Richardson on MTP BOMBED !

[hollowdweller]

Did anyone watch it? Russert basically hit him with every negative that has been mentioned here on the forum and a few extra and I thought he was TERRIBLE at explaining his positions or refuting the pseudo attacks. It was almost embarrasing he was so bad.

There were 3 people watching it with me all people who were seriously leaning toward him in the primaries. At the end none of us thought he had a chance of winning.

I think he has great experience. A great resume, but he just can't speak, defend himself or articulate his positions under pressure the way a presidential candidate needs to.

Funny thing is I could see a lot of the controversies and stuff Russert was mentioning, and I was flashing back on Clinton who had many negatives as a candidate, yet Clintons speaking skills managed to neutralize any negatives. Richardson is not blessed with the same skills as Clinton.

[Digit]

1. You could tell he was having trouble taking the heat

He would figit with his hair, etc.
It was painful to watch.

[sellitman]

2. I missed it BUT.......

"he just can't speak, defend himself or articulate his positions under pressure the way a presidential candidate needs to."

Now tell me....who does this remind you of?

[sandnsea]

4. Al Gore?

That's what the media said about him in 2000.

[sellitman]

5. Guess again.

It should be painfully obvious.

[sandnsea]

7. Hillary Clinton?

Who can't answer a question the same twice? Edwards? Who says every idea in the last 10 years is his? I don't know. Everybody else I've heard talk on any issues has been crystal clear, and more importantly, exactly right on everything.

[sellitman]

11. The commander guy.

the decider.

our friendly neighborhood dictator.

[sandnsea]

12. lol, sorry

I'm on auto-defense mode today I guess. :)

[stevedeshazer]

14. Jesus, I guess

:eyes:

Everyone is an idiot. A stupid fucking idiot.

[sandnsea]

28. Oh I stand by that

Using right wing talking points to bitch about someone who doesn't stand up against right wing talking points. :crazy:

I didn't say everyone, although if you add up the ones who are going apeshit over an immigration database and the ones going apeshit over medical research and the ones going apeshit over gardasil, and all the other cockamamie conspiracies - well there are alot of goddamn dumb people on the planet. There just are.

[sandnsea]

3. It was an excellent interview

And I don't even support Richardson. What a bunch of primary bullshit. He was calm, informed, and made his points perfectly. He's got ten times the experience of Hillary, that came through loud and clear.

[hollowdweller]

6. You really think so?

I mean I totally agree with you on the comparison with Hillary. I still think he has a great resume and would probably be better than any other candidate but after seeing his performance I just don't see any way he'd win.

My wife: "After almost 8 years of Bush I can't vote for somebody else who can't speak"

[sandnsea]

9. Yes, I do

I think he was plain as day. I think some people confuse exciting invective for plain talk.

Which isn't to say I think he'd win, he's too PLAIN to win.

[karynnj]

23. I agree to some extent

The outline of the resume is better than the details.

I also agree with the op that he was not good at responding to legitimate questions that he had to know would be asked. The worst was when he was asked about taking jobs on energy company boards - his first answer repeated at least 3 times was that he needed money (or a job). That is a pitiful answer as a man with his skills would have many options. He then recovered to say the guy who runs the company is a good decent man. I know nothing of him or his company - if that were true and the company well run and doing good things (the quote to the contrary0 that should have been his first answer and he should have supported it with detail. If it's not true, adding that makes the answer worse and will further tie him to this guy.

He answered the state thing about the same as Clinton and Bush did - because both are had similar bad numbers. Romney will get to point to Massachusetts numbers.

I think Obama did very well on Stephanopolis- but he had very few things to answer. It seemed though as if he anticipated the questions and he answered well in a pretty non-defensive way. (Kerry was like that as well - he was never caught by Russert on anything.) I really don't think Edwards on Stephanopolis was any better than Richardson. We still haven't seen Hillary on any of these confrontational shows.

[Tellurian]

26. Richardson made it so obvious..

"The worst was when he was asked about taking jobs on energy company boards - his first answer repeated at least 3 times was that he needed money (or a job). That is a pitiful answer as a man with his skills would have many options."

I took what Richardson said as a dig at Obama - Obama said the same damn thing about his wife's job, after it was disclosed publicly, the company was involved with WalMart. Richardson's words were almost, if not completely verbatim of Obama's response: "I have bills to pay and need the money to support my family." And the reason he repeated it so many times.

[hollowdweller]

38. The Energy boards question

He could have said something like:

"Tim, I don't see anything wrong with my being on the boards of energy companies. Which would you rather have on a the boards? A career progressive public servant who believes in enviromental regulations and alternative energy like I do? Or somebody like Dick Cheney?

