Sunday morning: Clinton Steals One Show, While Obama Endures Another

[DeepModem Mom]

NYT: The TV Watch
Clinton Steals One Show, While Obama Endures Another
By ALESSANDRA STANLEY
Published: May 5, 2008

Senator Barack Obama sat hunched on Sunday across the desk from Tim Russert on “Meet The Press” on NBC and wearily endured question after question about his relationship with the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr.

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton stood up from her armchair on Sunday to tower over George Stephanopoulos on “This Week” on ABC and merrily took on all critics, even the king of the Clinton-bashers, the talk-radio host Rush Limbaugh.

“He’s always had a crush on me,” Mrs. Clinton said with a sly smile.

Talk shows, even the more serious news programs, are never really about talk; they are about image and demeanor. Together, “Meet the Press” and its rival “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” provided an arresting tableau of the reversal of fortunes in the Democratic race. Mrs. Clinton was forceful, confident and at times even frisky as she easily deflected questions from Mr. Stephanopoulos and members of a town-hall-style meeting in Indianapolis. Mr. Obama, usually the one to see the humor in politics, instead looked grave and dispirited.

The anchors, on the other hand, did not reverse roles: as usual, Mr. Russert came out ahead in that Sunday talk-show contest. Mrs. Clinton gave ABC a more vivid and dynamic show, but it came at Mr. Stephanopoulos’s expense. Mrs. Clinton seemed to relish the opportunity to undercut him, a former adviser to her husband, with needling jokes and alpha-candidate body blocks.

When Mr. Stephanopoulos asked her about an ABC survey suggesting that 6 of 10 people thought she was dishonest, she was on her feet and he was still seated, and she dismissed the notion while staring down the ABC anchor like a school principal quelling an impertinent eighth grader.

Mr. Russert never ceded control of his hourlong interview, but he also failed to get a provocative sound bite from his guest. Mr. Obama said he had learned one lesson from the prolonged debacle over his former pastor, namely that “when you’re in national politics, it’s always good to pull the Band-Aid off quick,” then quickly ignored it, giving long, thoughtful and professorial answers to Mr. Russert instead of changing the subject to his advantage....

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/05/us/politics/05watch.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&ref=todayspaper&adxnnlx=1210017789-zGLMQzLCOjzYa62JsZOGrg

[LisaM]

1. We heard Hillary on the radio

We are a mixed household, I support Hillary, my SO supports Obama. But after listening to her (we had it on satellite radio in the car) he said, "you know, Hillary's starting to grow on me".

Yay!

[DeepModem Mom]

3. She is really hitting her stride -- and I'm delighted to hear about another mixed household.

DeepModem Dad is strong for Hillary. I think as a businessman he's impressed with her practical, get-it-done persona. I'm for Obama. But, thank goodness, we don't have the animosity I see here. We respect each other's choice, and find both things to like and things to dislike, both strengths and weaknesses, in both candidates.

[LisaM]

7. There was almost animosity. I had to really reel it in.

He admits that his mind is pretty made up and he won't discuss issues, which is too bad. But we've managed to agree to disagree. He was quite shocked one day to see a TV show where a bunch of people were demanding that Hillary drop out! He doesn't feel that way in the least, and really thought it was out of line.

I have to admit that he was a little nicer when we were listening to Hillary than I was when he later put Obama on! A snort or two might have escaped me.......

OTOH, he is not online, and I was bringing DU baggage into the house and taking it out on him (it doesn't help that he has a friend who emails me several times a week demanding that I support Obama and that Hillary drop out). I was judging him by the actions of others, which was unfair.

[Cant trust em]

5. When Hillary is good, she is very good. But when she gets snarky, she is terrible.

I have mixed feelings about her.

[thereismore]

2. Well that's an unbiased piece. That's not what I saw. nt

[DeepModem Mom]

4. Stanley is the TV critic, so it is definitely an opinion piece. nt

[Cant trust em]

6. I thought Obama looked strong on MTP

It's tough to jovial when you're talking about war in Iraq, nuclear proliferation and umbrellas of defense.

But I haven't seen the full interview, so take my comments with a grain of salt.

[KingOfLostSouls]

8. So in other words

clinton fielded softballs from her supporters


and obama had to deal with another hour of nonsense

[Seymour Glass]

9. amazing...

have you ever even watched Russert before?

he totally was in the bag for Obama and presented Obama with chance after chance to make "news" slamming Hillary.

[DeepModem Mom]

10. Welcome to DU, Seymour!

[Seymour Glass]

11. Thank you dear Lady!