Bad day for Hillary to be on the Today Show

[MadBadger]

David Gregory is not giving Hillary the easy interview that she expected. She'd be much better off with an interview from Meredith or Lauer, instead of Washington Insider Gregory who knows his shit. He's accusing her of not answering his question about What would be the risks of an Obama presidency that President Clinton was implying with his Roll the dice comment. Quite a feisty interview if you can find the video.

[BlueJazz]

1. You can bet that if any one of the Republican Candidates would have been interviewed...

...the questions would have been like >>

"You've been quite strong in your support for getting America "back on track"....Just how are you going to implement these goals?"

[Inuca]

5. Have you seen/heard David Gregory before?

Or is this just an automatic response?

[JamesA1102]

26. Yeah I loved him when he danced with Rove

He use to be good but he has been selling out of late.

[hisownpetard]

31. Funny - I started really disliking him when he danced with Rove. Dancing

with the devil doesn't do me.

[calimary]

55. Same thing happened to me. Suddenly, he became suspect.

Dancing with the Devil in the pale moonlight. It would have been far better and more appropriate to decline. Now, he's deeply suspect, at least to me.

I was further disappointed in him while watching a recent panel discussion with Helen Thomas and a few other Beltway bozos. They were all earnestly trying to figure out what kind of job journalism has done on bush coverage. Only Helen Thomas spoke the truth - about how dismal that job has been. She and Gregory got into it a little bit on the question of whether they'd asked hard enough questions about the war and more. Gregory insisted he always had. Helen Thomas said no, he hadn't. He got miffed. I DID, TOO! Well, anybody who watched some of those press conferences back then can recall the softballs EVERYONE threw. Everyone except Helen, who was promptly banished to the back of the room for daring to probe for the truth and ask the uncomfortable question. And yes, Gregory. That included YOU, too. You didn't move the needle for several years. As I recall, we didn't really start hearing tough questions from him until a news conference, I think, in January of 2004 (as I said, I THINK) when semi-serious questions came up in the news about bush's National Guard track record. It was the first really heated White House press conference ever - and snotty scotty was still press secretary. After that, Gregory began - BEGAN - taking baby steps toward standing out a little more and asking the more pointed, tougher questions. But he spent an AWFUL LOT of time safely on the reservation before that.

I'm tellin' ya! You will be hearing HUNDREDS of these - "I was against it from the VERY BEGINNING!!!" "I NEVER supported this! EVER! Honest!" "Oh, I NEVER supported the war." You will be hearing hundreds and hundreds of these from public figures. And if you go back through the record, you will find 97 out of every hundred to be flat-out liars. Back when it was considered chic, EVERYBODY was on the bandwagon. As chris matthews (who now insists he was never for the war) slobberingly put it after bush pranced around the aircraft carrier deck - "we're ALL neoCONS NOW!"

[hisownpetard]

72. Helen Thomas is the only one who's 'man' enough to stand up to those sleazes.

[Bongo Prophet]

62. Yes indeed. We just call him Disco Boy. Such a useless tool.

[hisownpetard]

71. That picture makes my blood boil, no matter how many times I see it. Tools, indeed.

Dancing with the murdering thief.

[Steely_Dan]

83. Is it me...

or does Rove remind you of the Elephant Man?

[Bongo Prophet]

90. The "elephant man" was a sympathetic character

i trust I don't even have to finish that thought. ;)

[themaguffin]

81. I guess you haven't seen too many WH press conferences then

[spotbird]

7. As much as I oppose Hillary,

(a lot) you are right on about that.

[enough already]

9. Yeah, she's a victim

Spare me.

[Hieronymus]

57. Right, if she can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.

[BlueJazz]

79. I'm certainly not a Hillery Fan, and don't plan to vote for her,, But...

...I don't like the press giving Dems the "Hard Case" and letting the Repugs walk...

[NewHampster]

51. so true so sad

[annie1]

2. Damn. can't believe she couldn't answer that question...

healthcare? damn. : P

[MethuenProgressive]

3. The MSM hates Hillary,

Always have. Always will.

[jefferson_dem]

6. Yeah yeah...the vast right wing blah blah blah blah...

We get it.

[MannyGoldstein]

8. How Many Times Did We Hear That HRC's Campaign Was Perfect, Flawless, Unstoppable?

I don't think they particularly hate her. They are simply sheep who pick up the meme of the day and go with it. The Right has figured this out, and now supplies them with a meme each day (via HRC's buddy Rupert Murdoch's Fox organization)so accidents don't happen.

