Nora O'Donnell just demonstrated everything wrong with the Media

[Armstead]

She was interviewing Howard Dean on MSNBC.

She asked (legitimately) the question "The public is very critical of the President and the republicans in Congress, but the polls show the democrats have not been benefitting because the public doesn;t believe they offer anything different either? How do you respond?"

Dean replied by starting to list several positionsm, saying (slightly paraphrased): "The first thing we intend to do is push for strong ethics legislation which both parties will have to adhere to. We also....."

At this point she butted in, apparantely because Dean was about to speak more than two sentences. "But are the democrats going to offer something like a Contract with America?"

To which dean replied: "...as I was about to continue to say, we also intend to push for universal health coverage that everyone can afford..."


In other words, according to the logic of these so-called journalists, the Democrats have no agenda. However, when a leader of the Democratic Party rerspondsd with the outline of an agenda, it apparently takes "too long" for the ADD-paced requirements of the MSM.

"In otehr words it's: "But you don't stand for anything."

"Here's what we stand for..."

"Shut up, that takes too long. I can't hear youuuuuu."

Arrgh. Perhaps if they'd at least allow an answer that is four sentences long, the presstitutes might actually get their questions answered.

[Bozita]

1. Norah-the-Whorah

Easy on the eyes; hard on the ears.

[Clark2008]

32. My fiance doesn't think so.

He says she looks like a stuck-up snob, which makes her pretty ugly in his book.

[PurityOfEssence]

35. Sadly, visual impressions are incredibly overemphasized

We all have our tastes in looks, and codify them as people have tried to do for seemingly forever, many of those tastes are rooted in personal experience.

Your fiance's pronouncement is more decent because it's a judgment of comportment. Physically, she's quite good looking. The only complaint an objective viewer could have is that her eyes are set a bit wide (giving her a bit of a monkeyish appearance) but Christine Romans (Lou Dobbs' lackey) has the same structure, and they're both attractive. What sets your fiance off is probably rooted in experience, but she's definitely "done" in a fashion sense, and one gets the sense of her being a privileged debutante snot.

I think you're betrothed to a keeper; he's perceptive.

One of the sad things about telejournalism is that it mixes the worst of show business with the worst of information dissemination.

Sigh.

[abluelady]

2. Mr. Dean Did Right

He probably should have said, "if you would shut up and let me talk, I will tell you our plan."

The interviewee needs to control the interview not the interviewer. If we could see more of that, we would see our message getting across. There is nothing we can do about the pundits talking, but we certainly can control an interview.

[Armstead]

7. The look in his eyes implied that

He stayed restrained, but you caould tell what he really wanted to say was something along those lines.

[jsamuel]

3. "That's all well and good, but how are you going to pay for it."

One of my favorites.

They won't even listen to the answer, they just make the statement and then don't let them respond.

[Straight Shooter]

24. My answer would be: "We're all paying plenty for it already."

Then tick off all the things that lack of health care is really costing America. Let's start with malnutrition in children, or children who aren't born with a good healthy start because their mothers could not afford decent prenatal care.

Let's talk about the fact that preventive care is much less costly than what people who are struggling end up doing ... waiting until the last minute and then the molehill has become a mountain. Let's discuss that while we're paying out the wazoo for health insurance, that's less money to pump into the overall economy.

Let's talk about health care which allows someone to see the doctor right away for signs of the flu, so that person can not spread it around so much because they're afraid to take off work because then they won't be able to afford their health insurance premiums because their budget is so tight it squeaks.

This rant is directed at Republicans, as a public service. :rant:

[Loonman]

4. She's a disgrace

To NBC and journalism.

[Armstead]

8. Unfortunately she's just typical

The while mentality of TV news seems to be: "How many 'names' and subjects can we cram into an hour?"

[Supersedeas]

25. or just to journalism

[snappyturtle]

5. The truth shall set you free.....

I couldn't agree more and it's not just Nora. The question is, "Why"?The only answer is they're repubs.....what do you think?

[Sparkle]

6. I didn't see this but why do these so called journalists feel they

need to interrupt the person they are interviewing? Why won't they let them finish their point?

[Protagoras]

9. The Dean (Dem) response needs to be

"Do you want an actual answer or are you just here to interrupt my answers until you can get back to your WH talking points?"

And followup with "Plans for paying for things take more than 3 seconds to elaborate on unless you really think those cheap slogans that Bush and Gingrich used have actually paid off for the country...do ya? Do ya there reportergirl?"

[EstimatedProphet]

18. And I'd add to that...

Follow-up with "The reason Americans think the Democratic party has no plans is because YOU refuse to tell them what they are, and make a point of interrupting discussion of any plans every chance you have."

[BlueEyedSon]

10. Real policy (domestic or foreign) cannot be reduced to sound bytes.

Although notice how much traction "smoke 'em out" and "dead or alive" got. The people are stupid and the media gives them what they want.

[skypilot]

11. I wish he could have said to her:

"The Contract with America consisted of more than the one sentence you've allowed me. Now shut the fuck up!"

