Yeah, I hear Tom's appointments calendar is opening up... 
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."
"Yeesh - is she still wearing that thing? I hope she at least changed her skivvies."
A black dress of some sort. Different collar...without the white edge this time. (This means she's reeeally in mourning today; the tiny white edge yesterday indicated she still had some hope.) Also, the huge (hugh) white buttons are gone; in their place, a huge (hugh) diamond/rhinestone? brooch. (This would symbolize her future hope of that diamond-in-the-rough-herself, Hillary.)
First off .. President Bush is not far right and
Second .. he has tried a number of times to meet them in the middle and they have continuously slapped him in the face
Personally ... I would just tell the left to go pound sand ..
Either the left wants meet half way or they don't .. but that is up to them
I've heard this argument repeatedly, but there was no response, quick or otherwise.
Reminds me of what Dukakis said in 1988 when he was criticized for not responding to the Willie Horton ad: "what could I have said? It was true."
Yeah, I hear Tom's appointments calendar is opening up...
Daschle might be saddened, very saddened, but does anyone doubt that he will now be joining his wife in the lobbying business? Despite tearfully proclaiming his love of S. Dakota, sunrises at Mt. Rushmore, blah, blah, blah, he'll never move back there.
In light of Katie's admission that it was very hard to book a Dem guest this morning, it seems clear that Fast Eddy is a shameless media hound.
And this comment by Timmy ... the words mean nothing if you don't back them up
For YEARS the Dem Party has been all talk and no action
The Democrats have been citing this example for the last 20 years! LOL. They still don't get that they are out of touch with the mainstream of middle America, and are destined for minority party status for some time to come.
Over on Fox, a Dem strategist named Sascha something is saying that the Dem party has no fundamental problems, and "all we need is to find an evil genius like Karl Rove."
As for Russert indicating that the Dems have to find a way to reach people of faith, it might help to have a candidate who doesn't believe that a "prayer" is God bless America, as did Kerry yesterday.
And did anyone in the MSM talk about Kerry's one liner that "we all need to come together and win the war in Iraq", or was this buried?
And it's all about the GOP reaching out to liberals. Never about them meeting us halfway.
I am very disappointed in you all. I gave you a huge straight line in the headline - "Teresa blasted" - and no one has jumped on it!
There was nothing wrong in the strategy. 7 million more people voted for President Bush in 2004 than in 2000.
That's not strategy, that's reality. People LOVE President Bush, people TRUST President Bush.
Yes and as Laura Ingraham says, Couric is just part of the liberal media pig pile!
Got this quote off the Luciane site, a very good quote.
Could have been one of the problems.
"Gee, what might've happened to all the young voters? Well, consider this: You're not allowed to vote unless you've passed your 18th birthday. In order to have any birthdays at all, you have to have been born. And over the past 30 years or so, many Americans have ended up not being born. "
Being from Philly, I was already aware of what Fast Eddie was about and didn't vote for him
Hopefully the rest of the State has learned what many already knew
I heard that part abut Rove, also.
Interestingly they mentioned something earlier that I had missed altogether........kerry lost every state, except Pennsylvania, where Clinton made an appearance for him.
"Today Show Katie-still-in-black ping.
I think Matt was in black too.....She looks like she is going to a funeral. Makes me feel good".
Not only Katie and Matt, but every other morning host...all 3 networks and CNN are donned in black again today. Ha!
The Early Show is especially funny... four mourners sitting in a row.
GMA - Diane Sawyer in black turtleneck, Charlie and the weatherman in black suits.
Yeah, those pesky values. How can liberals find values with a broken moral compass?
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