[Name removed]

10. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[DaLittle Kitty]

13. What Planet Are You From?

HillBill is on the tube so much I can hardly imagine the tube w/o her. Hill and OB are being pushed/shoved down our throats by... the MSM. Irrefutable fact. :nuke:

[mwb970]

33. The Clintons are indeed *covered* a lot by the MSM.

But an awful lot of the coverage is "she's slipping", "he's not helping, "they've had a bad week" type coverage. This helps?

[Cha]

85. All too

true. Maybe they're trying to make it more of contest now..they have their manipulation orders.

[mtnsnake]

39. Yes they do. The MSM has already chosen Obama, but Hillary will still fight the MSM like hell. nt

[ryanmuegge]

94. I think the right-wing hacks in the MSM still want Hillary, but they want a weakened version

One that's easily beatable in the election. I have no doubt they're going to spend the next year creating stories about how Hillary's a calculating, fake, vindictive bitch, while at the same time they will show stories about Mittens campaigning here or there with footage of him eating dinner with his family in their holiday sweaters and such.

I think the right is afraid of Hillary not so much because of her (and Bill's) policy positions, but because they know for a fact that the Clintons are willing to slash some throats to win, which is what the Democrats need if they expect to be victorious.

It'd be nice to have a Democrat who, for once, actually wants to win as a nominee.

[wndycty]

4. After Gregory talked about the last 6 weeks of decline she said its not about what. . .

. . .the press thinks, BUT THEN she kept pointing to the Des Moines Register's endorsement it was funny.

[tekisui]

11. Bill Clinton made some stupid remarks on Charlie Rose.

Bill and Hillary are out running like the office is Co-presidents. I am glad that someone is calling Bill out for his hit piece.

They aren't doing well. And it shows. They are coming off angry and seriously concerned.

[ClarkUSA]

12. Yeah, he's been SUCH an asset to his wife's campaign, hasn't he?

I hear he's the mastermind of her strategy now. The co-presidency has been put on hold by Obama and they're doing their
damned best to win Iowa, by hook AND by crook.

[Cha]

86. They give ol mark

penn..the heave ho?

[ClarkUSA]

95. Hillaryworld won't cross that line because it will look bad for The Cackler

Besides, she and Penn are like twins separated at birth, they are that close according to her autobiography.

[annie1]

15. what was wrong with the comments?

they seemed valid to me. he said by the time obama started campaigning he had less experience than hillary. that's true. it's valid. people are free to reject that it is of importance, but it's a valid point. and barak countered it.

[tekisui]

20. He was belittling and petty.

"Roll of the dice" bullshit.
"Obama is a risk" stupid comment. He was on Charlie Rose for one reason, to try and stunt Obama's rise.

[annie1]

23. he's campaigning for her. it's ok to do. someone could say...

she's risky. she's a risk because she's possibly very beatable. JE says it about her and it's a valid point.

that being said, he coulda have left the dice comment, but i watched the interview, he didn't come prepared with that line, the conversation was back and forth btwn the 2. but that's what stuck b/c the media loved it. he had a long interview, it all seemed quite tempered and fine.

[tekisui]

28. I was embarassed for him.

He sat an entire hour on a respected National talk show, as a former President, to take shots at Obama. If Obama was so in-experienced and such a risk, former Presidents wouldn't have to work so hard against him, he wouldn't be beating her.

It came across as desperate, like the Hill-o-copter.

[annie1]

30. lol. ok.

[blm]

42. Sad considering he always spoke HIGHLY SUPPORTIVE of Bush throughout 2003-4

and especially used his summer 2004 book tour to make great headlines for Bush that highlighted his defense of Bush's decisions on Iraq against the left.

[Adelante]

58. So he has less experience than Hillary, so what?

She has 35 years experience in national service and Obama has 20 years in national service. I've always taken Hillary's record with respect. The Clintons can do the same with Obama's. I don't object to an honest comparison. But Bill Clinton doesn't get to give her a lifetime credit and reduce Obama's service to one year, same as a year as a TV commentator or a plumber. It's dishonest and unacceptable, petty and mean.

[Tactical Progressive]

64. 20 years of national service for Obama?

I didn't realize he'd been out of the country for 17 years.

