Of course the democrats never play the media manipulation game .
Just about everbody plays the game, all the more necessary for a healthy dose of skepticism and some prudent research. It's becoming such a widely used tactic that you don't know who to trust any more.
That was the Hillary strategy. Rather than address issues they thought they could win with the 'look how bad Trump is' campaign. Didn't work.
But the same strategy sure worked for Trump. Perhaps because he realized that truth and honesty aren't essential ingredients in a modern PR strategy.