Listen Tim, the energy companies are not the enemy. They will be the ones to help us implement new alternative technologies. We don't need to demonize any industry. We all need to be working together not drawing lines. We need to have all the parties in the boat to move to the future, and if I was able to influence the thinking in that direction while I sat on those boards just a little it was worth it! So no I have no regrets"

Instead he just babbled about needing the income.

[karynnj]

40. You made this point far better than I did - Thanks

[question everything]

49. What you are saying, then, is be prepared

Personally this was the first time for me to see Richardson in action and I liked what I saw. I like his resume and the fact that he was human, not an automaton who has his answers rehearsed regardless of the question.

An old trick that someone once mentioned: no matter what "they" ask, you move the discussion to the area that you want. My favorite example is Chicago's Richard Daley - father of the current one - whose stock answer was: "I love Chicago" for any criticism.

However, he, or his advisers, should have anticipated these questions and be ready with answers.

Perhaps he will have chances to improve on these.

[Tellurian]

53. And..

what about the Gonzales question..

I cringed when Richardson said, he gave him the benefit of the doubt because, he is a fellow hispanic..Not TOO prejudicial..much!

Russert looked orgasmic at that point. I'm sure he's archived the tape and hiding it under his pillow for "simpering" use at a later date.

[karynnj]

39. There was nothing wrong with the Pickle company that Michelle

Obama joined the board of Directors of. It has, per the SEC document - that no one has questioned, good labor relations. This would be as stupid as criticisizing the Clintons for letting their books be sold at WallMart. Clearly, the Clintons didn't negotiate that the books could not be sold at WallMart, which they had more leverage to do than Michelle did at the pickle company.

Selling your pickles to one of the largest chains that sells pickles is standard business practices.

[sandnsea]

30. I watched about 40 minutes

I missed the part you're talking about. I did see the part about the schools, which has been criticized, and I don't see what else he could say. 'We're a poor state but we're making a lot of progress.' The answer was fine. He balanced the budget and put more money in schools, etc. That's what an awful lot of America wants to hear. Maybe that's the problem, people are judging him based on how much he sounds like Dennis Kucinich. I don't know. I think calling this a bomb is a real stretch, and many of those doing it are just engaging in more candidate bashing.

[hollowdweller]

37. The Schools Thing

He could have said something like:

Tim, when I took over NM the student average was X . While Governor I have passed X, and X and X to address the issues. While we are still below the national averages, we are seeing progress, (mention a few hopeful Statistics). These things can't be changed overnight, but we are addressing the issue and seeing some results.

[sandnsea]

46. Why?

All the numbers George used from Texas turned out to be fabricated. People are looking for someone with the right ideas, who isn't parroting any particular ideology, someone they can trust. That's what he presented. He's not Barack Obama, but he's got other appealing qualities, and he's comfortable enough to listen to. That's what people want most, is this guy someone who I can stand having in my living room for 4 years. You have to pass that test first. If I had to put my money on a Dem, Richardson is really the only one running who I would give an unequivocal yes.

[Doctor_J]

8. It's tough for any Dem going on the MSM

Russert is a particularly nasty Bushite. So you'll need to factor that in when one of our peeps goes on TV

[hollowdweller]

10. I thought he came off very for the little guy.

Very pro public employee. I like him I could just see that the GOP would use nearly every point Russert hammered him on every chance they got, and it was like he hadn't done his homework to come up with clear and concise responses even though he certainly knew all those issues would likely be brought up.

[Telly Savalas]

18. I remember seeing Gov. Dean on MTP back in '04 and he handled Russert quite nimbly.

While a Russert interview may make for crappy journalism, it is a good test for a candidate. If someone can't deal with Tim for an hour on MTP, how can she or he be expected to deal with months of smears from the RW during the campaign for the general election?

[beaconess]

21. He may have handled Russert nimbly, but he tanked in the primaries

Edwards' first appearance on MTP, on the other hand, was widely viewed as a near-disaster, but he's done pretty well since.

I don't think how one handles Tim Russert is any indicator of the kind of candidate or president one will be.

And fwiw, I thought Richardson did just fine today.

[Telly Savalas]

22. I didn't see Richardson this morning, so I can't comment on that.

I'm not arguing that success on MTP is a predictor of electoral success, but rather that failure on it isn't a good sign. As far as the Edwards example goes, he didn't win the primaries either, and his ticket didn't succeed in the general election in 2004.

Please don't take this to be bashing him though -- I think he's matured as a candidate over the last two and a half years, and I think we'd do well if he was our guy in 2008.

[karynnj]

33. Edwards does NOT do well in that confrontation format - even now

Consider the recent Stephanopoplis show. Richardson did no worse than that.

