York Times

Public Editor Margaret Sullivan

email: public@nytimes.com

Twitter: @Sulliview

You can leave a copy of your message to the New York Times here.

Remember that respectful communication is the most effective.

Jim Naureckas is the editor of FAIR.org.

Correction: A previous version of this alert misstated the number of declared major candidates.