Sunday talk shows: Where's Dean?

[zulchzulu]

I've been watching Meet The Press, Fox News Sunday, George StayOnTopOfThis's show and listening on NPR and Dean has declined all interviews this weekend.

All of the shows made it apparent that Dean has declined to be interviewed. What was Trippi thinking?

[Padraig18]

1. Who said he declined them?

i've watched them, too, and I didn't hear anyone say Gov. Dean declined any interviews. Link? Quote?

[Guaranteed]

19. It's true...Russert said it on MTP, Stephanopolous

on his little show.

Dean's boycotting them until after he wins NH. He's not going to go into an interview and just let them tell him that he's "sliding" or losing support because of a stupid speech. Once he wins NH and the talk shows can't spin him as being in a downward spiral, he'll go back to the media.

[IndianaGreen]

34. Stephanopolous is a pig!

I wouldn't let my candidate be interviewed by him.

[MoonRiver]

22. I heard Russert say they had invited Dean to be on for an entire hour

and he declined. He doesn't want to deal with the "scream" issue, obviously. Trippi probably wanted him to appear today, but I suspect he can't take the heat.

[bearfartinthewoods]

45. maybe they're afraid he'd lose it again. that would be fatal

i guess it's better safe than sorry.

[displacedtexan]

2. George S and Tim R say Dean declined

Dean's probably pretty busy campaigning today.

[mandyky]

3. The SCLM has stopped covering him

I just got done watching Women for Dean rally on CSpan.

[HFishbine]

4. Campainging in NH

He just finished a rally before a crowd of thousands.

[Ripley]

6. I saw him speaking about Women's issues this AM on CSPAN.

When I turned the channel to CNN...they had a huge headline that said "Dean is Dead." So, he's talking to the voters this am, not the liars.

Can they be any more subtle?

[AP]

5. Does he not do policy shows anymore? Only entertainment shows?

[not systems]

12. Is that picture faith based campaigning?

Is that Edwards NH strategy?

[JI7]

13. it worked for arnold in california

maybe it will work for dean. he is also sending out the interview with his wife to voters. kind of reminds me of how arnold went on oprah with his wife .

[Cuban_Liberal]

7. Maybe he declined because he's busy campaigning?

His numbers seem to have stabilized and even increased a bit, so possibly he thought his time would be better spent in NH. :)

[Ripley]

9. Wow, how refreshing to see an Edwards supporter be nice.

Unlike others who make up complete bullshit to spread rumors that are totally unfounded...

I guess being different than the suits in the boys club in DC is sooooo bad that Dean's Dead Again. Tell me, if Edwards comes in 3rd in NH is he Dead?

Thanks for being real CL.

[Cuban_Liberal]

20. YW!

I'm not inclined to be negative about ANY Democrat running, even if he's not my guy. Frankly, we have a wonderful field of candidates, and I see much to admire in each and every one of them. I see no good purpose served in bashing a fellow Democrat or his supporters, frankly.

3rd place in NH doesn't help or hurt Sen. Edwards in NH, IMO, but anything less than a STRONG 2nd in SC fairly well leaves him dead in the water, unless he has a victory that same day somewhere else.

:)

[NewHampster]

8. An overflow crowd in NH

Where it counts.

A womens issues event with Judy and a couple thousand others.

[kstewart33]

15. Is that the event where he likened pro lifers to the Taliban?

Now that's smart campaigning, for the hundreds of thousands of women in the Dem Party who are not pro choice.

[Ripley]

32. Wow, more smears and lies...I'm shocked. I heard him.

And that is not what he said. He went on and on about how he respects pro-life as a position many people have, he then went on to state that the government should never be involved in practicing medicine and telling women when, how and if they bear children. He did not call pro-lifers the Taliban...He said he got in trouble for saying that some of the far right were similar to the Taliban who tell women what to even wear!

Maybe some of you people should actually listen to Dean, instead of listen to Dean-haters who tell you what he said. That would be the intelligent thing to do.

[NewHampster]

40. Thank you

[librechik]

10. Where's Dean? All over the Sunday shows being ridiculed, mocked

and villified. Some of the reporters spoke up to say it was a totally unfair rap, the hall was noisy and he had to yell. Then they all agreed that it didn't matter, the perception was out there, and Dean's Dukakis moment has destoyed his campaign. Yay! The Liberal Media won!

Chris Matthews is the worst, by the way. Watching Tweety drool and giggle over the deliberate, unfair destruction of a Democrat was as cold and horrible moment I've ever experienced, including the movie Alien.

[emulatorloo]

11. Timmy said they offered him the whole hour of MTP if he wanted

and that he declined.

[kstewart33]

14. Very disappointing

For a candidate who speaks boldly and doesn't back down, refusing a full hour on MTP and a huge platform to air his views. He doesn't look so bold any more.

[Mass_Liberal]

18. he's campaigning in NH

thats his primary responsibility. It's 2 days before the primary. Is that so wierd?

