Russert gets radical, recommends media emphasize issues, ignore trivia

June 5, 2008

I’m sure it came as something of a surprise to viewers on Tuesday night, but Tim Russert, DC bureau chief for NBC News, proposed something fairly radical in relation to the establishment media’s coverage of the presidential campaign this year.

MATTHEWS: What about John McCain perhaps being attended by his bad angels? Some time in October deciding that he has to win this campaign in the worst way. Isn’t there a tremendous opportunity against a guy named Barack Hussein Obama to run a very tough negative campaign and win, perhaps not in a happy country, but just win it in the worst way. Isn’t that opportunity just sitting there for him?

RUSSERT: Well, I think you heard Senator Obama talk about wedge issues of patriotism and religion, trying to put that down as a marker. I’ve heard Mike Murphy, a former McCain adviser, saying that he thinks that Senator McCain should not be criticizing Senator Obama as much as he has, but be much more optimistic and not be seen or perceived as angry. But I don’t think that’s the kind of campaign Senator McCain wants to run. There may be some so-called independent groups, 527s, who might take a different tack.

But in an interesting way, based on our previous conversation, it’s a role I think the media can play, in really trying to keep pushing this back to this big debate on big issues and not get caught up in a lot of this minor skirmishing that goes on and videotape that gets released where we just run wild with it and sit back and say, what happened? Why did we not cover some of these big differences like Iraq, like Iran, like negotiating around the world, like health care? There’s profound differences between McCain and Obama in health care. [emphasis added]

Hmm. So, Tim Russert is suggesting that there may be serious policy discussions in the midst of a presidential debate and the media should, you know, cover them. Maybe even let voters know the differences between the candidates on these “big issues.”

Why didn’t we think of that?

I’d just add, by way of a tangent, that the same election-night coverage with Chris Matthews and Tim Russert featured this rather striking exchange about John McCain complaining about the media. (In trying to appeal to Clinton supporters, McCain said, “Pundits and party elders have declared that Senator Obama will be my opponent.”)

MATTHEWS: [McCain is] now separating Barack Obama from what he sees as the media, by knocking party leaders and pundits, for having declared — I mean, this is real politics isn’t it.

RUSSERT: Yeah, he’s embracing her and the campaign against the press. Against the media. Against the Washington procrasta–absolutely.

MATTHEWS: What is his beef with the media, I’d like to know that. I mean, after 10 years of covering this guy, I have yet to see anybody lay a glove on him.

RUSSERT: Well, he used to call it his base.

(both start laughing)

MATTHEWS: What’s the beef, John?

(both laugh some more)

If only these two didn’t think it was quite so funny that McCain considers the media establishment his base….

This campaign exhibits some of the starkest differences between candidates ever, so even the pundits might slip up and mention an issue every once and a while.

  • Did aliens replace Timmeh with someone with a brain? What did you do with the real Timmeh?

  • Russert and all the other bobbleheads can do whatever they want. They’re fast becoming irrelevant, especially when everyone knows how they failed utterly to do their jobs and fact-check the biggest liars in history, letting the Bush criminals literally get away with murder for years. Before that they sniffed Bill Clinton’s panties endlessly while a zillion other serious issues went ignored.

    Suck it, Timmeh. We’re going to bury you too.

  • (both laugh some more) hahahahahahaha, those guys are so funny. :-p

    I’d be more than happy if the media would cover the issues; too bad they’re too late to have spared us 8 years of bushco. But Obama is to be partly credited here. He is trying to set the terms of the debate in his speeches, and hooray for that. The internet/liberal blogs such as CB also have a lot to do with it.

    But still, I’m not convinced that the MSM will proceed this way. Just look at the Rev. Wright issue. The MSM wants good ratings/advertising $, and they’ll do anything for them. Though I have to wonder if Rupert Murdoch is truly impressed by Obama as he has said recently. We may be in for “something completely different”. Wouldn’t that be interesting.

    rambling off…

  • Matthews cannot help himself. He loves the trivial and unimportant.

    Russert actually seems awestruck and perhaps we are seeing a real commitment from him to become more substantive.

