David Gregory does not think it's his "job" to "debate the President"

[annabanana]

He said this on Hardball
"There's a lot of critics ... who think that, if we did not debate the president ... if we did not stand up and say, this is bogus, and you're a liar, and why are you doing this, that we didn't do our job. And I respectfully disagree. It's not our role."

We discussed it here:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...

[islandmkl]

1. now...dancing with neonazis, that is a different matter entirely...

[leftchick]

2. I thought that was obvious

to the ** pResident. I imagine he will change his tune with Obama.

[Lasher]

3. He's not the only pundit who thinks like this.

Fact checking is somebody else's job, they say. Just give Cheney the mic and let him go. The pundit is not to interfere, except to bring coffee and doughnuts and occasionally nod in agreement. It is the responsibility of Democrats to expose the lies in some other forum.

One problem with that is if you help perpetuate lies, you yourself are a liar.

[BlooInBloo]

4. As is commonly the case with media criticism, Greenwald was all over it....

http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2008/05/29/yelli... /

People like Williams, Gibson and Gregory don't need to be told to refrain from reporting critically about the war and the White House because challenging Government claims isn't what they do. And amazingly, they admitted that explicitly yesterday. Gibson and Gregory both invoked the cliched excuse of the low-level bureaucrat using almost identical language: exposing government lies "is not our job."

Brian Williams, Charlie Gibson and company are paid to play the role of TV reporters but, in reality, are mere television emcees -- far more akin to circus ringleaders than journalists. It's just as simple as that. David Halberstam pointed that out some time ago. Unlike Yellin, Donahue and Banfield, nobody needed to pressure the likes of Williams, Gibson and Russert to serve as propaganda handmaidens for the White House. It's what they do quite eagerly on their own, which is precisely why they're in the corporate positions they're in. They are smooth, undisruptive personalities who don't create problems for their executives. Watching them finally describe how they perceive of "their role" leaves no doubt about any of that.

But a couple of days ago, the most wonderful instance if hypocrisy took place:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/12/02/campbell-brown...

But this isn't just about the media. It's about the American people, many of whom voted for you because of what you said during the campaign. And they have a right to know which of those things you meant and which you didn't. Apparently, as you made clear today, you didn't mean what you said about Hillary Clinton.

So, what else didn't you mean? The media is going to be asking. And you were wrong today. Annoying questions are about more than just the press having fun. Annoying questions are about the press doing its job and the people's right to know.

Mrs. Brown: Fuck you, you lying piece of shit. You're just picking on the Democrat like you and your worthless profession was too scared and complicit in protecting when they were republicans. Go to hell you jackass.



EDIT: hahahah! I said basically the same thing in the 3-months-ago post the OP linked. Well at least I'm consistent.

[ShortnFiery]

8. [Gregory, et.al.] ... "far more akin to circus ringleaders than journalists."

I love that = "Circus Ringleaders" works for Williams, Gibson and Gregory.

Oooh, show us the Lions (Iraq) and Tigers (Iran) and Bears (N. Korea), Oh My!

[BlooInBloo]

13. "Hey Rocky! Watch me pull a rabbit out of my hat!"

"Again? That trick *never* works."


= WMD.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrEkbIHlV1E

[Lasher]

10. This truth bears repeating.

[BlooInBloo]

14. :)

[AndyA]

5. I'll bet David changes his tune once a Democratic President is in office.

You, David Gregory, are typical of the problem the media has today. You don't report the full story. You interview people, allow them to lie or make statements that aren't completely true, and you let them get away with it. And by doing so, you create the impression that what they said is factual.

We are near the end of 8 years of the worst administration in the history of our country. And much of what has happened has been allowed due to the media looking the other way and/or covering up the crimes/abuses/lies of the Bush Administration.

I rarely watch Meet the Press, and will certainly NOT watch it going forward. It's very apparent which side your bread is buttered on, and I'm certain the ratings will take a hit because of this choice.

I do hope the Dems address the issues in the right leaning media, which allows corruption and crimes to go unchecked by public servants who are Republicans.

[JerseygirlCT]

6. Then what IS your role?

And I mean that for the incoming as well as outgoing administration.

If the press won't be holding feet to the fire, then who is supposed to do that?

[Lasher]

12. They are mere television emcees -- far more akin to circus ringleaders than journalists

BlooInBloo nailed that quite well upthread.

[lonestarnot]

7. David Gregory is an asshat. Who says meet the press will be relevant any longer? I think people

are sick of him and if meet the press has 3 viewers will it still be broadcast?

[shadowknows69]

9. It's your primary role if you're a Journalist you tool David

Which is why I have never accused him of being one.

[pleah]

11. Weasel in the hen house.

Don't watch meet the press and will continue not to do so.