It is disappointing that this week's column will be an extension of last week's column in that there isn't much good to say about this week's program. It started with Friday's e-mail alert dampening our spirits in announcing Mike Murphy, Bob Shrum, Mary Matalin, and James Carville as guests. This column prefers not to pull technicality-type reasoning, but is this Meet The Press or Meet The Analysis. These four individuals are featured on MTP more than anyone else and they’re not even the press. This group needs a name - maybe the No New News Corps. Ok, we admit, a poor attempt, but that is exactly what they provide - no news. In the future if they decide to feature this group, they should air the group's 4-Mimosa Brunch that we presume happens after the taping. Now that would be entertaining.
Our discontent stems from the lack of insight that they provide. For example, one statement (it doesn't matter from whom specifically, it's hardly worth dissecting it that far) was that if Mrs. Clinton wins Texas and Ohio, she could still come out behind in delegates - no news.
Bob Shrum said that if Mrs. Clinton does win those states that she could conceivably acquire the moral claim to the nomination. She could 'acquire a moral claim'? That is the type of speculation that, to say the least, makes you wonder and can only help one feel less enthusiastic about the process. This week's program has assisted in making the viewer less enthusiastic about the Democratic nominating process. Actually, and this is more no-news, the 20th Democratic debate in Austin, TX officially killed that enthusiasm. Shows like this week's program are just the pile-on.
This is not to discount everything that this particular panel says. For example, Mike Murphy is correct in saying that the Republicans would be high-fiving if the Democrats were to try and put the Barack Obama phenomenon back in the bottle. No matter what, that will not happen. As stated in last week's column, the people are always out front of the press on things like this. The other aspect that they bring to the table is that they have firsthand accounts of historical campaign precedent and one can never underestimate the importance of historical reference. History repeats itself because we overlook and underestimate historical precedent continually.
But ultimately, how insightful and analytical can these four individuals be to us? Unfortunately, not very. They are all so invested in the individuals that they have backed over the years that everything they say is funneled through that respective lenses. The second half of the program was to be devoted to the issues. They briefly touched on NAFTA and the economy, but then quickly digressed back to candidate personalities and prospective VP picks. And in speaking about those issues, we provide this one example as to why we think these guests' collective opinion is out of touch. A poll was flashed on the screen in which the vast majority of the American people feel that the economy is in fair to poor condition. Mary Matalin's answer to this was that 'if you were to ask individuals, they would mostly say that their finances are excellent and that the poll was conducted in such a way to show the opposite.' This comes from a close, longtime senior advisor to VP Richard Cheney. Talk about being out of touch. News to ONLY Ms. Matalin - it's tough out there and people are struggling economically.
Do we even have to point this out? Apparently we do, if these four individuals are going to constantly be on Meet The Press.
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