Posted on 11/04/2004 4:47:09 AM PST by governsleastgovernsbest
If there's one place where Democrats know they'll receive a warm reception, it's The Today Show. So take it as a sign of the depths of Dem depression that Katie Couric had to admit this morning that "with Dems licking their wounds" it was difficult for the show to find a Dem willing to come on!
You'd think that it would have been a cinch to find a leading Republican insider to talk about W's plans for the second term. So who did Today choose? Gillepsie, Frist, Hastert, maybe even Cheney? Nope, they went to a guy firmly on the outside, Today's favorite Republican, John McCain.
Three highlights from McCain's appearance:
1. In one of the most unvarnished bits of liberal editorializing I've ever witnessed at Today, Matt Lauer expressed skepticism about W's ability to bring people together in his second term. Said Lauer: "He actually divided the country by governing from 'the far right.' Why should people trust him this time?"
2. McCain took a huge swipe at Kerry's notoriouly lackluster record as a Senator. "Speaking personally, If you work at it you can really enhance your effectiveness in the Senate," advised McCain!
3. McCain denied a Newsweek report that Kerry offered him, in return for accepting the VP nomination, control over the DOD and a say on all foreign policy
Then it was on to Katie's interview of PA Gov. Ed Rendell, who was still looking depressed. It was then that Katie mentioned Today's difficulty in booking a Dem this morning - a nice little insult to Rendell, letting everyone know he was far from the first choice!
A clearly unhappy Katie, still dressed in black, asked "the Dem Party was organized, the base energized, and W had low approval ratings. Why couldn't this be translated into victory? There must have been some problems in strategy."
Rendell cited the failure to respond quickly to the Swift Boat Vets, contrasting this with Bill Clinton's rapid response approach.
Katie: "Did Dems fail to appreciate the importance of moral issues to voters?"
Rendell's response showed that the Dems still don't get it. He tried to define family values in terms of government programs. For him, it's all about "valuing families," meaning more government child care, health care, etc.
He added it was hard to make the case with terrorism and Iraq in the background.
With rising frustration in her voice, Katie said Dems are known for getting out the vote, and asked why young people didn't show up at the polls. Rendell claimed they did, but that overall turnout was up so the effect of young people was diminished. He bragged about Kerry's win in PA.
Katie: "It was a big loss to have Daschle lose. How will the Dem party retool and go forward?"
Rendell cited 1964 and LBJ's huge victory, whereas by 1968 the Republicans had won back the WH. Rendell: "This is not a time for hand wringing and soul searching. If not for 9/11 and Iraq we'd be talking about Pres. Kerry."
Then it was on to an interview with Tim Russert.
Russert: "The party has to come to grips with itself. There is a disconnect in large parts of the country with the Dem party. Dems have to find words, language to speak to people of faith."
Note that once again, the Dems are addressing the issue in superficial terms. They discuss the need to find ways to "speak" about values, about the need to find "the right language," rather than looking into their souls and realizing that their values are simply out of synch with those of most Americans.
Russert gave his list of people he expected to leave the administration. Some were predictable: Powell, Rumsfeld and Ashcroft. But I was surprised when he also mentioned Condi Rice, saying "she has to figure out what she wants to do with her career."
At the beginning of the second half-hour, Evan Thomas of Newsweek appeared to tout a special Newsweek edition telling the inside story from the campaign. By far the most interesting comments were his absolute massacring of Teresa Heinz Kerry. I couldn't type fast enough to keep up, but among his blasts at her:
"A negative for the campaign, a bad campaigner, all about her, very demanding, a drag on her husband."
HAHAHAHA, quote of the day!
You obviously don't lurk on DU. Party line over there is that the exit polls were right, Rove and Diebold changed the actual vote tallies.
I agree. When the calm and intellectual Michael Barone believes that the exit polls were deliberately skewed, that is good enough for me.
Why wait? He should be IMPEACHED for the prison voting scandal and trying to suppress the military absentee ballots!
I'm sorry, but I believe would still be a Republican today (A Specter type of Republican nonetheless) if she could revive her first husband.
My problem with her were numerous, but I always thought she would dump Kerry if there were a way to get Senator Heinz back.
And the American voters responded. Some few were jubilant at the comfortable lies and unjustified attacks, but many more decided that the MSM is just not in tune with their values, perceptions or expectations.
If the MSM is so representative, why is readership and viewership undergoing steady decline and has been for the past 20 years? They can't effectively blame their clients.
Wow! I didn't know as I was at work.
As difficult as it is for you, I hope you're going to continue your service to us and keep monitoring the Today show.
The news media is simply there to give aid and comfort to America's enemies, both without and within.
Yep, you're right, to them it's all about who put on the better campaign, because the elite media campaigns their liberal views every day in the news. It's what they do best - spin stories to gain the greatest advantage. And without them to "help people decide," I bet there would have been an even greater mandate.
Thankfully, the new media is more formidable all the time. This election proved it. It's amazing when you think about everything they threw at President Bush and still he survived.
Could be, but why does she use her foundation to fund all sorts of far, far left organizations? I think she no doubt loved her first husband more, but agrees more with Kerry's politics.
Yes, and just as George Orwell (no friend of America or capitalism) ahd forecast, the piggies said "Some people are more equal than others". Yoo hoo! Lefties in Yoo-rup! That means Yoo!
Note - humor me. I really do know how to spell ;)
She hasn't really changed. She's always been a Liberal Republican.
She's a bit nutty, but I think if given a choice..it would be Senator Heinz running for President rather than Senator Kerry.
Thanks, Inspectorette - glad you enjoy the threads. I plan to keep doing them, though . . . notice to all: from tomorrow through Tuesday I'll be visiting friends in W's home state of Texas! I'm sure someone here will keep track of Katie & Co. for us!
"If not for...Iraq we'd be talking about Pres. Kerry."
If not for all the intentially distorted, bad news reporting about Iraq by the MSM, the Bush margin would have been 65 0r 35% and we would have at least 60 real Pubbies in the Senate. Rendell, Katie inCureable and the rest are just more of the dim Sheeple, but with a political podium or a microphone.
Has anybody seen numbers on how Vietnam era vets voted?
Don't think the MSM wants to talk about that number.
That's the difference between these guys and President Bush. I think it's safe to say if had had not been victorious yesterday, on January 20, 2005, he would've taken his lovely Laura by the hand, boarded Air Force One for the last time, and headed back to his beloved Texas.
Daschle and his ilk have a sickness called "power" - they need it to live. He'll stay in Washington and become a high-powered lobbyist like his wife.
Women (and this is not sexism, just fact) who are depressed often show up at the doc's office with many non-specific complaints (fatigue, trouble breathing, aches and pains, trouble sleeping). When you're filthy rich, you get to see high-ranking academic physicians who will prescribe regimens that are usually adhered to because of their renown. And, this type of thing in women often starts when they are between 35 and 45 years of age.
So, what would likely have happened here is that Teresa was started on therapy a while ago (if it was in the '70s it would have been Elavil--with Valium added for anxiety as needed).
Her therapy would likely have evolved through the 80s and 90s (Prozac, Zoloft, Xanax) but at the present I would say she would be on a more sedating SSRI (like Paxil) OR on a benzodiazepine like Xanax and a less sedating antidepressant like Effexor or Prozac.
That's the best I can do with precious little in the way of facts and total speculation on my part, but I would imagine the above is not too far from the truth.
In re: Kerry supporters draped in crepe: I teach at a small Catholic college, and yesterday almost all of the academic leadership and senior faculty were wearing black.
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