The Sunday Morning Talk Shows - preview
By Mark Kilmer Posted in Special Features — Comments (2) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
For Sunday, January 7, 2007
Meet the Press (NBC): Host Tim Russert will talk to Ted Kennedy about his latest political stunt. The Dems and Hagel seem to be going along with it, and I keep hearing about that woman, Ms. Snowe, and you have to wonder about those who'd follow a drunkard. He also talks to John McCain, easily a counter to Teddy.
FOX News Sunday (FNS): Host Chris Wallace talks to Joe Biden and Carl Levin about what alternative, if any, the Dems propose to the President's plan for victory in Iraq. Then he talks to Newt.
Face the Nation (CBS): Host Bob Schieffer talks to Chuck Hagel™ about Vietnam. If Senator Hagel still wants to be President, I hope Schieffer asks him about forming a third party; that's what he would need at this point, as Republicans generally do not go for intentionally losing wars.
This Week (ABC): Host George Stephanopoulos talks to Kansas Senator Sam Brownback about the war and Brownback '08. (Footnote: I just found out that my wife supports him.) [THIS JUST IN: Fellow (Bill) Clintonista will almost definitely announce the formation of his Presidential exploratory committee on Steph's show tomorrow morning. The media must now be in the throes of something rather messy.]
Late Edition (CNN): Host Wolf Blitzer interviews Iraqi Ambassador Samir Sumaidaie, then he talks to Lindsey Graham and Pat Leahy. His usual cast of thousands will be on hand, including Maxine Waters.
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Hagel has become a cipher, and I wonder if he'll reveal anything new: like why he chose such a critical issue to use to differentiate himself with John McCain. He'd have done a lot better with Republicans if he'd have chosen campaign finance reform.
McCain vs. Kennedy on Russert always sounds good to some people, but what can come of that?
Biden and Levin will grouse, as will Graham and Leahy, but I expect plenty of Hillary to be thrown in, especially on the Steph show. And heaven help us if Wallace drags that Dick "Toes" Morris onto FNS to give us another lecture on "inevitability."
I'll have the review up here at RedState tomorrow afternoon.
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The Sunday Morning Talk Shows - preview 2 Comments (0 topical, 2 editorial, 0 hidden) Post a comment »
I think this post about "The Stupid Party" does it nicely.
http://www.redstate.com/blogs/kyle8/2007/jan/20/the_stupid_party
Wubbies World - The odds of hitting your target go up dramatically when you actually aim for it!
Why aren't there more GOP Senators who support the President on these shows? Where are Coburn and DeMint and Burr and the other Young Turks? Instead, we seem to get GOP Senators (e.g., John Warner) who wax philosophically about the comity of the Senate and the good nature of their "friends" on the other side of the aisle---friends who then turn around and unload on the President while the GOP guest sits there listening in sheer fascination and silence.
Why isn't General Jack Keane, one of the designers of the surge plan, on TV more? I heard him on the Bill Bennett show, and I came away feeling pretty good about the surge plan. Many of the critics of the surge plan have nothing but criticism. When you ask them for their alternative, they come up with something so stupid on its face (e.g., Niall Ferguson's call for the UN to take over, because there's no one else left to turn to and ANYONE would be better than the Americans) that you're left speechless, dumbfounded that an adult with at least a modicum of self-pride would come on the worldwide airwaves and sully his reputation by saying something so facile. A good counterpuncher could shred these guys. And, after the Dems see a few of their own be made to look silly on national TV, I'll bet most of the rest will fall into silence. But NOT if the counterpunchers we send out are people like Chuck Hagel (who want to punch the GOP and the President themselves) or John Warner (who wants to find more cheeks to turn away from the Democrats, so they can keep smacking him).
Besides using him to personify the image of a Republican party rebelling against the President, why is Chuck Hagel deemed so important that he's on these shows every single weekend.
Does the Administration really care what's said on these shows? It doesn't seem as if they try very hard to shape the message on them.
"Who will stand/On either hand/And guard this bridge with me?" (Macaulay)