What country was that in?

[Adelante]

66. I consider community organizing national service

It's also part of Hillary's own resume of service.

[Tactical Progressive]

69. Sure it is.

That's why the terms federal/national, state and local/community are used, because there's no difference between them.

I have no problem putting 'community service' on your resume. Why pretend it's something it isn't?

And just for the record, you say he did that for 17 years?

[Adelante]

76. I am pretending nothing

11 years in state or federal legislature.

4 years as a community organizer after college on the South Side of Chicago

And after law school,

Obama’s self-conception as an organizer isn’t just a campaign gimmick. Organizing remained central to Obama long after his stint on the South Side. In the 13 years between Obama’s return to Chicago from law school and his Senate campaign, he was deeply involved with the city’s constellation of community-organizing groups. He wrote about the subject. He attended organizing seminars. He served on the boards of foundations that support community organizing. He taught Alinsky’s concepts and methods in workshops. When he first ran for office in 1996, he pledged to bring the spirit of community organizing to his job in the state Senate. And, after he was elected to the U.S. Senate, his wife, Michelle, told a reporter, “Barack is not a politician first and foremost. He’s a community activist exploring the viability of politics to make change.” Recalling her remark in 2005, Obama wrote, “I take that observation as a compliment.”

http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/Articles/bobamasunlikelypoliticaledu.html

This was a guy who came out of law school, having turned down a Supreme Court clerkship and several jobs with high powered law firms, where he could have made a fortune, he could have had his pick of Wall Street, and went instead into civil rights and voting rights law, representing the same non-profit groups, such as ACORN, for example, that he worked with on his own time, and lectured part time on constitutional law -- all the while doing the same kind of community work he'd done since the 1980s.

Like John Kerry who could have gone into business and made a mint, but chose a life of national service in politics; like Wes Clark who could have done just about anything, but chose a life of national service in the military; like Hillary Clinton who could have gone for the big bucks, but chose a life of national service in social work and then politics; Barack Obama had every opportunity for financial gain, but chose a life of national service in community organizing and politics.

Yes, I do see it as the same in value, for the record. I think this is at least 20 years of national service. It's different than being in electoral politics alone, but it's politics just the same and it is service to the country.

[Tactical Progressive]

82. You're counting 6 yrs state govt + 4 yrs comunity outreach

as 17 years of federal experience.

You are simply misusing clearly-defined words like 'national' to try to burnish Obama's paltrey three years (most of which he's been using to run for the Presidency) federal government service. And the numbers don't even seem to add up at that.

Please stop.

If you want to say he has twelve years of "public service" then say it. Nothing wrong with that - it's something to admire at any level. All of these people have given up high-paying private sector opportunities and they are all to be admired for it, but that doesn't give anyone the right to redefine terms to pretend that someone has federal experience when they most obviously don't.

Obama has almost no experience in federal government.

[Adelante]

84. I did not say federal experience

I said national service and it is what I mean. In addition to six years state government and four years community outreach after college, there are 13 years of additional community outreach part time, and two years in federal government. I round it to 20 years of national service. Not everything is about legislation. Don't tell me to stop. There is more to experience one might bring to the presidency than law making. Just as Clark brought other experience to the table when he ran, so does Obama. But do not accuse me of falsifying - I simply have a larger view of national service than you do. But "public service" does as well for me.

[Evergreen Emerald]

14. more media attacking Clinton. What a surpise

Those questions were so stupid. They soft ball every other candidate--and attack Clinton over stupid things using distortion and rumor.

What a bunch of crap.

[annie1]

16. what did they attack her on?

i didn't see the interview. the part about what is rolling the dice seems *almost* fair enough. she could have used it to her advantage. she failed. could have said "i've been working on healthcare for 15 years", she didn't.

unless there was something else.

but they do seem to want this fight going btwn them. which is lame.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

17. If There Wasn't A Softball Soft Tone Interview With John McCain That Immediately Followed

Folks Here Would Have More Ground To Stand On

Meredith Viera - " Some folks say you have a temper, is that true?"


That's like going for a job interview and some nimrod asks you "What are your weaknesses?"

Oh, my weakness is I work so hard that everybody around me feels bad because they can't keep up...

[BeyondGeography]

45. Did John McCain's wife say Rudy or Mitt would be a roll of the dice?

Bill made news, Hill was asked to comment on it. BFD.

