Posted on 12/09/2003 11:43:09 AM PST by FlyLow
Giggles and titters for Hillary in '04. Senator Hillary Clinton made herself available to ABC, CBS and NBC for Sunday interview show appearances and all three networks jumped at the chance and on all three the hosts pressed her about any possibility she’d run for President next year or join the ticket. On the Face the Nation, guest host John Roberts asked the question and moved on. But ABC’s George Stephanopoulos and NBC’s Tim Russert grew excited and repeatedly tried to entice her into the presidential derby, eliciting giggles and laughter from Clinton for their pleading efforts.
On This Week, Stephanopoulos, a colleague of Clinton’s in the White House, fantasized about a pollster telling her that with her on the ticket the party wins and without her it loses, “will you accept?” Clinton retorted: “That is not going to happen George,” prompting an excited Stephanopoulos, leaning forward and pointing at her, to eagerly exclaim: “That’s not a no!!! It could happen!”
Over on NBC’s Meet the Press, Tim Russert presented her with the scenario of a deadlocked convention which turns to her. Russert followed up ten times (!) as the New York Democrat tried to persuade the Senator to run: “So no matter what happens, absolutely, categorically, no?”, “But you would never accept the nomination in 2004?”, “But you wouldn't accept the nomination?”, “I think the door is opening a bit, Senator,” “Okay, so the door is sealed?”, “'I will never accept the nomination in 2004?'" and, ever hopeful, “How about 2008?”
Russert even had the German translated from an interview Clinton did with Bunte so he could quote her say “maybe” to 2008 and Russert raised a Hillary candidacy with his second guest, Newt Gingrich: “If the Democratic Party was chaotic and disorganized at the convention and turned to Hillary Clinton, do you think she'd accept the nomination?”
Compared to Stephanopoulos and Russert, CBS’s John Roberts was downright reserved on Face the Nation in this exchange with Clinton:
Roberts: “I want to move on to a couple of other topics because we're beginning to run out of time already. Can you absolutely, or will you absolutely rule out a run for the presidency in 2004?” Clinton, giggling: “You know, I've said this so many times that, and I, you know, I'm not running. I'm going to support who the nominee is. And I think we've got-” Roberts: “So you won't go back on that? You can say absolutely not running next year?” Clinton: “I have said it over and over again. I think we've got at least a 50-50 chance for our nominee to win in November, and I'm going to do everything I can to elect the Democratic nominee.”
A full rundown of the exchanges on ABC and NBC on Sunday, December 7 with Senator Hillary Clinton in-studio:
-- ABC’s This Week with George Stephanopoulos:
Stephanopoulos: “We only have a minute left and I can’t let you go without one final political question [Hillary starts laughing] I know you’ve said you’re no going to run, no way, no how, but: one question -- the nominee comes to you in July, has all this polling, he’s run it by your pollster and says, 'Senator Clinton: If you join the ticket Democrats can win this race, if you don’t they can’t.’ Will you accept?” Clinton: “That is not going to happen George. That is so-” Stephanopoulos, leaning forward and pointing at her excitedly with his voice rising: “That’s not a no!!! It could happen!” Clinton: “-far out of the realm of the possible. That is not going to happen. Look, I’m going to the nominee and I think we’ve got at least a 50-50, if not slightly better, chance of winning. And I know that’s not something that people around Washington necessarily agree with, and so I’m going to support the nominee. I hope we’re going to have victory, and then I’ll support the nominee, whoever it is, assuming that person does a good job, for re-election in '08.” Stephanopoulos, not giving up: “And if you’re on the ticket, please come back and join us.”
