Anyone watching MTP? Brokaw's pushing McCain really hard

[Patsy Stone]

All anti-Obama questions for Schumer, followed by letting Rudy go on at the mouth, trying to re-frame his crack about community organizers with no follow-up from Brokaw?

Tell me, what would it cost Tom to ask a positive question about Obama?

[Cooley Hurd]

1. "what would it cost Tom to ask a positive question about Obama?"

...his job with GE/NBC.

[Patsy Stone]

6. One?

Even for the appearance of "fair and balanced?" The whole Schumer segment was asking him to defend the widest divergences between McCain and Obama (white women, senior citizens, etc.) although he begrudgingly admitted they're tied in the polls. Bleccch...

[SharonRB]

47. That all being said,

Chuck did a good job and was well prepared for the onslaught.

[NC_Nurse]

2. He's got a real hard-on for people McCain's age and the whole POW thing.

Brokaw is just another blowhard who can't let go of the past for a better future.

[SharonRB]

3. We don't get it until 10:30

Thanks for the heads up. Now I'm wondering if I should watch at all -- my head might explode.

:hi:

[Kookaburra]

7. I can't watch Tom Brokaw -- never have been able to

His voice gets on every nerve I have -- sounds like my Uncle Cecil after he's had a few.

P.S. I love my Uncle Cecil, but listening to drunk people try to talk is truly an unpleasant experience.

[Patsy Stone]

9. If I didn't know better

I'd say Rudy's already been on longer than Schumer was. "Tell me, Sen. Schumer, when did Obama stop beating his wife?"

[SharonRB]

46. What a piece of crap that was. n/t

[9119495]

4. I noticed it...

I was no Russert fan but I think Rudy has been evasive and I think Russert would have followed up until he answered the question asked, not the one he wanted to answer.

Much of this interview should have been about the lies but so little of it has. The good news is that the American people rejected Rudy so he is coming across smarmy...very politician-y.

[MadrasT]

5. I want to gouge Rudy's eyes out. Really.

:puke: He's a snarky jackass. :puke:

[Indiana_Dem]

8. Yeah, but I thought Schumer did a good job. The questions did annoy me, though.

I know a lot of people didn't like Tim Russert but I think he at least asked questions in a non-grating way. I miss his enthusiasm.

[kid a]

10. Brokaw can't hide the effects of his seroquel / ambian cocktail

[Patsy Stone]

11. Slurring so much

it's as if his jaw detaches with each word.

[Overseas]

41. The Big Media Corporations are really shameless these days.

Pushing the disgustingly lame Republican ticket, even though the people want real change and not their made-up stuff or Christian Taliban rule.

[Catshrink]

12. Obama's people are behind the Alaska investigation of Palin's administration?

Russert would not have let that go. The investigation has been going on far longer than Miss Piggy has been a VP candidate and has nothing to do with Obama. In fact, the guy heading it is a repug. And Brokaw didn't call him on it.

[Patsy Stone]

16. He's not as quick or as prepared as Russert would have been.

At this point in the process, that's dangerous. :hi:

[Cosmocat]

34. My butt he wouldn't have let that slip ...

Russert DARN well would have let it slip ...

People in this string are putting a REAL romantic spin to what Russert was.

[secondwind]

13. am watching it now, and looking at the polls..... I refuse to believe

that our guy has slipped so much..........and even if he has, he will bounce back, YES WE CAN!

[Patsy Stone]

15. I believe the polls lag

I think people are responding based on information they digested a day or two before the poll was taken. I think it'll move up in the next few days. Also, I'd like some info on the samples. The AP poll, for example, was skewed to the South from the info I saw in a thread here.

[mwb970]

25. Those polls were very discouraging.

But not at all surprising. This is a nation of idiots. Intelligence, competence, and commitment are seen as weakness. Bluster and lies are seen as strength. Low-information voters (i.e. the vast majority) act like they are voting on American Idol. They don't care who is qualified. They don't care who has better policy. They want "someone like me" to be president, not someone worthy of the job.

I think Obama is vastly superior to McCain as a candidate and as a potential president. I like to hear comments like "he will bounce back" and "YES WE CAN." But I have to say, I really don't see it. Not in this benighted country. Not with this many clueless idiots. Not with this corporate "news" media (48 hours on "lipstick"?). Not gonna happen. Flame away, that's how I see it.

On the upside, they probably won't bother to assassinate Barack if he's not the prez!

[PCIntern]

14. Rough Watching...

Yich.

[MagickMuffin]

17. Well you do know that Tommy is scared that McCain will pull outta the debates

if they cross ol' man McCrabby. So, it doesn't surprise me. Besides Jack Welch turned Tommy into a RWer along time ago.

:puke: in the direction of Tommy Brokaw

[Catshrink]

18. Write NBC

Here's the email screen for MTP:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6872152/


Here's my email:

Re: Brokaw's "interview" with Rudy Guiliani this morning. Brokaw allowed Rudy to ramble and spew lies and Republican talking points. What really irked me was the final comment by Rudy about Obama's "people" being behind the investigation of Palin in Alaska. In fact, that investigation has been going on longer than Palin has been a VP candidate. It was a blatant lie and Brokaw didn't call him on it. I sure miss Tim Russert -- I doubt he would have let that whopper slide.

[Patsy Stone]

26. That made me feel better. Here's mine:

I miss Tim Russert. He would never have let Giuliani get away with those talking points, and he would have asked balanced questions to both of his guests.

Instead, we were treated to a McCain commercial courtesy of Mr. Brokaw and Mr. Giuliani while Senator Schumer was only asked to defend some unfavorable polling statistics for Mr. Obama.

