General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsMore on Mueller for those of you who think he performed so superbly
From today's episode of NBC's "Meet the Press":
Chuck Todd: "Was there any part of director Mueller's testimony you found unsatisfying?"
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), chairman of the House Intelligence Committee: "You know, look, I, I wish that he had testified in more narrative fashion, that the words didn't need to be coaxed from him as much as they did."
Flashback: As Alayna foreshadowed in last week's Sneak, House Democrats desperately wanted Mueller to deliver a TV performance that would convince the American public of the urgent need to impeach Donald Trump.
The former special counsel didn't quite live up to their expectations. As Troy Patterson wrote for the New Yorker: "You can put Mueller on television, but, apparently, you can't quite make him do television."
The Velveteen Ocelot
(116,032 posts)but content. We weren't attending a performance of Turandot where the tenor's voice broke on the high B in Nessun dorma.
UniteFightBack
(8,231 posts)TreasonousBastard
(43,049 posts)He is not verbose, and really hates testifying.
Everything he said was in the book. Copy salient parts of it and publicize them. Or is that too much work for the opposition?
Laura PourMeADrink
(42,770 posts)him to actually talk - on either side. Looking at it totally objectively...it would have been more effective to let HIM say, "the president was not exonerated", for instance. More effective than someone else saying it and his agreeing with a "yes". It would have made a much better sound bite.
It is totally curious why Schiff would take that position though. It was his committee that designed the mode of questioning, right ? I know they thought it was the right route to go, and I am not sure how you could have done it otherwise, without him actually just reading paragraphs.
catrose
(5,079 posts)As he sings, "Now our precious country's a reality show."
Back when Robert & I were young, we were taught that facts didn't need a show. Truth speaks for itself. You were looked down on if you put performance ahead of content. It's a different world now.
elleng
(131,459 posts)Iliyah
(25,111 posts)apparently Mueller did make a impact.
dem4decades
(11,322 posts)stillcool
(32,626 posts)but interesting. Talking trash about Mueller saves them from talking about what's in the report?
Thekaspervote
(32,825 posts)Caliman73
(11,760 posts)He did not do anything to undermine the report. If the Democrats in Congress thought he was going to pontificate and wax eloquent on the report delivering a "knockout blow" to Trump, then they were deluded about who Mueller is and did not listen to what he said he was going to do.
I am sure that Democrats were disappointed. Impeachment is a political act not a legal one. They were asking a life long legal bureaucrat to engage in politics.
spanone
(135,958 posts)fucking media
guillaumeb
(42,641 posts)That is the message we should take away.
Roland99
(53,342 posts)UTUSN
(70,810 posts)Have you read the report, or even the executive summaries?
Since when has the Chuckster become a standard around here?!1
Kid Berwyn
(15,109 posts)Thats what Chuck Todd and the rest of the smear patrol and distraction squad fail to mention.
Talitha
(6,658 posts)Here's how I saw things..
When Mueller was being questioned by a Dem and he said 'refer to the report', it was a cue for the Dem to name the exact place in the report - - so it would go on record AND enable people to reference it later. IMO, Mueller and the Dems worked like a well oiled tag-team. They provided lots of information in a condensed amount of time, and presented a beautifully choreographed hearing.
LanternWaste
(37,748 posts)I get it... lacking a laugh-track and a great intro theme, many who took the Tide Pod Challenge are easily confused by reality.