Unless you only knows nuns and orphans, maybe laying off character attacks might be a good idea.

[apocalypsos]

Sure, [McCain] expected to just make an apology and crack a bunch of jokes, but Letterman brought his A-game and asked him about how he pals around with G. Gordon Liddy, who has gleefully committed felonies, plotted violent attacks against his political enemies and called for the assassination of federal law enforcement officers. But he's a Republican, so it's apparently ok.

Dear mainstream media,

Please stop letting late-night talk show hosts ask the hard questions for you. It's embarrassing, is what it is.

Sincerely,

Me

Comments

[teenygozer.livejournal.com]

Last week, when Rachel Maddow was on Leno, I was able to go to NBC's site and watch her entire segment quite easily. CBS's site wouldn't play properly, but their site on Youtube has a 5 minute clip, and that's it. I assume he was on longer than that?

Jesus, he gets a mention of his kid in the service and his POW status in there in the first 60 seconds.

[apocalypsos.livejournal.com]

I imagine he had to have been on longer than than. And sheesh, that man could cram in a mention of his POW status while ordering an ice cream cone. (And no offense to those in the military, but having a kid in the service isn't exactly a special achievement in this election when the three candidates who have children who are old enough to serve do.)

[robyn-ma.livejournal.com]

Not to mention daytime talk show hosts (cf. Joy Behar, of all people).

[apocalypsos.livejournal.com]

Yeah, The View is another one that's asking questions the MSM should be handling.

Sometimes I really love DL

[prettybird.livejournal.com]

*sigh*

Well at least *someone* is asking.

Re: Sometimes I really love DL

[trishalynn.livejournal.com]

*hearts your icon*

[sabra-n.livejournal.com]

Here's my latest half-assed theory about this phenomenon- the mainstream news shows need politicians. Like, they have to interview the Presidential candidates during election season or else they're not to be taken seriously, and generally speaking need info and cooperation from the government, or else they don't get their news and then they're screwed, and the candidates and the government happily use that leverage to basically use the news networks as ways to put out their own press clippings.

The entertainment shows? Can just interview Angelina Jolie or something. I mean, they'd like to have McCain and his ilk, because politics is getting huge ratings right now and because Presidential candidates are obviously celebrities in their own right, but this isn't exactly their raison d'etre. So if they can't get those politicians, they can say "fuck it" and just mock mock mockety mock them for a few minutes and bring on Matthew Fox or whoever the hell.

[teenygozer.livejournal.com]

Yeah, this sounds very true. Add to that the fact that long ago, there were maybe a couple of news shows, and certain highly respected newsmen that any politician would *have* to be interviewed by to be taken seriously -- we don't have anyone with that weight now, and there are so many news shows and news channels that the politicians can pick and choose as they please.

[wrenlet.livejournal.com]

Atrios discusses a similar issue sometimes, how apparently nobody on the Beltway Cocktail Circuit is willing to risk offending in case they get left off the next round of party invitations. Josh at Talking Points Memo calls the media's kid-glove treatment of McCain "tire swinging," after that clip of a White House correspondent swinging on a tire at McCain's barbecue for the press.