  • The media is waking up top the fact that Obama isn’t going to be rocked back on his heels like Kerry was. He’s already done take-downs on the Clintons and their surrogates, he’s beating McCain with a crowbar, and he even cornered Joe Lie the other day—on the Senate floor, of all places.

    I’m guessing that Russert knows which side his bread is going to be buttered on this campaign cycle—and he wants to keep his paycheck….

  • So, Tim Russert is suggesting that there may be serious policy discussions in the midst of a presidential debate and the media should, you know, cover them.

    Yes. But only because Russert likes Barack.

    Never underestimate the power of likability. It can actually make someone more objective. As odd as that sounds, I think the backstory here is that some big media players aren’t going to abet a sliming over flag pins et. al.

    Barack’s genuineness and likability has put real issues to the fore again. Those of us that supported him from Day 1, because of his native decency, are glad to see other branches of reality ripening to this fact. It is something we bet on from the get-go.

  • The “news media” is a part of a corporation that cares little about issues and more about ratings and selling advertisements. We will never get quality information from the msm as long as they are focused completely on the bottom line.

  • Media aside, everyone seems to have theories about how McCain should present himself. Loads of advisers are trying to fabricate his image. Obama, by contrast, is just himself and moves on effortlessly.
    It’s funny to see the panicking vested interests trying to create a cardboard candidate. How can anyone be taken in by such a creepy and hollow facade?

  • Racer X said: Russert and all the other bobbleheads can do whatever they want. They’re fast becoming irrelevant, especially when everyone knows how they failed utterly to do their jobs and fact-check the biggest liars in history, letting the Bush criminals literally get away with murder for years. Before that they sniffed Bill Clinton’s panties endlessly while a zillion other serious issues went ignored.

    I think the dinosaurs finally spotted that flaming ball high in the sky headed toward the Yucutan peninsula. They’re worried because they get e-mails telling them they’re naked.

    Hey, we all decided 4 years ago to “work the refs” as the fRighties had, and it’s starting to show. They’re getting defensive of us and crying “don’t hit me!” the way they did with the fRighties.

    This is good news.

  • The problem with the MSM, and the reason that their shortcomings are so frustrating, is that these people know what they should and could do. They can talk intelligently about the positive role that the media can play, and be very persuasive about the benefits of open and substantive debate, but they they just don’t ever seem to get around to doing the things that they talk about.

  • RacerX, Tom Cleaver, Alex C, etc.

    I wish it were true, but not “everyone” knows. I had a knockdown-dragout with my parents the other day about the current admin. They don’t think Bush was that bad a president, and view the alternatives as much worse. They’re voting for McCain for reasons that I just can’t fathom. So sad, that I just can’t bring myself to even be in their company again. I thought that the strain of the last 8 years was finally over, but if McCain is elected I’m not sure I can forgive them again!

  • They can’t see themselves. If you cut down the press they think you are talking about everybody else or their producers and never themselves. It’s everyone else not talking about the issues or producers are forcing the topics. The conservative right wing neocon republican press is a myth to them, a “left wing” (no such thing) talking point. They say the press has always been “liberal”. Sorry guys, the “truth” has always been liberal not the press.

    They chase truth seekers to the net and then wonder what is wrong with us that we don’t watch these “media darlings” as G. Greenwald refers to them. Their tremendous egos (and huge salaries) prevent them from considering themselves invalid. I haven’t watched TV news in years.

  • So far, the lying corporate media has lied for McCain and covered up for this blundering old fart… McCain: blackwater we can believe in. McCain: bombing we can believe in. McCain: coathangers we can believe in. McCain: corruption we can believe in. McCain: cronyism we can believe in. McCain: diebolding we can believe in. McCain: fascism we can believe in. McCain: lies we can believe in. McCain: retroactive immunity we can believe in. McCain: senility we can believe in. McCain: spying we can believe in. McCain: torture we can believe in. McCain: treason we can believe in. McCain: tyranny we can believe in. McCain: wars we can believe in.

  • I love it when people in the media talk about how the media hasn’t been doing its job without pointing that finger towards themselves. With few exceptions, they are all culpable. Hell, even Jon Stewart is guilty of treating McCain and other GOP guests more gently than they deserve sometimes. Russert just realizes the irrelevancy is right around the corner, & he’s right to be scared.

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