Me Thinks the public editor Doth Protest Too Much.  Seriously the comments section exists:

1. for people to hold authors accountable
2. for people to criticize and offer alternative points of view
3. to provide feedback to the paper on what it publishes.

I seem to get the feeling the public editor was unhappy with some of the comments about Hillary and is tarring everyone with the same brush.  Not very professional or respectful of the readership