[beaconess]

26. No - but then his supporters shouldn't complain that he's not on

[Ripley]

33. Who is doing that?

Do you always have to twist the truth?

[janx]

36. Where do you get the idea that his supporters are complaining?

?

[bicentennial_baby]

41. Where do you see that?

I see everyone BUT Dean supporters saying this.

[Guaranteed]

21. He's going to win NH

to shut these media whores the hell up.

[Hawkeye-X]

42. I consider Deans decision correct

The tv pundits can go screw themselves. Repeatedly. With a rusty axe.

[janx]

16. Dean is spending time with people that really matter:

and those would be voters in New Hampshire, right now.

[beaconess]

27. Then no one should complain that he's not on

His supporters can't have it both ways.

[janx]

29. I wasn't the one complaining.

The person who posed the question is not a Dean supporter.

[Ripley]

37. Hold on there janx, don't confuse the issue with facts.

See, no Dean supporters complained he wasn't on TV today, but that shouldn't stop us from bitching about the supporters who complained he wasn't on TV today.

Is this the third grade?

[KoKo]

17. He knew Russert would just Yeeeeeeahhh, him to death. Why bother?

He's gotten enough press this week why would he need more. Those shows accomplish very little. Just a forum for the Gas Bag Pundits to trash Dems.

[Pax Argent]

23. What was Trippi thinking?

How about that the whore media and the pundit core are not his friends? Or that ANY potential gaffe or mis-step (perceived, fabricated, or real) would be exploited mercilessly in the attempt to smear Dean and drag him down two days before the NH primary?

Dean is doing what Dean does best: speaking to the people and making his case without the corporate pundits' interference. Why make the pundit/character assassins' job any easier?

[Darth_Ole]

24. Who knows?

Maybe Dean declined, maybe he didn't. Who knows?

My guess is while everyone else is on the talk shows, Dean and his camp are actually out campaigning and talking with voters.

[NewHampster]

39. Right on

[adamrsilva]

25. Dean's going on the Daily Show tomorrow

He made the right decision!

[zulchzulu]

30. Perhaps Sesame Street has a spot for Dean tomorrow

It's too bad Mr. Rogers and Captain Kangaroo passed away. Maybe they could have interviewed Dean as well.

/sarcasm

[Ripley]

38. I'm sure you'll watch it like you usually do.

I remember when it was "The Media Loves Dean...that's why he is on the cover of every magazine and on TV all the time." Now that he missed one show, it is "Dean never does serious interviews...he's nowhere to be seen."

Make up your minds. Oh yeah, you have.

[zulchzulu]

43. Dean missed at least 3 shows and declined interview time

Fox asked. Dean declined. Meet the Press asked. Dean declined. Stephanopolos asked. Dean declined....

I detect a pattern. No?

[zulchzulu]

28. Other candidates on the shows also campaigning in NH

They took the punches and still are campaigning in NH as well. I saw Kerry on Fox, CBS and ABC. Clark was on ABC. Edwards was on ABC. They might have been on other shows, but that's what I saw.

Frankly, it looks like Trippi doesn't trust Dean to be on the shows due to possible gaffes or driving up the negatives even more.

I'm sure the people of New Hampshire and beyond will look at this strategy and question Dean's ability to be percieved as a viable candidate.

It's easy doing stump speeches and preaching to the choir. It also appears that Dean is still attacking the other candidates even thought he said he wouldn't in the waning days in New Hampshire.

It's another to have the political saavy to bat away questions from people like Russert. For people to just call them media whores and such is not a solid response, imo.

[Jerseycoa]

31. I think it's the smart thing

Fuck 'em. I only hope he comes out loud and clear on the corporate-media/Repub agenda that's used to smear all of our candidates one by one.

[PVnRT]

35. Yeah, I'm sure

those appearances would've been about his stances on the issues, not about the scream. Because we all know the media is responsible and would never do anything like that to anyone.

[zulchzulu]

44. So hide instead of defend? Sounds like someone needs to grow...

...some...

[candy331]

46. We'll have to wait and see how

wise it was for the other candidates to appear want we? Seems from what I hear Clark was battered by Russert on the awol thing which surely could not have been in his favor. If they were really up to anything good why did it matter to them to say Dean declined to come on their shows and I wonder were they told a very valid reason as why the invitation was declined but saved the positive to put out the negative? By the mere fact they had to mention he declined speaks to their true motives because would anybody think they would have refused to have Dean on especially since they just love him so?

He is all over the screen with their negative scream stuff so people are geting to hear it and it is working the opposite of their intentions, turning people on to Dean because of it.They put out that Kerry and Edwards won in Iowa because of Dean And Gep's negative advertising so now they do it and can't see people feel the same way about it coming from the media.

I'm sure their pants are in a wad because they couldn't get any negative sound bites and clips for their spin fodder today.
Good for Dean a man who can say no and not be duped!

[THUNDER HANDS]

47. good move by Dean

Even a 100% perfect performance on the talk circut this week wouldn't help him.

Appearing on TV today would only hurt his chances of the nomination by giving his Iowa speech more airplay.