September 2, 2022

"Presidents rarely make speeches during prime TV viewing hours, and typically only do so to address a national crises or matter of exceptional urgency."

"The networks, in turn, typically carry presidential speeches when the White House requests the time and after previewing the president’s remarks. However, they have passed on speeches that were part of campaign rallies or events, or when the subject was deemed insufficiently important or newsworthy.... People involved in negotiations over Thursday’s address said the networks deemed Biden’s remarks as 'political' in nature and therefore decided not to televise it. These people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe sensitive discussions, cited the speech’s criticism of Trump — Biden’s possible political opponent in 2024 — and its timing two months before the midterm elections... The non-coverage stands in contrast to the three networks’ decision in June to preempt their entertainment programs to air the first hearing of the House select committee’s investigation of the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot...."

All 3 networks judged it too political to deserve live coverage in prime time? And yet the Marines were there, attesting to its nonpolitical nature!  

Farhi supplies this hilarious tweet from polisci prof Brendan Nyhan: "'The networks refusing to cover Biden’s speech (presumably because it was going to be critical of Trump and/or not newsworthy enough) is precisely the problem' confronting democracy." No, it's precisely the separation of government and journalism we need in a healthy democracy. 

67 comments:

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

No, it's precisely the separation of government and journalism we need in a healthy democracy.

RideSpaceMountain said...

"As Biden warned about democracy’s collapse, TV networks aired reruns"

Not all of them. Some of them - like CNN - adjusted the lighting.

CNN probably thought a pinkish-hue would tastefully match PedoHitlers pumps more than redrum Crimson.

YoungHegelian said...

Let me add to the no doubt chorus of my fellow commenters here that perhaps the networks had another reason to preempt live coverage: they knew the speech was going to be a disaster for Biden, and in limiting the exposure hoped to mitigate the political damage done.

I'd like to echo many other commenters in various other postings on Biden's speech: Who the hell on Biden's staff thought this would be a good idea?

PhilD said...

The networks probably decided here to protect Biden against himself.

Leland said...

I earlier assumed the broadcast networks carried the speech, because I know it was requested, they carried the Jan.6th hearings, and I don't watch speeches anyway to know if they did. Wife and I had other plans anyway. I'm very happy to hear that the broadcast networks recognized the speech as political and not something to carry. It could also be that they were savvy enough to see it as poor optics for Biden and themselves, but even so, they at least showed more intelligence in not showing the speech than the President and White House in giving the speech.

There are tweets suggesting that CNN played with the hue such that the dark red was broadcast as pink. If they did, again it just shows more intelligence in seeing the optics for what they are than what Joe Biden and the White House wanted them to be.

TeaBagHag said...

It IS an emergency. Biden is absolutely right about you mouth-breathing, fascist jackals.
Fortunately for The United States, Althouse readers are in the unhinged minority.
Most Americans see this MAGAt cult as the extremist, loony fringe threat that it represents.

Creola Soul said...

Well, the purpose of the speech was to attack his political opponents and to label them an enemy. Hard to get more political than that. Along the way he borrowed from Hillary Clinton’s playbook and branded the MAGA crowd as a threat to our, meaning his, way of life. In essence they are his “deplorables”. Every Democrat running for office this November should be asked if the endorse that view and, if not, what have they done to rebut the President on this?

Michael K said...

By "Democracy" the Democrats mean their rule forever. The MAGA Republicans are the enemy and are to be treated like one. Why do you think guns sales have been going through the roof ? People like Ritmo and Howard think we are going to start a civil war but these guns are defensive. Leave us alone and there will be peace. The "red states" will get along as the blue cities become worse hell holes.

Michael K said...


Blogger TeaBagHag said...

It IS an emergency. Biden is absolutely right about you mouth-breathing, fascist jackals.


Brandon's audience.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Exactly. That the hack-D press passed on a live feed of Biden's vindictive hate-fest - is surprising and a tad comforting.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

TeaBaGhag - LOL

Should we be rounded up and placed in re-education camps?

tim in vermont said...

"Biden is absolutely right about you mouth-breathing, fascist jackals."

Subhuman, if you will. We all know what historically comes next.

Joe Bide is goading China, goading Iran, and goading Russia, now he's goading half of America. It's gonna have to be a draft, because "deplorable" kids don't want to fight for a President who hates them, and so Joe may have to fight the wars he is starting himself.

Sally327 said...

If I were a cynical person I would think that the networks chose not to run the speech to protect President Biden. Looking at and listening to him, he seems old and doddery and best not to shine too big a spotlight.

But sure, we can go with speech was deemed to be too political. The networks are conscientious like that.

Mrs. X said...

I’m with Yancey and Phil D. This was the networks continuing their protection of Biden. His remaining quasi-normal supporters won’t have watched the shit show and will take the word of the Wapo and NYT that it was a good and necessary speech.

I note that Biden already started walking back some of his trash talk. So he gets the best of both worlds: he can make threats and know that the threats have been heard, and then he can say, oh I know that not all Trump supporters are fascists.

