Tim Russert: Stop the Inanity

[marmar]

from the American Prospect:



Tim Russert: Stop the Inanity

Russert passes for a "tough" interviewer by adopting a confrontational pose rather than asking genuinely challenging questions. Which is why he's a terrible moderator for our presidential debates.

Paul Waldman | October 31, 2007 | web only




Last month, near the end of the Democratic presidential debate in New Hampshire, moderator Tim Russert -- known as "Washington's toughest interviewer" and perhaps the most influential journalist in America -- had one last chance to pin the candidates down with his legendary common sense, persistence, and no-bull style. This is what he asked, first to Barack Obama:

"There's been a lot of discussion about the Democrats and the issue of faith and values. I want to ask you a simple question. Senator Obama, what is your favorite Bible verse?"

When Obama finished his answer, Russert said to the other candidates, "I want to give everyone a chance in this. You just take 10 seconds." Predictable banality ensued. A foreign visitor unfamiliar with our presidential campaigns might have scratched her head and said, "This is how you decide who will lead your country?"

Indeed it is, because the process is controlled by Tim Russert and people like him. Russert's Bible question encapsulates everything wrong with him, and with our political coverage more generally. It seeks to make candidates look bad rather than finding out something important about them (if you want to explore a candidate's religious beliefs, you don't do it in pop-quiz form and give them just ten seconds to answer). It substitutes the personal anecdote for the policy position, the sound-bite for the substantive answer. It distills the debate into a series of allegedly symbolic, supposedly meaningful moments that can be replayed.

This type of debate question is not about what the candidate believes and would actually do in office, but about how clever the moderator is for cornering the candidate. And above all, it takes a genuinely relevant matter (a candidate's view of the universe) and crams it through a channel by which the thoughtful candidate will be pilloried and the shallow, pandering, overly rehearsed candidate will garner praise.

I have a fantasy that at one of these moments, a candidate will say, "You know what, Tim, I'm not going to answer that question. This is serious business. And you, sir, are a disgrace. You have in front of you a group of accomplished, talented leaders, one of whom will in all likelihood be the next president of the United States. You can ask them whatever you want. And you choose to engage in this ridiculous gotcha game, thinking up inane questions you hope will trick us into saying something controversial or stupid. Your fondest hope is that the answer to your question will destroy someone's campaign. You're not a journalist, you're the worst kind of hack, someone whose efforts not only don't contribute to a better informed electorate, they make everyone dumber. So no, I'm not going to stand here and try to come up with the most politically safe Bible verse to cite. Is that the best you can do?" ......(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.prospect.org/cs/articles?article=tim_russert_stop_the_inanity

[DS1]

1. He can't help it.

Not being able to ask any of them if they're running for president, considering running for president, might or might not just have a teency weency little chance of running for president is just driving his poor feeble brain all over the place.

[BridgeTheGap]

2. Why didn't he ask "which commandment have you broken the most?"

Now that might produce something of substance!

[malaise]

3. Tim Russert is a GE whore

doing his master's bidding. He fools no one.

[FiveGoodMen]

20. He fools lots of people, including most of my family (even Dems)

Agree that he's no good, but fools plenty of folks.

[bigscott]

4. that answer

would take more than 10 seconds

[underpants]

5. Recommended-this is the definitive article on Russert

he nailed him

[rodeodance]

6. it would be fantasy if a candidate did this:

I have a fantasy that at one of these moments, a candidate will say, "You know what, Tim, I'm not going to answer that question. This is serious business. And you, sir, are a disgrace. You have in front of you a group of accomplished, talented leaders, one of whom will in all likelihood be the next president of the United States. You can ask them whatever you want. And you choose to engage in this ridiculous gotcha game, thinking up inane questions you hope will trick us into saying something controversial or stupid. Your fondest hope is that the answer to your question will destroy someone's campaign. You're not a journalist, you're the worst kind of hack, someone whose efforts not only don't contribute to a better informed electorate, they make everyone dumber. So no, I'm not going to stand here and try to come up with the most politically safe Bible verse to cite. Is that the best you can do?" ......(more)

