A Critique: Why do they still call it "Meet The Press"?

PCIntern

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Sat Feb-02-08 03:59 PM
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A Critique: Why do they still call it "Meet The Press"?

Edited on Sat Feb-02-08 04:10 PM by PCIntern

When I was young, moderators like Garrick Utley, Marvin Kalb, and that RWer Lawrence Spivak, used to have a PANEL of JOURNALISTS, usually four in the old days IIRC.

Now the show should be entitled: "Meet The Tim", wherein Mr. Potato(e)head himself haltingly reads 'gotcha' quotes reported in newspapers around the country.

A few comments: first, Timmy needs to take some reading lessons or better, be evaluated by a reading specialist. My kid used to read the screen when she was five and actually did a better job than Tim, who skipped words, faltered frequently, and had to repeat the initial words of sentences in order to get the cadence sort-of-right, as he would say.

Second, his questions are invariably phrased in the have-you-stopped-beating-your-wife-yet modes, of which there are two:

For Dems, he will find a sentence uttered 1-2 years prior which seems to directly contradict his or her present-day opinions as stated within the last two weeks. He then asks a question as to which statement was a lie. The 'victim' then has to explain either that there were different circumstances at that time, or that the entire quote was taken completely out of context. Tim, will hold the paper from which he is reading (stammering) a la Joe McCarthy, as if to say that this paper says differently and the individual is not to be trusted.

For Rethugs, the initial presentation is similar to that above with the crucial exception that the point upon which he is questioning the RWer is inconsequential. A hypothetical (satirical) example follows:

John Kerry is the guest: "Senator, let me show you the film of you throwing your medals, at least you claim that they were your medals, over the fence. Now whether or not you were handed them back as The National Review claims, we won't mention, but what do you believe that act of civil disobedience or, as some would call it, sedition, look like to the young men and women In Harm's Way, who President Bush has sent to Iraq to defend our freedoms and protect us from the terrorists?"

John McCain is the guest: "Senator, you stated on March 15th, 2003 that there were 47 interred P.O.W.'s, all horribly mistreated, malnourished, yet brave and steadfast, with you in what you ironically and literarily termed "The Hanoi Hilton". Records AND YOUR OWN STATEMENTS last year showed that there were 49 P.O.W.'s there. How do you explain that discrepancy?

Third, The Roundtable. It consists of Tim, born of laborer father whose shit didn't stink, 'sellout-journalists' like David Broder the DEAN of the Press corps (more like Dean Wormer of Animal House), and even an occasional journalist-of-color, who beats the crap out of the Democrats. Assorted RW assholes like Safire, whose sentence structure reminds me of my obnoxious ninth grade Latin teacher, and others too numerous to mention.

So, it isn't 'Meet The Press'....if it's Sunday, it's Today. Or Tomorrow.