I have never been so afraid for our country.

Original Mike said...

The networks were protecting Biden. That much is obvious.

Jim at said...

Most Americans see this MAGAt cult as the extremist, loony fringe threat that it represents.

74 million Americans = loony fringe

Yeah. You go with that. See how it plays out.

Howard said...

Apparently you people love it when Trump expands the Overton window. When Biden fights back against the bully you decry it as an unreasonable expansion of the Overton window.

God I can't wait for the indictments to come down.

rhhardin said...

Various people like Richard Epstein think Trump will be indicted for lying to the FBI about no more classified papers there, and therefore one suspects the Biden speech was preparing the political ground for that indictment. NOt only is it a crime but Trump is a threat to democracy.

rhhardin said...

If I understood right Mccarthy at National Review (paywall I can't penetrate) outlines the indictment against Trump.

mccullough said...

Biden’s approval rating is too low to give him free air time.

Paul said...

And just in... Biden now crawfishes after Calling MAGAs and Republicans a threat to the USA.

Now on Friday said he does not consider any Donald Trump supporters to be a "threat" to the U.S., though he said the failure to condemn violence for political gains was "inappropriate."

What a freaking liar he is.

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/biden-says-trump-supporters-not-threat-country-speech-blasting-maga-republicans

rhhardin said...

Rule of Law is oroginally taken as constraints on lawmakers, see the best podcast ever for cutting to the heart of the matter, Richard Epstein on Rule of Law. Best podcast in any genre ever, not just law.

TaeJohnDo said...

teabaghag....you seem nice....

gilbar said...

serious questions
a) what was Biden's excuse? what was the 'emergency? 79 million americans voting Trump?
b) for those upset that the networks refused to air; If this had been Trump Would you Still be upset?
c)WHAT THE F*CK were biden's handlers thinking? Did they WANT to hurt their man?

Gretchen said...

TeaBagHag

It IS an emergency. Biden is absolutely right about you mouth-breathing, fascist jackals.
Fortunately for The United States, Althouse readers are in the unhinged minority.
Most Americans see this MAGAt cult as the extremist, loony fringe threat that it represents.

So it isn't extremist to insist on abortion until birth and celebrate your abortion? How focus on talking about sex and white guilt to preschoolers when our schools (especially for poor kids) are failing at teaching kids to read or do math? How about insisting on giving kids off-label hormones and irreversible surgeries if they say they are uncomfortable going through puberty (remember when everyone knew being uncomfortable was normal? How extreme is it to claim there is no definition of "woman", or that a biologic male should compete against girls? How extreme is it to make sewer workers pay for lawyer's student loans? How extreme is it to insist highly published physicians be silenced for a resenting opinion?

Democrats have gone very, very extreme, and coerce corporations to back them. Thats actual fascism.

rcocean said...

THe Networks refused to televise several of Trump's speeches, that were about policy.

As for Biden, there was no reason to televise the J6 comedy show. But the networks can't be DNC propaganda 100 percent of the time. Biden's "this is why I'm going to put Trump in jail speech" could be skipped.

Maynard said...

It IS an emergency. Biden is absolutely right about you mouth-breathing, fascist jackals.
Fortunately for The United States, Althouse readers are in the unhinged minority.
Most Americans see this MAGAt cult as the extremist, loony fringe threat that it represents.


I have serious doubts about efforts to mainstream the mentally ill.

Paul A. Mapes said...

Does anyone know if PBS broadcast this speech?

Paddy O said...

I think tweets like that from polisci prof Brendan Nyhan is precisely one of the problems facing democracy and definitely one of the problems facing academia. It couches blatant propagandizing partisanship within gowns and letters to make it appear somehow more profound than the drunk guy yelling slurs at the bar. Only Nyhan is actually that drunk guy when it comes down to it.

Larry J said...

“PhilD said...
The networks probably decided here to protect Biden against himself.”

Journalists often get the text of a presidential speech in advance. They knew that the Faux Fuhrer’s speech was going to be a disaster.

Bob R said...

Palpably Palpatine. Order 66 is coming soon.

Joe Smith said...

I was watching the Purdue/Penn State game...it was pretty good...

Joe Smith said...

'Apparently you people love it when Trump expands the Overton window.'

The Overton Window may shift or it may move; it does not 'expand.'

Friendo said...

Althouse "No, it's precisely the separation of government and journalism we need in a healthy democracy." I'm very grateful, agree with, and support this comment.

MadTownGuy said...

From the post:

"No, it's precisely the separation of government and journalism we need in a healthy democracy."

Looks to me more like they knew it wasn't going to go over well and they were providing cover, which fits their MO pretty well.

Friendo said...

TaeJohnDo said...
teabaghag....you seem nice....

9/2/22, 4:11 PM

Cracked me up!

Narr said...

Poor Federal Government, being bullied by the big meany Trump.

Jamie said...

