Today, Iowa will conduct the first presidential primary contest of the 2016 cycle, the Iowa caucuses. While the Republican side looks to reasonably favor Donald Trump, the Democratic caucus outcome is completely up in air.

Given this dynamic, people with interests in the outcome of the Democratic caucuses are hoping to influence undecided caucuses goers—none more so than the establishment media which has largely dropped its pretense of objectivity and launched full bore attacks on Senator Bernie Sanders to benefit their preferred candidate, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Leading the charge is The New York Times, which published a bizarre and considerably misleading story claiming Senator Sanders was the largest beneficiary of “outside money.” Two days later, the Times endorsed Hillary Clinton over Sanders, partly on a basis that directly contradicts their 2008 endorsement of Clinton for president.

2008 NYT endorsement of Hillary vs. 2016 NYT endorsement of Hillary. pic.twitter.com/IIVv4mEsbN

— Jimmy (@JimmyPrinceton) January 30, 2016

There has been a separate campaign waged by lower tiers within the liberal establishment to link Senator Sanders with a largely exaggerated campaign of online harassment by so-called “Bernie Bros.” When the allegations were actually investigated, the narrative of coordinated threats against women fell apart, leading The Intercept’s Glenn Greenwald to conclude that the Bernie Bro story was “a cheap campaign tactic masquerading as journalism and activism” by Clinton supporters in the media.

The purpose of the “Bernie Bro” campaign is far from mysterious: Hillary Clinton has failed to unite Democratic women behind her candidacy despite constant appeals to gender identity. Younger Democratic women voters overwhelmingly prefer Senator Sanders to Clinton. The “Bernie Bro” story is intended to galvanize young women to support Clinton by claiming Sanders supporters are sexist.

A similar tactic was used by the very same Clinton boosters in the media during the 2008 campaign to win female voters from then-Senator Barack Obama. Whether Clinton will fair better with the tactic this time remains to be seen.

What is already quite visible is that the establishment media does not want a true progressive to become the president. This is no surprise as no one has more to lose, both politically and economically. The liberal faction of the 1% and their collaborators do not want a political revolution. They want a more dulled status quo.

Fair enough, but please spare us all your “objectivity” charade.