[Czolgosz]

18. She talked over the questions, refused to answer, offered non-responsive sound bites ... Awful!

[Evergreen Emerald]

19. she refused to take the bait into attacking Obama

We all know what it means when they talk about how important experience is--the quesiton is stupid.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

21. It's Not As If We Didn't Have The Softball Interview With McCain To Compare It With

~

[Evergreen Emerald]

24. Well, I hope everyone saw the difference.

What hostility he showed towards her.

[KittyWampus]

35. "She refused to take bait into attacking Obama". So she shouldn't have to account for her husband

attacking Obama?

Bullshit.

And Hillary has as much/little really relevant experience as Obama.

And she's a neophyte compared to Biden and Dodd.

[Evergreen Emerald]

38. so--let me get the rules straight:

Obama can call Clinton a liar and has character issues--not attacking
Clinton can dicuss the difference in experience between the two--attacking
Clinton's every move is dissected ad naseum--not attacking
Bringing up illegal drug use--attacking.

Clinton attempting to avoid attacking Obama on TV regarding his readiness to lead--attacking?

Hmmm...we got some mixed up hypocrites in this meda.

[ellacott]

54. That's one thing that bothers me

When they talk of experience Biden and Dodd are the ones with the most experience. Sometimes I wish Biden and Dodd would bring this up. The sad thing is that they probably have brought this up but the media isn't covering them like the frontrunners.

[Czolgosz]

44. Refused to take the bait? Doe you SEE the interview? She was asked to explain Bill's comment. How's

that bait?

[proudmoddemo]

46. Did she laugh a lot too? n/t

[zulchzulu]

22. Good for David Gregory to at least be a journalist

Meredith would have talked about her choice of sweaters or how she deals with the cold. Matt would have asked about what it's like to run for President.

Bill set her up with his comments and she has to deal with it. Good!

[Evergreen Emerald]

25. how is that a journalist? A journalist would have asked questions

about issue differences--rather than attack her with distortions and bait her into saying something negative.

[zulchzulu]

34. I'll make my judgment after I see the interview

I'm sure it will be online at some point. As for Meredith and Matt, they are absolute lightweights...it's nauseating to even watch them.

[KittyWampus]

36. If her husband says negative things about other candidates, she certainly SHOULD be forced

to answer for that.

[Renew Deal]

27. David Gregory is a tough SOB.

Anyone would get it from him. That's unlucky on her part.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

29. You're Probably Correct

But McCain got a softball interview from Meredith Viera ...

She asked him about his temper?


Please...

[Renew Deal]

32. I didn't see that.

Was that today? I never felt like he had a temper problem. That's BS from 2000 IIRC.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

37. That 's The Point

He has had eight years to think about the answer... He had a great one...If some things don't get you upset, you are not paying attention...

[flordehinojos]

40. the trouble with d. gregory's testiness is that he becomes a tame kitty when he has gwb in front of

him.

[MadBadger]

53. Thats not true.

[AX10]

60. Yes it is.

You are in denial because need to latch onto anything that makes Hillary (Obama's competitor) look bad.

[JackORoses]

73. Hillary has no trouble looking bad all on her own

[Guaranteed]

92. That is absolutely NOT true. There were a number of examples

of Gregory asking NASTY questions to Bush and his henchmen.

[zulchzulu]

41. Link to video

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/22294801#22294801

[TeamJordan23]

47. Thanks, yeah....a very lackluster performance by HRC. NM

[ChairmanAgnostic]

49. JC effin kryst. She laughed on 3 separate stations, in identical fashion

give me a break. that has to be the most shallow, desperate, unnatural, and forced laugh I have seen in a campaign.

Someone tell her advisers to retool their product. this version sucks. Is it in beta testing? or is this the final version?

[LittleBlue]

63. Return of the Cackle!

:scared:

She can't answer a question, so she just stands there and laughs unnaturally. The would get annihilated if she spent 1 year pulling this crap in a general.

[Laurab]

68. And at inappropriate times...

that was so very odd. Those things weren't funny in the least. Someone must have told her to laugh more, but sheesh - at least wait for an appropriate time to do it. They do need to "retool their product", and fast. This version is scary.

[Adelante]

56. Oh, my, that was kind of a bomb

What would she have been saying if she didn't have the Des Moines Register, I wonder.

