Norah O'Donnell-"Has the NYT done this with MALE candidates and what about that criticism out there

[jenmito]

that this is sexist?" Norah was talking to Nicholas Confessore, the author of the NYT interview with Caroline Kennedy in which they printed her answers with all the "ums" and "you knows" included in the transcript.

:wtf: is she talking about? The only "criticism out there that this is sexist" has been from HER! This morning she wondered aloud if the NYT left in the "verbal ticks" of the MALE candidates. How ridiculous! Does anyone agree with Norah that this was sexist?

ETA-I DO think it's slanted, but my question is-is it SEXIST.

[chelsea0011]

1. Maybe not sexist but it wasn't certainly sounds like it was done to belittle her.

[jenmito]

4. They printed her exact words. While they didn't HAVE to, and that could be because

they'd like to show her in the worst light, I don't see in ANY way how it's sexist.

[27inCali]

41. Barack is the king of the umms

when speaking off the cuff. It took my parents a while to get over that.

I don't recall seeing a lot of that in written newspaper articles containing quotes from him.

very suspicious, I say it may not be sexist (which doesn't mean I think it isn't possible), but slanted for sure.

Let's see if any of her rivals for the spot are given the same treatment.

[Uzybone]

2. Probably not sexist, definately slanted

I've never seen any interviews where the "ah"s and "um"s are included. And we all know that most politicians (most people in fact) use that.

It was definitely a slanted piece. The NYTimes continues its sad decline.

[jenmito]

6. Yeah-I don't recall seeing any interviews with the "ahs" and "ums" included, and that includes WOMEN

so I don't see how that could even be considered sexist.

[DJ13]

3. How often have you read a Bush interview with a verbatum transcript?

The MSM never treated Palin the same way either, so its not a sexist thing, its an ideology thing.

The corporate (whore) MSM was hoping that with John John dead and Teddy gravely ill the Kennedy family's ability to continue influencing our political scene was at an end.

Now that Caroline has announced her interest in becoming a Senator they're determined to undermine her chance.

This is just one example, and the fact they've managed to get so many Democrats to suddenly hate everything the name Kennedy stands for shows it may be working for them.

[jenmito]

7. I agree-they're obviously against HER-but not all women.

And that's my point. That always angered me that transcripts never had any of Bush's "verbal ticks" (plain stupidity).

[SuperTrouper]

5. Perhaps not sexist, but they NYT is trying to belittle her...remember Hillary speaks with

a lot of "you know"s and Obama speaks with many "umms" and they are left out of the transcript. So, we have the NYT running with Drudge Report (the RW prostitute)talking about Caroline Kennedy as Umms and You Knows. I still think that she does not need to expose herself to this stupidity from the media...but now that she has decided to put her toe in the lava, she should jump right into it and treat the media like Obama is handling them, which is masterfully and the media is angry and frustrated. Caroline should take lessons from Obama on how to handle the media whores.

[Captain Hilts]

12. Very true. Hillary and Obama use a lot of "ums" and "you knows" nt

[HeraldSquare212]

8. People used to make fun of Ed Koch for the same thing.

and people have made fun of all the 'ums' in Barack's interviews and debates.

[jenmito]

10. Good point. Are they (whatever the opposite of sexist is)?

I don't see how ANYONE could consider it sexist.

[karynnj]

9. It isn't sexist - it is a sign that the author does not particularly like her

It was routine that quotes were "cleaned up". I remember the NYT writing about that in the very early Clinton years - when they wrote of how they cleaned Bush I's odd sentence structures up - so the meaning was clear and how there was less a need to do this with Bill Clinton. The problem is that what sounds ok in speaking informally reads poorly. They REALLY had to work on W's! The fact though is that even someone as articulate as Obama will have "ums" and they are not written.

I do not think they do it for all women and not for men.

[jenmito]

15. I agree...

It bugs me to no end the way they cleaned up BUSH'S words.

It's not sexist-it's just a sign that they don't like HER.

[Captain Hilts]

11. I noticed the "ums" also. VERY unusual to put them in. nt

[jenmito]

16. Yes, but not sexist. I think they just don't want HER to take Hillary's place. n/t

[Captain Hilts]

22. There are a lot of reasons for folks not to support her that have nothing to do with HRC.

1) Thinking she'll walk into it
2) Not voting in elections or primaries.
3) Never having ventured west of Westchester county
4) Not contributing money to NY Dems.

I would kind of like to see her get it, personally, but I understand why a lot don't.

[jenmito]

25. I don't think it has anything to do with Hillary...

and living in NY, I wouldn't mind her getting it, either. If she's no good, she'll be out in 2010.

[Freddie Stubbs]

13. Shouldn't we know that she is an inarticulate speaker before she is appointed?

:shrug:

[jenmito]

18. As long as what she says on the other sides of the "ums" makes sense...

I don't have a problem with "full disclosure" of transcripts. I just have a problem with it being called "sexist."

