I am not a fan of the Sunday pundit shows. I rarely watch them so I might see a segment or two presented on a website I visit. It was announced yesterday that Chuck Todd would take over for David Gregory on ‘Meet the Press’ on NBC. Giving ‘Meet the Press’ Gig to another non-journalist doesn’t change my negative view of Sunday pundit shows.
At least up until the 1990’s, these shows tried to give the viewer ‘both sides of the story’ and you could count on the host to ask tough questions. These days it is just an opportunity for the guest (normally a Republican or other conservative) to answer softball questions in between giving their latest talking points. There just is not journalism on these shows. They are just a long infomercial for the guest.
Unless you are a liberal or a Democrat of course.
Now NBC is giving the hosting job to Chuck Todd who doesn’t know what a journalist does:
MSNBC host Chuck Todd said Wednesday that when it comes to misinformation about the new federal health care law, don’t expect members of the media to correct the record.
During a segment on “Morning Joe,” former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell (D) speculated that most opponents of the Affordable Care Act have been fed erroneous information about the law. Todd said that Republicans “have successfully messaged against it” but he disagrees with those who argue that the media should educate the public on the law. According to Todd, that’s President Barack Obama’s job.
Chuck Todd: It’s Not Media’s Job To Correct GOP’s Obamacare Falsehoods
Yes, Chuck Todd believes it isn’t the media’s job to point out when an political person is lying.
He is only worried about how something plays in the polls:
Really, the Obama Doctrine is so simple even a kindergartner could understand it. I can only assume Chuck chose not to pay attention to it because he’s vested in a more visceral foreign policy involving embeds and real-time death and destruction. And bashing Obama because that way he looks “fair and balanced.”
Or it could be because he only thinks of these things in terms of political gains and losses in the polls, since he also said this:
The country wants less of these wars. The country wants to retreat. There is this isolationist streak in the country, less intervention, all of those things.
He’s giving them that foreign policy. It’s a very, in some ways, poll perfect foreign policy that the President’s doing. And it’s seen as less popular. It’s seen as less stable. Because it looks as if he’s not leading. Events are leading him. And I think that that’s what the country was reaction personally to him, that this is like, “Where’s the leadership. What’s going on here? You don’t seem to have your arms around this.”
Ignore morals, ignore the President’s own obligation to his own people, because hey, it’s poll-perfect foreign policy that’s failing in the polls?
If Chuck Todd Had Paid Attention He’d Know Exactly What The Obama Doctrine Is
That is like asking three year olds if they want to eat vegetables or eat ice cream. Sure you get an answer but it won’t be the answer that is needed. We need elected officials who will make decisions that aren’t popular but have to be made for the long term benefit of the area they represent.
Chuck Todd is not an improvement over David Gregory so there is no reason to change my view about the Sunday pundit shows. I prefer to read articles or hear from real journalists asking real questions of our elected officials.
I am not looking for forced balance or a show making points based only on poll numbers. I want the truth based on evidence and you don’t get that by having a show that is only a video press release for conservatives.