[K Gardner]

59. Thanks for the link. I liked the shot of her getting into the Hil-O-Copter ! n/t

[BeyondGeography]

61. She has a natural talent for appearing unnatural

[JackORoses]

75. he tried to get her to answer the same question about 'rolling the dice' 4 times

Each time she evaded him and spewed talking points.
He finally gave up on it and she got pissed.

This is exactly what the American People need to see more of.
That is the real Hillary Clinton,
and she has no business being our President

[Mother Of Four]

77. Uhm, Contradiction anyone?

"I'm going to let the voters decide that, not the press"
"I'm a proven leader...thats what Des Moines register said"

Huh?

[Didereaux]

43. he simply hammered at a hypothetical...wow how intelligent, how brave, how inspiring! NOT!

Get a brain folks, Gregory is no smarter than the other MSMs he is amongst. Even a retarded 7th grader can hammer at a hypothetical in which the answer cannot be defended.

Sheesh! Stupid Virus is more virulent this year!

[JackORoses]

78. She didn't even attempt an answer. She wholly evaded it.

Even a retarded 7th grader can answer a question after the 4th try.

She wants Bill out there throwing mud,
but she doesn't want to get her hands dirty or associate herself with it.

Sorry, sHillary, you can't have it both ways.
Either you want to attack someone or you don't.
At least she could have the decency to back up her husband's declarations.

[annie1]

89. The media wants an ongoing fight, and she's not having it.

[Tejanocrat]

48. PLEASE, don't anyone use the word "shrill" to describe her defensiveness, intensity, or keenness!

[ChairmanAgnostic]

50. especially when dissembling, haughty, forced, unnatural and shallow

work so much better.

[Guaranteed]

93. "Evasive." nt

[NewHampster]

52. I heard her on Morning Joe

I caught her on morning Joe and she was awesome, on message and in full control of the conversation.

Last question from Mika.

Mika: Romney got teary on meet the press.. When was the last time you got teary or have you ever?

Hillary: Getting up this morning at 4am to come to the Drake Diner for this interview. I don't know how you guys do it every day.

Just found the vid http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/22297709#22297709

Awesome interview

[gmudem]

65. Of course she's on message

If Hillary wasn't on message it would probably be the fault of her programming breaking down and would cause a crash of the entire system.

[Cha]

96. But, what the hell is that message?

"I voted with the chimphouse for 5 years so we could be stuck in Iraq and on to Iran". That would be the real message..now for 1984.."Working For Change".

[jenmito]

67. Man! I just watched it and she kept avoiding the question-time and time again. Like usual, she

wants to take credit for things Bill did and said when they HELP her but avoid even TALKING about things Bill said that may hurt her. It was ridiculous how she kept talking about how the Des Moines Register editorial feels she's the best person to run the country. Why couldn't she just answer what her husband meant by it would be a roll of the dice to elect Obama? We don't need another avoider-in-chief.

[Carrieyazel]

70. She can't answer questions directly. That's her achilles heal.

I can see Obama not answering because he's a cautious newcomer afraid of making a mistake. But Hillary??? She's been around forever, and, as she claims, she's been vetted over and over again. So why not just answer boldly and assuredly??? Say why you believe Obama is unqualified or not ready. This is one of the things a lot of voters don't like about her.

[jefferson_dem]

74. LINK to youtube video here --->

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x76907

[ryanmuegge]

80. Another corporate gatekeeper giving a "tough" interview to a Democrat.

What a yawnfest. It's all tabloid horse race all of the time, no substantive issues can be discussed.

[MadBadger]

87. I dont think u know what your talking about

If there has been any person who conistenty gave Bush and Bush's press secretary's issues, is David Gregory. Besides Helen Thomas of course.

[ryanmuegge]

91. Do a search for David Gregory on Media Matters some time. You'll be surprised.

I know his whole schtick is a "tough" reporter, but he's really a lapdog when it comes to asking about the root issues(oil rather than "national security" in relation to Iraq and Iran).

Nobody has been tough ENOUGH on the Bush administration or the right-wing Democrats (which includes Hillary).

Also, notice that this interviews focuses entirely on the horse race, rather than issues. That's all the mainstream media are interested in. This is all gossip column shit: one person said something about another. Who cares? How about covering legislation and policies?

[annie1]

88. I finally saw it. I'm glad she didn't bite. they just want to stir more shit btwn the 2.