[rodeodance]

7. I am going to write a memo to Timmy boy!

[rodeodance]

8. Contract info HERE:

CONTACT:
Tim Russert
NBC News Washington Bureau Chief

NBC Washington Bureau
[phone]

c/o Meet the Press
[email protected]

[Mabus]

13. That was my favorite paragraph of the story

and I will write the little twerp (who, btw, didn't start calling his dad "Big Russ" until he wrote his stupid book a couple of years ago).

[Dems Will Win]

9. Obama almost did that on the Life in Outer Space question, when he said I care about Life here on

EARTH!

[DFW]

10. Tim Russert is a (close to militant) Catholic

He went apeshit when the Monica thing broke--not because the
media were focusing on trivial crap, but because Bill Clinton
had an extramarital fling. Horrors, the sky is falling. His
sense of pious morality was offended, and all Democrats have
been paying for this ever since. Apparently, Tim Russert's
sense of morality is very selective, because he sure doesn't
care a whole hell of a lot about "thou shalt not kill." He
also doesn't care a whole hell of a lot about the Constitution
of the United States or the protection thereof, or he would refrain
from asking candidates for the presidency questions that assume
adherence to certain religions.

If he ever had any journalistic integrity, no vestige of it remains,
and he is only interested in showing his fat beefy mug on TV trying
to look both serious and aware. Instead he comes off as someone with
an agenda who is clueless. He needs to go back to Buffalo and chill
for a few years. He is so sure he is hot shit, when all you need to
describe him now is to remove the "hot" from the description.

[here_is_to_hope]

11. "But he does his homework!"

Seriously, this poster believes Timmeh "mastered Hillarys' ass" last night.
Euuww...
I have no love for that pumpkin head.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x3665424

[Gregorian]

12. Some questions don't deserve answers.

Weird! I have been walking around the house, thinking about the UFO question asked of Kucinich. And how he should have simply declined to answer. I have been thinking about Howard Dean and Dukakis in the tank. And how this should all come back to haunt not the candidates, but those who tossed the sandbags in front of those candidates. There is no room for cheaters in the democratic process. And they should be identified and called out for the reckless garbage that they are.

So it's good to see this article. Very good. We're catching on as a party. Slowly.

[Javaman]

14. "if jesus and superman had a fight, who would win? Mrs. Clinton, you first". nt

[Supersedeas]

15. he is a sell-out to GOP Corporate interests and he know it -- the money is good though, the money is

good.

[quiet.american]

16. Did anyone inform Russert the Constitution states there shall be no religious test --

-- in regard to being elected for political office? That would have been my first thought.

I often wonder how those like Russert live with themselves. Can they possibly respect themselves in spite of the fact that they're owned body and soul by the likes of Rove, Cheney and Bush?

[Disturbed]

17. Russert is a money grubbin' jerk.

“You know, Tim, you used to be such a rabid Democrat when you worked for Pat Moynihan,” said the executive. “But now that you’ve gotten a glimpse of who’s handing out the money in this business, you’ve become quite the Jaycee. Were you wrong about everything you used to believe so strongly?”

“I still believe,” Russert said, leaning across the table. “I believe in everything I ever did. But I also know that I never would have become moderator on Meet The Press if my employers were uncomfortable with me. And, given the amount of money at stake, millions of dollars, I don’t blame them. This is business.”

The executive agreed. “But are you concerned about losing yourself? You know, selling out?”

Russert pounded the table. “Integrity is for paupers!”

[DFW]

18. Russert is a money grubbin' jerk?

You mean someone PAYS him for this crap?

Amazing...........

[senseandsensibility]

19. What's missing from this excellent analysis

is the fact that russert only plays these games with Dems. That makes everything many times worse.