-- NBC’s Meet the Press with Tim Russert. Russert read the results of a Cook Report/Ipsos poll: “This is the latest poll of the Democratic candidates across the country: Howard Dean with 20 percent; Wesley Clark, 15; Gephardt, 15; John Kerry, 14; Joe Lieberman, 9. When your name is placed before the American Democrats, this is it: Hillary Clinton, 43; Howard Dean, 12; Clark, 10. When you see those numbers, what do you think?” Clinton: “I think that that's very flattering and I appreciate the support that Democrats are showing for me. And I'm going to try to use that base of support to help elect a Democratic president, because I'm going to support the nominee of our party, and I feel as strongly as I've ever felt that we're on the wrong direction in this country. We are being taken down some very dangerous paths, both at home and abroad, and we need to change the White House's occupant.” Russert: “If one of the leading candidates falters or the convention becomes deadlocked, would you, under any circumstances, accept the Democratic nomination in 2004?” Clinton: “You know, Tim, I've ruled it out. I'm going to continue to rule it out. You know, my view is that we've got people who’ve been competing, they have put their ideas out in front of the American people, the process will finally, finally start next month in the primaries and the caucuses, and someone's going to emerge from that and I'm going to work for whoever that nominee is.” Russert began to plead: “So no matter what happens [Hillary starts laughing], absolutely, categorically, no?” Clinton, giggling: “You know, I am going to do everything I can to support this nominee, whoever that person might be.” Russert: “But just say no. You would-” Clinton: “I have said no and no and I'm trying to think of different ways of saying no and no. And I hope that in '08, I'll be supporting a Democratic President for re-election.” Russert: “But you would never accept the nomination in 2004?” Clinton: “You know, I have said over and over again, and you know, my view on all of this is that-” Russert: “You've said over and over what?” Clinton: “That I'm not running, I'm not in this race.” Russert: “But you wouldn't accept the nomination?” Clinton: “The nomination, it's not going to be offered to me, that's one thing.” Russert wouldn’t give up: “But if it is?” Clinton, guffawing: “Oh, Tim, you know, I, it's not going to happen. It's not going to happen.” Russert, holding his dream alive: “Well, but if it did happen?” Clinton, bursting out into full laugher: “You know, I have, I am-” Russert, intrigued: “I think the door is opening a bit, Senator.” Clinton lightheartedly scolded: “Oh, no, it's not. Now, don't you try to make something out of nothing.” Russert: “Oh, no, no, no.” Clinton: “No, no. I've said, no. I've said no, no, no, no.” Russert: “Okay, so the door is sealed.” Clinton: “The door is shut. The door is shut.” Russert quoted her: “'I will never accept the nomination in 2004'"? Clinton: “I am not accepting the nomination. I am going to work for whoever the nominee is.” Russert, with matching text on screen: “How about 2008? [Hillary laughs] This is what you told the German magazine Bunte, and I have the German translation that Georgetown University did this for us. 'Why aren't you running for President?’ 'I am a Senator from New York. That is my job and I am happy with it.’ Next question: 'But there are many people who are disappointed because you are not running this time.’ Answer: 'I know. (She smiles coyly.) Well, maybe next time..." [ellipses as on screen] Clinton, laughing: “You know, that's not exactly the way we translated it in my office. You know, I have been asked this so many times-” Russert: “Oh, something was lost in the German?” Clinton: “Yeah, may have been lost a little in translation. But I have said many, many times that, you know, right now I am focused on my job. I mean, you know, as a native New Yorker, we have a lot that we have to deal with from, you know, Long Island to Buffalo. And I'm trying to do the best job I can for my constituents.”
(For any readers out there who know German, along with the English translation, NBC displayed this German text on screen from the Bunte interview. Here it is, sans umlauts which don’t make it in text e-mail: Q: “Warum kandidieren Sie nicht fur das Prasidentenam? Clinton: “Ich bin Senatorin van New York. Das ist mein Job und ich bin glucklich damit.” Q: “Aber es gibt viele Menschen, die entrauscht sind, weil Sie diesmal nicht kandidieren...” Clinton: “Ich weiB. (Sie lachelt verschmitzt.) Na ja, vielleicht mache ich es ja beim nachsten Mal...”)
The last third of the hour went to Newt Gingrich, but Russert didn’t change subjects:
Russert: “If the Democratic Party was chaotic and disorganized at the convention and turned to Hillary Clinton, do you think she'd accept the nomination?” Gingrich: “Probably not. I think Senator Clinton is almost certainly going to be the Democratic nominee in 2008.” Russert: “Why do you say that?” Gingrich: “Well, 'cause I looked at the same poll you showed her. I mean, there's no reason to believe she's going to grow any weaker. And she is serious. She is hard-working. She is a first rate professional.” Russert: “Who will be the Republican nominee in 2008?” Gingrich: “Oh, there could be a lot of people. I mean, you'd have to say that Senator Bill Frist is extraordinarily attractive. You'd have to say that Governor Jeb Bush is very, very attractive. You could have an interesting opportunity there. A lot of things can happen between now and then. You can't, you know, you also have to also say that Vice President Cheney could decide, you know, sometime in early 2008 that, gee, he really is doing great, he kind of likes it. It'll be about-” Russert pressed the same theme with Gingrich as he had with Clinton, but with markedly less enthusiasm: “Will Newt Gingrich ever seek elective office again?” Gingrich: “I doubt it very much.” Russert: “You doubt it?” Gingrich: “Listen, I'm a historian. You never say never. But I doubt it very much.” Russert: “Well, if you did, what office would you seek?” Gingrich: “Who knows? I mean, you know, mayor, county commissioner. There are a lot of school boards.” Russert: “School board?” Gingrich: “There are a lot of fun things you can do in life.” Russert: “Head of the Library of Congress.” Gingrich: “Library of Congress, that's not an elective office-” Russert: “Duly appointed.” Gingrich: “-but it's a job that would be very interesting.”
Commercial journalism exists in its present form because that form is indeed commercial. People, conservatives included, have difficulty walking past the newsstand without investigating a "Is Your Drinking Water Unsafe?" headline.
From that fact and the defining characteristic of journalism, the deadline, you can explain why journalism is the tendentious snakepit it is.
And understanding that, you don't get nearly as upset.
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