Oddly, it seems that the two types of politicians who do well on MTP are those who really do always speak the truth undefensively and those who can quickly spin an answer to obvious contradictions.

[Joey Liberal]

13. Russert destroyed Richardson

After that beatdown from Russert, Richardson should give up his campaign. He looked pathetic on MTP.

[hollowdweller]

16. Glad you agree - Kinda

I had really high hopes for him but I swear I thought the exact same thing. Normally I give somebody I really like a lot of slack but he was so bad. Russert managed to punch a hole in nearly every one of the things Richardson touts and I was just setting there imagining what the GOP could do with it.

My friend Mike said "There's the whole potential negative campaign strategy against him laid out and he couldn't defend against it"

[FrenchieCat]

15. Let's put it this way.....Unfortunately,

I wasn't impressed.

He tried to turn most of the negative questions around after attempting to answer to highlighting his positives, but it was too obvious that this is what he was doing.

I vinced when he spoke of the missing nuclear secrets being found the following week behind the copy machine. Based on how he described the incident, the imagery of what he said made me say this to myself at the time..."well, ye-ah....someone, like a spy, copied them on the copy machine and then left them there behind the machine to be found, doh!"

[hollowdweller]

17. Yeah that part was a great sound bite for the opposition and I don't think he even realized it.

[Auntie Bush]

19. Russert sure is hard and relentless on Dems...especially Richardson.

He can make or break a candidate.

I don't like the way Richardson always seems to be bragging about his accomplishments. Other people should do that for him. He should spend his time discussing his policies rather than touting his accomplishments.
It get a little tiring after awhile. I liked him due to his resume but after hearing him campaign...he kinds of turns me off.

[Colobo]

20. Richardson is an excellent public servant, but not a very skilled politician

[justinrr1]

24. that pretty much sums him up

good at what he does bad at the politics end. his debate was also very poor.

[bklyncowgirl]

31. Richardson is not a sound bit machine--he's also a lousy liar.

Why is it that our system puts more emphasis on the ability to rip off memorable snippets of words--whether or not they have any relation to the question than on thoughtful responses to serious questions?

A politician who appears to be actually thinking when he or she answers a question is said to be hesitant and struggling.

A politician who answers a question with a pre-memorized talking point which may have nothing to do with the question asked is seen as prepared and confident.

Tim Russert came loaded for bear. Richardson should have been better prepared, it is true, but it seems to me that his answers were for the most part thoughtful and when he felt he had to skate over the truth, you could see it.

My guess is that he is one of those fine public servants e.g. the 2000 Al Gore, the 2003 Howard Dean, who will fall by the wayside because he has not mastered the art of the modern media campaign even though he may be a good manager and a man of considerable vision.

[seasat]

44. Disagree, He is an excellent politician but a lousy debater.

He is probably the best of the candidates at retail politics. He has a personable style that is pretty good in one on one with potential voters. He is a humorous speaker and connects well with his audiences. Based on the bills he managed to get through as Governor and while Deputy Whip in the House, he is an expert at working legislators to his positions. That's one of the big reasons that I lean toward him. He would be very effective in getting our agenda through congress.

However, he is too much of a diplomat. He doesn't like appearing combative in public. He doesn't follow scripts. This does make him appear more genuine when discussing an issue, but also makes him appear unsure when rebutting an attack. He needs to get a consultant that specializes in debate that can work with him on quick decisive responses to attacks.

He could have handled the gun issue a lot better. He could have said that Uzi was already prohibited under the 1989 firearm importation law and the street sweeper shotgun was already restricted under the National Firearms Act. I'm not against some restrictions on firearms but there are numerous flaws in the Assault Weapons Ban. You can purchase the same firearm under the act but without certain attachments that qualify it as an assault weapon. It was more about appearance of the gun than the actual capabilities of it as a weapon. He also could have made it more clear that the Assault Weapons Ban was attached to another bill that Clinton really wanted passed. He muddled that response.

The soldier's mom about the death benefit anecdote is fishy. The original article mentions that she is a "staunch" Republican. It seems that she didn't object until Richardson started showing some movement in the polls. However, I'm not sure how you handle a trap like that without making yourself look bad.

I'm not a big fan of consultants. I think that anyone that hires Bob Shrum as a consultant has to be completely insane. However, Richardson could benefit from a debate consultant who can help him clearly rebut attacks and make points in a more concise manner.

Added on Edit: Look at the difference in Richardson in when Russert is asking him about his hand shaking record and diplomacy. He's like a different person.

[question everything]

50. A very nice video - about the hand shaking

why was it not in the program?

Yes, a different person.