[SuperTrouper]

19. Hillary was an awful speaker before her Senate election; she'd put Abe Lincoln to sleep. But

she improved as a Senator and turned out to be a Democratic Party star.

[Captain Hilts]

23. Obama has also been hesitant extemporaneously. He's getting better.

It takes practice.

[ErinBerin84]

14. agree with you

probably slanted against her, but not because of sexism. I think it is important that she speak well, and she should work on it, but they are printing the ums to make a point, not because she's a woman. Obama does the "uhs"...McCain somehow replaced every uh with "my friend", which was even more annoying.

[jenmito]

20. Exactly...

Good points (especially about McCain's "my friends.") :D

[HeraldSquare212]

17. She refused to do interviews for so long that she made the interviews a big story once she decided

to do them. I think that's what's going on here.

[jenmito]

21. I'm sure that's a big part of it...

but it's not sexism.

[camera obscura]

24. I agree - but I would add that the "Little Princess" comments coming from some liberals are sexist.

I mean.... nobody calls Andrew Cuomo or Beau Biden "Little Princes".

[Captain Hilts]

26. Agree completely. Or Paterson, for that matter. It deliberately belittles her. nt

[jenmito]

28. I don't know why some libs. are so against her getting the appointment.

The worst that can happen is she won't do a good job, but the same could be said about anyone who's appointed. It's obvious she was never interested in holding any political position, but it's also obvious that Obama inspired her and changed all that.

[Captain Hilts]

31. I don't get it either. nt

[camera obscura]

33. I don't either. Especially since she has come out as pro-gay marriage.

Considering that gay rights are taking a front burner role, you would think that would count for something.

I personally don't have an opinion about whether or not she should be seated, there are plenty of qualified candidates, but the irrational anger directed towards her is annoying.

[Captain Hilts]

39. The level of hostility is creepy.

[ecstatic]

27. Caroline Kennedy has already been swiftboated, I'm afraid

Her enemies have turned her into a joke amongst the masses in NYC and elsewhere. It's ashame. I think she would have been a great asset to us all.

[jenmito]

29. I agree...

and it's especially sad that Dems. have a large part in that.

[Cha]

38. She has a lot of supporters..

though. I saw her on local tv "Inside the Capital" the day after Christmas and I think she did an amazing job. I find her very interesting.

This is just one of the positive perspective..

"On the US Senate seat in New York: There are many qualified and worthy candidates for the seat that Hillary Clinton is leaving to become Obama's Secretary of State. So what? I raised myself on the streets of NYC, and I am unabashedly behind the drive to give it to Caroline Kennedy. It would be both a powerful symbolic move at a critical moment and a refreshingly intimate and personal move. Caroline is a different kind of person than the career politicians that largely populate the US Senate. She has made different life choices, and she has accumulated a different life experience. If she makes it to the floor of the US Senate, she will surprise and delight the electorate. Furthermore, on a pragmatic level, the person appointed to that seat will have to face TWO elections in four years. What is most disturbing is the mean-spirited and (as usual with Democrats) self-destructive nature of the attacks against her, in particular from Bill Press on his radio show."


http://words-of-power.blogspot.com/2008/12/stepping-back-thru-looking-glass-uaw.html

[PassingFair]

30. You know, Obama uses a lot of pause words, too.

A LOT of them.

It's because he doesn't want to be quoted out
of context or say something he doesn't mean.

It was distracting at first, until I got used to it.

[jenmito]

32. But he, unlike Bush, is clearly using them to come up with an intelligent answer.

I don't know about Caroline Kennedy yet, but she's not nearly as bad as Bush who gets HIS transcripts cleaned up.

[PassingFair]

35. Blantantly, too.

I remember when the NY Times ran a
disclaimer announcing that they were
routinely going to print the pResident's
words to reflect what he MEANT to say, not
WHAT HE SAID.

Aaarrggh! I remember those early days and
my bowels turn to water!

[jenmito]

36. Yeah-that "liberal" rag, the NYT...

so they "interpret" HIS words to benefit HIM but print exactly what certain DEMS. say. And how 'bout them printing all those WMD stories leaked to them from Cheney, Rove, etc.?!

[PassingFair]

37. "The aspens are turning"

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/20/judith-miller-joins-fox-n_n_136075.html

:puke:

[jenmito]

42. That's right!

Thanks for the memory! And for making me :puke: :D

[GarbagemanLB]

34. It appears to be unfair, but I hope all this has helped qualified candidates get to the front

of the line again.

[retread]

40. Some lessons, coaching, and lots of practice will clean up those "you knows". However,

some people will find other things to criticize. Have I missed the inevitable appearance complaints?