Hits & Misses Report Card From MSNBC’s Memorable Democratic Debate

[Marty McGraw]

MSNBC hosted its first Democratic debate of the campaign season Thursday night with some conditions favorable and not-so-favorable in terms of content and ratings potential. The result was a robust, compelling, passionate exchange between the only two candidates left on the Democratic side in Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders.

As is tradition in this space, let’s hand out the usual (riveting) report card:

MSNBC’s presentation: B+. This grade includes the performance of the moderators in Chuck Todd and Rachel Maddow. In this regard, Todd gets an A- and Maddow a B+. Both Chuck and Rachel’s questions were pointed, diverse and most importantly, fresh. My one small criticism on an otherwise-smooth production itself: The closeups were a bit too …well …close-up. It’s understood the need to capture emotion, but we don’t need heads filling the entire screen.

Back to the questions, the moderators were on their game: Todd asking Clinton about releasing the transcripts of her Goldman Sachs speeches was one yet to be asked, which caught the candidate off guard with her answer being a weak, “I’ll look into it.” Maddow’s question to Clinton about whether it was a good idea to privatize the V.A. or not was also one likely not expected, nor was the one she posed to Sanders comparing him to Barry Goldwater and George McGovern in terms of the challenges that comes with his distance from the center. But where both really shined was their understanding that the candidates were ready to engage with only limited, restrained direction and inquiries from themselves, the moderators.

Note: Maddow would have also scored an A- but for whatever reason felt compelled to hug both Sanders and Clinton at the end of the event on live television with millions watching. Was it the biggest deal? Yes and no. After all, Rachel is an opinion host — and a uniquely talented one at that regardless of whether you agree or disagree with her — and where she stands in terms of ideology is no secret. She wears the her liberal badge proudly in the same manner Sean Hannity does on Fox as a conservative.

http://www.mediaite.com/tv/heres-your-hits-misses-report-card-from-msnbcs-memorable-democratic-debate/