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."
What the Democrats should have done, but didn't do and never will is to listen to Zell Miller. Zell Miller had it right from the very beginning and wrote a book about it. Too many big egos in the Democrat party and not enough compassion.
This is the first time in years I actually choose to watch the Today show...I love seeing them in mourning! Fricken Katie is over the top, she looked like a goth queen this morning.
Best news I could gather from watching the today show is that dems have not learned anything from their defeat. They continue to blame the masterful Karl Rove as the reason they lost. Anotherwords, to them, it's all about who put on the better campaign. They continue not to get it...great news for us!
i saw fast eddie rendell on CNN looking like a mourner. again he didnt get it basically saying the same things here that were said last night
i hope that they continue to flounder and destroy themselves
I have to assume that Thomas' comments will receive wide media attention. They were absolutely mind-boggling. They were, by a million miles, the most personal, specific, insulting comments ever made about a political wife that I ever heard.
I don't think Evan should be looking for his invitation to the Nantucket summer mansion any time soon.
"if not for 9/11 and Iraq..." yikes! how about an admission that the major issue on peoples' minds, terrorism, doesn't even register on Dems' radar? how revealing.
Wow! Did they REALLY trash TH (she doesn't need to use the superfluous K anymore)? Tell us more, please!
""He actually divided the country by governing from 'the far right.' Why should people trust him this time?" "
Prime example of opinion based news vs. reporting of fact. This is what is "dividing" the country, not the President's actions.
Excellent point!
He wrote in anger....I love it!!!
Don't know if I would buy Newsweak tho.
I saw yesterday where it about choked Chrissy Mathews to concede the fact that Bush has a mandate when he was talking to the all in black Katie. They still don't "get it."
And probably never will, as long as the likes of skerrys', kennedys', and hitlerys' are still being put in office.
I suspect that, looking at all the red states out there, that it will be very, very, hard for the Dems to ever win back the Senate or the house.
BEFORE I feed my two ragdolls....I go to your daily TODAY SHOW thread.
I was watching, didn't notice that....the Widows' garb...FWIW, I haven't seen that MSM trash for years. :)
It wasn't a group criticism, it was Newsweek editor Evan Thomas. Newsweek had been given intimate access to the campaign on the promise that nothing would be revealed till after the election.
I've reported everything I can remember, but there are sure to be more anecdotes in the special Newsweek edition. I predict this will become a huge story in the general press. Thomas was absolute SCATHING!
Evan Thomas savaged Teresa on Imus earlier..."its all about her"
The wall to wall Democrats should not surprise me..but it does..I still have a core of idealism with a hardshell of realism pasted over it.
She'd look breat in a BURHKA!......
Okay, I looked. Black it is. It emphasizes her flippy-dippy hairstyle.
Coming up: the dirt on insider fighting within the Kerry camp. Gee, it's been a whole day already. Let the finger-pointing begin!
What an empty house of cards the Dem Party has become! There is nothing sincere about them any longer; they have become completely politicized, and stand for NOTHING but lust for power. And every virtue they hold is a charade designed toward that achieving that end.
And as for ther bedmate media:
Oh, dear, what can I do,
baby's in black and I'm feeling blue.
Tell me, O, what can I do?
Totally clueless, completely depraved. Their only "strategy defect" is that they're on the wrong side of history, and the wrong side of THE LORD.
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