[karynnj]

34. the problem is that unless you are one of the media favorite top tier candidates

who can get air to actually do that for him.

[illinoisprogressive]

25. I saw it. russert was no harder than any other week. Richardson came off bad. really sorry.

[Superman Returns]

27. Just saw the repeat

And yeah, he did bomb. For the record, I saw the interview before the thread so my opinions weren't skewed. Richardson was stairing at the table as opposed to Russert, never seen a candidate on MTP do that, and just gave terrible responses. He has time to improve though.

[ArkySue]

29. Has time to improve??!?

It's not like he is a novice at politics, he's been around for a while. If he can't handle an interview with Timmeh, I wonder how the heck he functioned as the UN Ambassador. Yikes!

[cleveramerican]

32. Richarson is terrible on TV

and he's not getting any better. It will sink his campaign.

Mark Twain said"The difference between the right word and the almost-right word is the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning"


nowhere is this fact more evident than in our TV based sound-bite world of politics.

[rodeodance]

35. sad to see this. I am hoping he stays in. His diplomatic skills are sorely needed.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

36. I was really interested in Richardson until his Gonzales comments

That Gonzales was a "good guy" and suggesting he should get a pass because he was Hispanic! He did no better defending this bizarre position on MTP - just said, hey, I'm not perfect, but did not renounce the original opinion. This suggests to me that he has very flawed reasoning.

A second point - he does have the most impressive resume of anyone running so far. BUT, someone whose opinion I respect said - "just remember how impressive Bush the Elder's resume was when he ran for President." Good point. Richardson also trys to run on his resume and not on his views of the moment, in my opinion.

So, long story short, I have no interest in Richardson anymore unless it's in the VP position.

It's Edwards for me among our current candidates.

[Ladyinblack]

41. I am tired of Russert attacking every Democrat

Russert went back (20 years?) finding fault with Richardson. I do not want a 20 year review of how many mistakes I have made. I think I would be completely depressed. If Russert had been that thorough with bush we may have had another president. I am tired of journalist who join in the spin and lies, even knowing the truth.

I think Richardson was okay. He did not (in my opinion) lie or spin to make himself look good.

[creeksneakers2]

42. Richardson gave honest answers

Its sad that forthcoming honesty doesn't work. Few will recognize the virtue and all will recognize the faults he admits to. Somebody ought to explain to him that giving the best case for yourself isn't the same as lying.

[bklyncowgirl]

43. Presentation skills matter more than knowledge or honesty or competence nt

[watercolors]

45. I was very disapointed with his interview

I had him on my list of candidates I liked, sorry I am thinking it over now! He was very evasive, I didn't feel he was honest with his answers at times.

[ginnyinWI]

47. I agree with you--he bombed.

Even though he said some of the right things, the way he said them made him come off as petty and weak, and like kind of a jerk. He has the head, and maybe the guts, but not enough heart for the job.

[European Socialist]

48. He wasn't sharp--seemed hung over.

[Czolgosz]

51. I fear it's a three candidate race. Every time I question whether any of the 2nd tier candidates can

rise to the top tier, something like a poor debate performance or a poor national TV appearance shuts down the prospect.

I wish Dennis Kucinich could find a golden ticket into the top tier, but it's increasingly looking like it'll be a three-way race to the nomination.

[Awsi Dooger]

52. The worst I've ever seen him

As someone else posted, he wasn't even speaking to Russert. Very often he had his head down seemingly looking at the table.

You can't be on the defensive throughout. Russert's question are always predictable, some form of contradiction based on past statements compared to current or more recent. Anyone who goes on that show needs to have a game plan of emphasizing the benefits and wisdom of the current stance, and not let Russert dominate with the then-and-now. He'll let you speak if you come off as forceful. Richardson was so weak it allowed Russert to continually pounce.

Then the end was even worse, when Russert tried to soften the subject matter with baseball talk, and Richardson wobbled through a ridiculous attempted explanation of how he's both a Yankee and Red Sox fan. Hell, I hate baseball but even I know that won't fly.

[hollowdweller]

54. I didn't think any of the things Russert caught him on were damaging. Richardson made them damaging

His responses were what I had a problem with not the actual issues.

[TeamJordan23]

55. I don't see him as a VP Candidate either

He is just horrible in debates/interviews. I was thinking that Richardson would be a good VP candidate, but I just think he will have a tough time connecting with Americans. He just doesn't come out looking well in these public things. I would think he would have been better prepared.

However, he can have any cabinet position he wants =)

[Mutineer]

56. I think he may be the most qualified of all the candidates

but he's a horrible politician. I'm not sure how he ever won anything judging from that performance on MTP.