Yeah, James Pindell certainly made himself the story of the US Senate debate – and it went national – when he decided he knew NH’s geography better than Brown (e.g., Sullivan County). But really, when the most Leftward leaning cable networks, MSNBC, goes after you with one of the most Leftward leaning “journalists”, National Public Radio’s Cokie Roberts, there’s a BIG Problem:
Roberts said on MSNBC—after Morning Joe hosts Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarboroughroundly criticized the moderators—that “this is why people hate the press.”
Well, then! I could go and snark out “look in a mirror much, Roberts?” and go on and on that there’s a whole bunch of examples on which to rest that charge but that wouldn’t cover it much – poll after poll says that the average Joe has little regard at ALL for the media. But this next bit – OUCH!
“Having that little guy just sort of ask that same little question over and over again like that and he was just trying to be so smart, and I think he [Scott Brown] handled very it well,” Roberts said. “He didn’t go the Christie route and say ‘enough with Sullivan County.’ He said ‘no, with all due respect,’ and he didn’t get flustered by it. That was the point—the point was to fluster him and show him as a carpetbagger. I think that is the biggest strike against him [Brown]. But it ended up being a much bigger strike against the member of my trade.”
Gee, lots of words that could be summarized by one 4 letter word:
smug. And like it or not, that display showed it in full prime time. And she picked up on what the underlying intent (at least to those watching) – “show him as a carpetbagger”. Add in the ever present truth – once again, poll after poll has shown the leftward (funny how that word keep coming up) tilt of the newsrooms of all media types by Party affiliations, self-described leanings, or by political / advocacy donations (although I thought it was going to be George Stephanopolous that was going to do the deed instead) – but remember WMUR’s Amy Coveno sandbagging Hermain Cain? Or WMUR’s Josh McElven colluding with CNN’s John King in trying to create conflict during a debate:
Well, it seems quite obvious that these two chuckleheads have proved my point as in “let’s make the Republicans look petty, argumentative, and start a food fight”. Thus, instead of merely reporting the news, they were actively trying to make the news, to start the skewing of public opinion.
History repeats itself at WMUR.
Again, he has apologized (here, here) and here:
James Pindell: When a reporter — or a debate panelist — becomes the story then they failed. Yes, I am known for asking tough questions, like this one I asked of Jeanne Shaheen in 2008. The problem wasn’t the Sullivan County question I asked during last night’s U.S. Senate Debate, but my second follow-up. Senator Brown said Sullivan County was north of Concord. I told him no. But, in fact, Sullivan County is north and west of Concord. I was wrong. Really, where Sullivan County lies is irrelevant, but the tone I took with the Senator is relevant. I’m sorry for both. Here is the video of my apology.
All one has remember words I have already written:
After all, at the Washington Press Corp Dinner where Obama let this loose:
Most of you all covered me…
most of the assembled press in attendance laughed. And then he added:
…but all of you voted for me.
And he got a standing O.