[snippy]

12. All democrats need to begin to taunt those who say they have no agenda.

Democrats need to say something like "Only someone who is totally ignorant and completely uninformed would ever say such a thing. Or someone who is lying." Which one applies to you Nora?

[grasswire]

13. good one, snip

It is part of the "narrative" put forward by the RNC. Dems are in chaos, have no ideas, no plan, yada yada. Frist spouted it just Tuesday when Reid shut down the Senate. No plans, no principles, yada yada.

Rove often faxes journos with questions to ask at the very time while they are ON THE AIR. He probably sent her a message on her blackberry with the questions.

[triguy46]

14. "contract with America"???????

I didn't sign it. That was PR, that was rape pillage and plunder. She's a frickin idiot. Why didn't she also say that the CWA is dead, a failure, newt's a wash up has been. The media is a mile wide and an inch deep.

[Loonman]

15. The only NBC personality that doesn't lie and distort on a regular basis

Is probably Maria Bartiromo. She does financial news, and numbers do not lie.

[zanne]

16. Numbers don't lie...

...but people lie about numbers.

[KoKo]

17. Wonder if she's still dating Bush Operative Dan Senor who was spokesperson

for Pentagon from Iraq in early days of the invasion?

[underpants]

20. Campbell Brown

Campbell Brown (sexual harassment suit against the White House got her actually moved up to hosting the Today show on the weekends) was dating Dan "pinhead" Senor.



CNN's Daryn KAgan dates Rush

As Henry Kissinger said -power is the ultimate aphrodisiac (even presumed power I guess).

[underpants]

19. Much like the discussions about how Kerry couldn't get his message out

I saw this time and time again. Several of the oh so wise would sit and take 5 mintues to talk about how Kerry (Dems in general) couldn't get their message out.....then cut to Bush and tell you what his message was....and then cut back to more discussion of how Kerry can't get his message out.

Same thing.

[Armstead]

21. Yep -- endless navel gazing

[underpants]

23. One year ago

Kerry is RIPPING stories off the front page of the NYT (al Qua Qua ammo dump) and reading them on the stump and the MSM covers it as "Kerry trying to connect Bush criticism to his supporters"

cut to the studio "Bob tell us about this new strategy of Senator Kerry's"

"Well Judy what we are seeing is John Kerry (you can actually see tight shot of Kerry in the background) trying to get his message about the supposed lack of planning after the war out to his supporters. Will it work? I guess (cutting back to camera 2) we will see on Tuesday"

"Yes we will" President Bush is talking to a loud and raucous crowd in Ohio lets go to....

[Poiuyt]

22. Journalists want an agenda with a nice title to it

"Contract for America" had a nice ring to it. It was easy for them to repeat. Dean (and we Democrats) do have an agenda, we just don't have a name for it. Maybe we should come up with one. Anything to help get our message out.

[tallahasseedem]

26. I remember when she was covering the Democratic Convention...

her hatred for the Dems was palpable. I will never forget that.

[Sparkly]

27. I call them "but-heads."

Leslie Blitzer is another ace but-head. They interrupt Democrats with things like:

"But Republicans would say..."
"But the president said..."
"But what about those who say..."
"But twenty years ago you said..."
"But Saddam was a bad guy..."

And they don't do that with Republicans. In fact, they consistently counter Democrats with rightwing talking points critical of Democrats, then they interview Republicans who spout yet more rightwing talking points critical of Democrats -- the focus is nearly always on criticizing Democrats, NOT criticizing the party in power.

[Orangepeel]

28. well, she has a point

we do need a sound bite phrase that encapsulates what we stand for.

It's a shame that we do, but we do.

The party can dispair that the media won't allow an answer that is four sentences long or it can come up with something that the media will repeat.

[libnnc]

30. or journalists could practice some

common manners and allow the people they're interviewing to finish a thought before butting in with a loaded question...

Did you see the piece this thread is pertaining to?

[Armstead]

33. Democrats stand for Truth Justice and the American Way

There's your sound bite.

Now -- which was my original point -- the problem is the media clowns who claim that Democrats have no agenda, but then when a Democratic leader tries to explain an agenda, the media clowns talk over them and ignore the answer in their rush to get to the next question.

It also works on a much largr scale. Numerous important and substantial press conferences and position statements have been held by Congressional Democrats, but the same media whores who claim there is "no agenda" totally ignore them.

[lonestarnot]

29. LOL Too fucking frustrating... barely watch it any more...

Want to reach in and slap somebody!

[VolcanoJen]

31. Today's media has no originality, and no imagination.

If the Democrats get together and unify on a platform, the media refers to it as "another Contract with America."

If Bush and his minions are involved in a scandal, the media gives it another "-gate" name and talks endlessly about "second term scandals" and other presidents, instead of the current issue at hand. Hey, it gives them another opportunity to bring up the Clenis, so you can hardly blame them. :eyes:

[Devil Dog Dem]

34. Yeah, but she is HOT!

And that is all that matters!

:sarcasm: