Posted on 11/18/2006 12:12:53 PM PST by Phsstpok
Preview and Analysis of the Weekend Talk Shows for November 18 and 19, 2006
The election is over. So is the leadership fight. The old media talking heads are now thrashing around trying to find a way to spin this new reality as a good thing and they're not having much luck. And they're worried that a serious case of buyers remorse is setting in among the voters that they fooled in this election cycle.
The few days since the election have seen the Dhimmicrats rhetorically confirm almost every warning the Republicans raised about what their agenda is. You know, the things they and their friends in the DBM told us was just fear mongering. Charlie Rangel wants to raise taxes, but only on the rich (meaning everyone who earns a paycheck) and institute the draft, but only for the children of the rich (and I guess Jon Carry's smart kids). Carl Levin wants us to run away redeploy from Iraq, this year if possible, and to hell with the consequences. It's not our problem anyway. Nancy Pelosi wanted to put the most corrupt and incompetent sitting member of Congress into the second highest leadership post in the House. Fortunately a brief moment of sanity broke out, but what will those disloyal Dhimmicrats have to agree to in order to avoid the wrath of Nancy? Speaker elect Pelosi has already started settling as many personal scores as she can on such short notice, with promises of a January massacre to rival St. Valentine's day. Watch for the leak investigation of Jane Harman to get some new damning leaks from inside the Dhimmicrat caucus. Hey, It's all within her own party, so her calls for bipartisanship haven't been tested yet. Chuck Schumer's ode to bipartisanship stood for perhaps an hour and a half over on the Senate side of the new Circus Maximus (see here, here and here).
We're in for a bumpy (and perhaps bloody) two years. There is a widespread myth that the separate Chinese characters that together make up the written form of "crisis" mean "danger" and "opportunity." According to many experts this is not true. Instead it more closely resembles "dangerous change." It's true that not all dangerous changes result in catastrophe, but it does properly carry the idea that the outcome is more likely bad than good. Of the possible outcomes of this experiment set up by the sheeple who swung to the Dhimmicrats this election, not many of them offer a positive end result. Most likely outcomes are bad. Some possible outcomes are truly disastrous.
So, how are the weekend shows trying to spin things?
NBC Meet The Press tries to put a reassuring face on the new Dhimmicrat majority in the Senate with two of the freshman Senators, Virginia's Webb and Montana's Tester. Tester is more likely of the two to provide what apparently lil' Timmah wants, a view of a safe and sane "centrist Democrat." After all, he favors the Second Amendment. If you dig into Tester's own version of how he stands on the issues you'll bump into a few screwy notions, for example that the most important mission of our military seems to be to provide jobs in Montana or that the example of border and immigration security he cites as a big issue is found in the Marianas islands. Oh, and the Patriot Act is a bad thing because the FBI would be allowed to see what videos you rent. Jon, what videos have you been renting that the idea of someone finding out gives you the heebee jeebees? In Webb they have yet another "real war hero" that the left can love. That puts him in the same camp as Kerry, Murtha and Rangel which seems to think that war for any reason, even self defense, is wrong, at least so long as a Republican is the one who is running it. Webb must still be a reasonable voice to reassure the American people that the newly powerful Dhimmicrats aren't a threat, isn't he? Well, not really. He thinks we can negotiate our way out of Iraq by sitting down with Syria, Iran and, apparently, Al Qaeda. What, exactly, is he willing to concede to them in order to secure "peace?" But Iraq isn't the issue nearest and dearest to his heart. Instead Jim Webb is intent on "fixing" the problem of inequality of income distribution. Ruh Roh, Shaggy. To this mix lil' Timmah will add two media voices, experts on the Middle East, Ted Koppel, late of ABC News and now from Discovery Channel, and Robin Wright (no, not that Robin Wright) from the Washington Post, but formerly of the LA Times. Yep, sounds fair and balanced to me.
CBS Face The Nation goes a different way. They trot out one winner and one loser, both of them exhibiting the proper attitude for their respective roles. Charlie Rangel, the winner, has announced that he will take from Mississippi and give to New York. Yep, that's what the people voted for, aid to poor downtrodden New York. And knowing Charlie that's not New York as in Binghamton. No, that would be Brooklyn or Queens. You know, where real Americans want to live. Lindsey Graham, in contrast, will show us how a loser is supposed to act. He says that the next two years will be his most productive. No doubt he looks forward to negotiating away as many of the gains of the last twelve years as his new partners will allow him. I doubt seriously if he'll be asked if he expects his Dhimmicrat partners in the gang of 14 to stick with him in upholding the rules on filibusters if the Republican dare to filibuster and the Dhimmicrats trot out the nuclear option. In fact, I fully expect he and the other Republicans in that little cabal to see it as their duty to side with the Dhimmicrats to break any attempted Republican filibuster, just to maintain the sense of comedy comity in the Senate.
Fox News Sunday attempts to revive (or bury) the presidential campaigns of two damaged politicians. John Kerry's "botched joke" has made him a true laughing stock. No matter what furious attempts the left and the DBM try to mount in his defense he can't avoid his own past and "the joke" stands as clearly as Howard Dean's scream as the true summation of who the man really is. All you have to do is look at the picture in this New York Post article and you see the truth about his political future, at least for the foreseeable future. Newt Gingrich was trashed by the media as thoroughly as any politician has ever been. Remember How The Gingrich Stole Christmas Newsweek cover art? That was from the 1994 year in review issue of Newsweek and it set the tone for how Speaker Gingrich was and would continue to be treated in the press, culminating in his being hounded from office for things that Dhimmicrat power brokers are never challenged for. Now, do you suppose they'll treat Nancy Pelosi the same way? Not bloody likely. But has enough time passed that Newt's reputation will now allow for a presidential run? Not bloody likely. The Sunday panel is made up of the normal foursome, Brit, Juan, Bill and Mara. Given the missteps by the Democrats and the frantic spinning going on by the Dhimmicrat friendly elements in the DBM following the election I suspect that there may be a good smack down or two coming. If not I will fall into the crowd that sees Brit as burned out and no longer interested in politics as it is today. Can't say I blame him, but that's a bad sign, if true. Maybe it's just the direction Fox is taking that has him seemingly down these days.
ABC This Week gives John McCain his "do over" opportunity after the less than stellar reviews of his MTP and Federalist Society appearances. One of the big criticisms of both performances was that he seemed to be burned out, too tired to muster any enthusiasm for anything. Not a good way to be perceived for a presidential wanna be. Look for attempts at greater animation as well as lots of kumbaya moments about "finding common ground without compromising principles." This from a man that thinks regulating free speech in political campaigns is a good idea. We need to keep an eye on just what rights of ours John thinks are his to bargain away. The triumphant Steny Hoyer follows McCain for what will be a get acquainted appearance for most Americans. Hoyer has been number two on the Democrat side of the House for years, but hasn't had the public profile of Pelosi or Murtha. That could be because he has been a voice speaking against the MoveON.ORG "get out of Iraq no matter what it costs" strategy. For that reason his defeat of Murtha was viewed not only as a defeat for Pelosi but a sign that "moderates" would win out in the House. The problem is that on most issues such as gun control or taxation, at least rhetorically, Hoyer is well to Murtha's left. He does have the advantage of being neither a moron nor out of his tiny mind, both of which are Murtha traits. In fact, the way Pelosi has mishandled the first few days of her ascendancy has led to Slate, among others, to suggest that Pelosi needs to go already. Could this be the first appearance of the next next Speaker of the House? The ABC panel will be a lot of "we told you so" and "it's all still a mess, particularly Iraq" but very little in the way of practical and specific "here's how you fix it." So, nothing new there. This weeks "noble cause" moment is brought to us by Jimmie Johnson representing the cause of life saving blood and bone marrow donations. I wonder what would have been the reaction if he had made an ad claiming that Jim Webb opposed the bone marrow registry and implied that Webb wanted people to die?
CNN Late Edition follows the CBS approach, but with two from the winning side and two from the losing side in the election, and they throw in an Iraqi official, likely portrayed as yet another loser, plus a trio of "neocons," surely the biggest losers of this decade. Carl Levin will have his opportunity to peer owlishly at us over his reading glasses and pontificate profoundly on how leaving Iraq immediately is in our best interests. Kay Bailey Hutchison will probably not be given an opportunity to react, unless they know beforehand that she'll second the Dhimmicrat plan which, of course, they think is the definition of bipartisanship. Roy Blunt will represent the losers in the House and, at the same time, be held up as proof that the Republicans didn't get "the message" (feel free to assign whatever message you want, even contradictory ones, trust me, they didn't get it). James Clyburn will also be a new face and voice for most Americans. Elected to the number three position in the Dhimmicrat House leadership, he has also been a long time member of the Congressional Black Caucus and was its former chair. Under normal circumstances the House leadership post would likely have gone to Rahm Emanuel, who is widely credited with engineering the take over of the House. Instead racial spoils politics come to the fore in Nancy Pelosi's House. There's lots of talk about just what Clyburn and the Black Caucus will do with this newfound power, but speculation centers on CBC issues like reparations and racial quotas. Finally the neocons, Adelman, Frum and Rubin will be discussing what they really meant by those quotes in Vanity Fair and who they really blame for all of the problems in Iraq.
The Saturday shows are pretty formulaic, with Mort and Fred on The Beltway Boys continuing to feed us the inside the beltway conventional wisdom. I have a feeling that they'll feel like they're back on more comfortable terrain with the Democrats in charge. Watch for Mort to wax euphorically about all of the good things that can now get accomplished with the wave of a hand. Tim Russert continues the hagiography of Barack Obama on his CNBC show. I really doubt he or any other DBM talking head will dare to mention the allegations about corruption and crooked real estate deals that have surfaced involving the anointed one. Unless, of course, the allegations are being floated from her heinous' camp, that is. Fox News Watch inexplicably examines how the media reported the news about the Iraq Survey Group. Funny, I don't remember any news about the Iraq Survey Group. Could that be what they're covering? The Journal Editorial Report has what sounds like an interesting debate on what effect the immigration question actually had on this election, along with an examination of the current trial balloons on negotiating with Syria and Iran over Iraq. I wonder if anyone will actually ask what concessions we could make that wouldn't result in damage to ourselves and Israel.
So, there we have it. The DBM attempts to reassure the electorate that the Dhimmicrats really can be reasonable, despite what they actually say and do. And the lesson for the other side is that good Republicans are cooperative Republicans (meaning they give in on everything) and those are the ones who will get face time on the DBM. Now that the dust has settled a bit and the view has begun to clear the DBM expects us to turn to them to learn "what it all means." We'll see if the sheeple really are that gullible or if they'll start to ask tough questions about what they've been led to believe would happen if they just "voted for change." That's a nice slogan, particularly if no one ever asks what the change will be or where it will take us, but if left undefined, as it was in this campaign, it means whatever the listener wants it to mean, at the moment. What was that about no more "politics as usual?"
This will be cross posted to my blog at Wizards.townhall.com. This post exists primarily as a heads up for who is on the weekend talks shows, what they've been invited on to push (based on their recent pronouncements) and the spin (meme) the DBM is likely trying to push based on that information. All of this is prep work for the weekly Sunday Morning Talk Show thread posted by Alas Babylon!. That thread provides a live commentary and analysis of the Sunday talking head shows, with rare insight and exceptional fact checking. we are the Jedi Council of FreeRepublic, at least in regards to these DBM gabfests. You wanna know what was said and what it meant, as well as where they messed up? Read that thread!
Here is a link to Mark Kilmer's excellent preview over at Redstate.COM.
Best wishes for success with those eye operations, Phsstpok!
Yes, they should be. Phsstpok does ping them, so we all know.
Josh, we'll pray for you; a good and successful surgery!
LOL...some of these pictures are priceless...
Way to pick em, Phsstpok....still laughing..
BTW..if you take Webb's toupe off..and gave him a haircut like Tester's...they would be the same person...ugh
Thank you ...I freepmailed a thank you.
BTW..watching Newswatch..and not one of them have brought up that President Bush has asked for more groups, other than the ISG...to come up with ideas...like the Penatgon...and Condi.
I am referring to the article that Phsstpok posted in this thread...that I didn't see yesterday..if it was posted here on FR..
They are all saying that Bush has an oedipal complex...blah, blah.
Oh...please don't burst my bubble about Brit!!! LOL
You can say all you want about Rush or anyone else..but, Brit, is well.....Brit.
When Hennican comes on, my tv goes off.
Still, I think the most blame lies with the MSM. How often I've heard folks here talk about the spineless Republicans, and why won't they fight back, when in fact they do, but the DBM doesn't air it, talk about it, nor print it. You can't get better help than this for the democrats--who BARELY won in a handful of races that let the dems squeak into power. The talk show hosts fell prey to the constant lies and pressure, just like the rest of us.
LOL...I know what you mean.
I DID just read on the bottom of the screen ticker that Mel Martinez is being yelled at by some Florida Dem Party guy...and it made me realize that none of the above shows is having on Martinez...
HE has been a "controversial" person this week, just by being picked for head of the RNC...but, for some reason he doesn't get ANY show wanting him on.
BUT, they are going to give air time to jon carry??? And the bottom 2 newbies in the Senate??? and Carl Levin and John McCain for about the 20teenth week in a row????
I would really have liked to see him on a show, being asked a lot of the questions that we have all had...
Good catch. That's another criticism of bias we can make to the DBM, and the Sunday show hosts in particular, of always showing the same faces, week in and week out. We want new faces!!!
thank you both for your kind words about the thread. I appreciate all those who participate, particularly the Sunday regulars, but my main purpose is to get the stage set for the Sunday thread, not get a lot of discussion about the issues. The things I hope to see posted here the most are other links or background info about the people who will be on the shows. That's why I have always put the (not the live thread) into the heading. I want to save the debates for tomorrow.
The Sunday thread gives me an important insight into how our community, and much of the world, is viewing the current news events, and being prepared for it has become important to me. I found myself doing this kind of research for myself, anyway, so putting up the thread gave me a way to organize my thoughts. Also, by making my research into a regular thread forced me to do it each week, something a procrastinator like I am would always put off. Even if I'm relatively late, like this week, I feel really good about people looking forward to seeing this stuff, so that drives me to do what I want to do but might put off.
The move to the (probably way overdone) analysis has been pure fun for me. I enjoy passing out my "wisdom" this way and would love nothing better than to know that a few people find it either funny or informative, and especially love it when someone thinks it's both. In my ideal world I'd take over for Novak when he finally hangs it up and would skewer the powerful in Washington from my lofty perch. I think I'm much better off putting my amateur offerings in front of my friends here. I make far too many off hand statements based on "what I heard" that I can't fully document for writing professionally to be a good idea. Of course, I could do as the professionals do and attribute anything vague like that to an anonymous source.
Dave, I particularly appreciate your prayers and the wishes of all the others who have dropped me notes. My big regret from the Boston trip is that I spent my time with my co-workers and didn't spend more time exploring Boston with you. What time we did have together I really enjoyed.
See you guys tomorrow.
You have truly accomplished what you set out to do...IMHO>
I am always amused and enlightened by your comments..your ability to think outside of the box is one of your strong suits...I enjoy reading an observation or prediction you make...and being "surprised".
I don't have the skill, energy, or time to find all of the great links you post...and I always learn something new.
Keep up the good work...except next week...take your time for yourself...you deserve it.
Don't worry...you won't be "Wally Pipped".
Notice, too...that Mitch McConnell was not asked...but Trent Lott...the #2 guy was!
Also...Goober Graham was asked...AGAIN...and he has absolutely nothing to do with any of the news this last week.
John Cornyn wasn't asked...even though he is a first term Senator and is 5th in power in the Senate.
John Ensign...who is taking over for Dole (who was on 2-3 times before the election)..is NOT on to ask how he is going to try to reverse the trend.
photos are good idea!!! thanks
bttt
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