At least try and look like you're fair, even if you can't afford to actually be fair.

Signed,
Missing the Media's Objectivity

[Catshrink]

30. Nice! We can't let them get away with it.

[cjsmom44]

19. RE: I was pissed

I had to leave the room before I got a coronary.... :puke:

[Catshrink]

24. Yep, that sums it up for me.

That's why I emailed them (see above post). The interview with Mr. 9-11 was blatantly biased.

[jazzjunkysue]

20. Shut up, Rudy.

You're a loser. Period. nobody gives a crap what you think.

[AngryOldDem]

21. Those were my thoughts exactly.

It was so fucking partisan that I actually counted the time Schumer got, as opposed to Guilani. (Surprise -- roughly the same).

And the community-organizer discussion with Guiliani pissed me off. Nobody ever said that community organizing leads to 100% success, 100% of the time. Last I looked, there's no such guarantee like that for ANYTHING. At heart, community organizing helps to empower people to help themselves. But when you frame the discussion that way, though, I can see how Guiliani and his ilk would have a problem with that.

[DCBob]

22. Really miss Tim.

:(

[formernaderite]

23. internal polls were disturbing

he quoted to Schumer Obama was down to what? 16% for leadership? What polls are these? Even though the head to head was even, the internal question percentages were completely whack. The numbers were so scarily low I felt the acid sitting in my throat.

[ps1074]

29. what internal polls?

Whose internal polls? More info please...

[AngryOldDem]

32. The usual polls....

Newsweek was cited, USA Today, NBC/Wall St. Journal...

Obama was strong on the general questions, but scarily weak on the deeper ones. If you believe polls.

[formernaderite]

43. even if the polls are off by 20%

the numbers they cited on security and leadership were abysmal. I don't know how he changes that, it would literally take a monumental disaster by the McCain ticket to overcome that. I wish I hadn't watched the sunday talk now.

[AngryOldDem]

31. They were.

My observations:

1) Schumer said that people "still need to get to know Obama." With a little over a month and a half to go, WTF? That was not a good answer.

2) Re: Bubba voters. Most of these voters live in economically depressed and failing states. They see the hole they are in, with their mortgages, jobs, health care, etc. They say that on the state and legislative level, they will support Democratic candidates because of these issues. Yet, when they are pressed on their presidential pick, they suddenly go GOP, presumably because they can't see themselves voting for a black man. I am completely astounded that these people would gladly vote against what they clearly see as being in their best interests. If this is the case, I surely hate to admit that the best we can possibly hope for is a continuation of having a Democratic Congress -- we see where that has gotten us over the past few years.

3) I still don't see Obama's reluctance to have weekly town hall meetings as a bad move. As I said last week, after awhile this just becomes static noise to a lot of voters, and all the GOP has to do at these things is hammer home a few selective, inflammatory phrases that they know will stick with most voters. I'd rather have two or three monitored debates as opposed to weekly free-for-alls.

4) Getting back to Bubba. He worries the living shit out of me. I'm curious to know if anyone who has been canvassing has come across anyone like this? (Assuming they have the courage to be up front about the true reasons why they aren't supporting Obama.) How have you handled them? IS there a way to handle them?

[stillcool]

27. emailed...

not surprised but pissed all the same.

[Catshrink]

28. Me too.

It felt better afterward.

[YvonneCa]

49. Good. Thank you. n/t

[Edgewater_Joe]

33. All About The Horse Race, None About The Issues

Just what McCain wants, of course ...

[Graybeard]

35. Shame.

My e-mail: Brokaw has disgraced the reputation of Meet The Press. He is so obviously a Republican shill. Shame.

[AngryOldDem]

36. I think it's time NBC either retool or just scrap MTP altogether.

It's become a sad parody of itself. It, in effect, died with Russert.

[Graybeard]

38. They should go back to a panel of questioners.

Meet The Press at one time was exactly that. The guest had to face questions from a panel of journalists from all parts of the country. It unfortunately has become an ego trip for the likes of Russert and Brokaw.

[AngryOldDem]

39. I remember very well the days of Lawrence Spivak.

That's why I think the franchise has outlived its usefulness.

[progteacher]

40. I agree....

While I'm not expecting Brokaw to be Russert, I do expect an interviewer on a program like this to be much more even handed, as well as lightning fast in developing questions/pressing the subject as the interview continues. Brokaw's questions, as well, don't even sound like his own.

As well, Brokaw seems to behind three weeks in the news..Russert would've brought up the issue of, for instance, the angry response by catholics against Giuliani's comments on Obama's community service. Brokaw is pretty good about telling a story about what happened, but he's not an adept interviewer, and as well--at least this morning, comes across looking like a Fox analyst.

This is too bad. Once I thought Brokaw was a pretty decent guy.



But thank god's there's This Week.

Oh, wait a second.

[Graybeard]

45. Welcome to DU!

Yeah, Georgie Steph is another disappointment.

[AnotherMother4Peace]

37. He's using MTP to push his RW agenda, nt

[WinkyDink]

42. Gotta sell more books to "The Greatest Generation"!

[secondwind]

44. I watched it until it finished. Chuck Todd's electoral map screamed

"RED", more today than yesterday. Very depressing.

Chuckie said that we should watch for the magic number "48" a week before the election, if it isn't "48%" for Obama, we can forget it.

WTF is going wrong here?

[YvonneCa]

48. The media is selling McCain. Plain and...

...simple. Just like they sold Bush in 2000 and 2004.