It IS an emergency. Biden is absolutely right about you mouth-breathing, fascist jackals.
Fortunately for The United States, Althouse readers are in the unhinged minority.
Most Americans see this MAGAt cult as the extremist, loony fringe threat that it represents.


I am now in the "TeaBagHag is doing satire" camp - nicely done!

Kevin said...

Where is Mark Milley's outrage about the military being used for political purposes?

Or does that only come out when it can be used against Trump?

MacMacConnell said...

Joe Biden conjured up the ghost of Leni Riefenstahl and Hitler last night. Biden is the fascist Biden is looking for. All he was missing was a little mustache.

Buckwheathikes said...

Here's a question:

If MAGA voters are a "clear and present danger" the the United States of America and a "threat" to the democracy we all hold dear, then what, exactly has he fucking done about it?

Nothing.

He's done NOTHING about this clear and present danger.

What is he proposing that we do about it?

Nothing.

Joe Biden didn't propose that we do ANYTHING about this "clear and present danger" to the United States of America. To our very democracy. Our entire country is under threat and this fucking prick didn't say in his stupid fucking speech what he expect us to do about this "threat."

Should we start killing this threat? Should we identify our neighbors who are MAGA and report them to the Marines for termination?

What the hell does this prick want us to do now that he's identified this "clear and present danger" to the United States of America, which has apparently been allowed to fester under HIS watch. How did these people become a "clear and present danger" ON HIS WATCH? He's done nothing to stop them. He's not tell US to stop them. He's not ordered the military to stop them.

So, what fucking good is this guy? This guy is all fucking talk and no fucking action. He's a pussy.

Buckwheathikes said...

Here's a question:

If MAGA voters are a "clear and present danger" the the United States of America and a "threat" to the democracy we all hold dear, then what, exactly has he fucking done about it?

Nothing.

He's done NOTHING about this clear and present danger.

What is he proposing that we do about it?

Nothing.

Joe Biden didn't propose that we do ANYTHING about this "clear and present danger" to the United States of America. To our very democracy. Our entire country is under threat and this fucking prick didn't say in his stupid fucking speech what he expect us to do about this "threat."

Should we start killing this threat? Should we identify our neighbors who are MAGA and report them to the Marines for termination?

What the hell does this prick want us to do now that he's identified this "clear and present danger" to the United States of America, which has apparently been allowed to fester under HIS watch. How did these people become a "clear and present danger" ON HIS WATCH? He's done nothing to stop them. He's not tell US to stop them. He's not ordered the military to stop them.

So, what fucking good is this guy? This guy is all fucking talk and no fucking action. He's a pussy.

Michael K said...

Blogger Howard said...

Apparently you people love it when Trump expands the Overton window. When Biden fights back against the bully you decry it as an unreasonable expansion of the Overton window.

God I can't wait for the indictments to come down.


I'm sure you can't and the DC juries are the same. "Justice?" "Rule of Law?" Somebody compared Trump to the fictional "Shane" who solves the normals' problems and then rides out of town. The only problem with that is that our problems have not been solved. The same crooks and grifters are still running things.

Butkus51 said...

I liked the Nazi color theme.

Joe, hands raised, mad as hell.

I used to wonder how Germany could go that way.

I dont wonder anymore.

Butkus51 said...

Howard being the good Nazi. All is normal.

PM said...

Thank you, TBH.
Look fwd to more of your insights on a site that embraces freedom of expression.

Arturo Ui said...

Biden's speech perfectly timed with Trump's open criminality being exposed in the FBI docs scandal. Just cut him loose and find a non-gangster candidate. Not so hard!

Jupiter said...

"No, it's precisely the separation of government and journalism we need in a healthy democracy."

Oh, yeah! Our media are a miracle of scrupulous non-partisanship. And our democracy is as healthy as any has ever been! Our future's so bright, I gotta wear shades.

Tina Trent said...

Listen and watch carefully.

It's dubbed.

Lilly, a dog said...

Whose sock puppet is TeaBadHag? Days ago someone suggested it's Inga, but I doubt it. Is it Howard?

Gusty Winds said...

Blogger YoungHegelian said...

Who the hell on Biden's staff thought this would be a good idea?

If you look through a Machiavellian lens it was a great idea. Look at how trilled TeaBagHag is above. I'm sure this speech would poll well in Madison, WI. Althouse is an anomoly.

Go read Twitter comments. Insane.

Drago said...

Howard: "Apparently you people love it when Trump expands the Overton window."

As noted before, Biden's Earpiece made it quite clear that you Democratical sheep have been warned not to stray far from the "majority" otherwise you will be labeled an "extremist" and so you NPC's do what you are told and cover your ears whenever anyone wants to expand the overton window of "acceptable" discourse.

Of course, in your world, chopping up adolescent "transgender" bodies for fun and profit is now considered the New Soviet Democratical "mainstream" which mirrors perfectly your unlimited abortion for any reason at any time mindset. Also for fun and profit.

cf said...

paul mapes, i just checked and youtube pbs has it as having been broadcast live, so yeah.

Must be how one of our quilting ladies watched it before she came to our thursday meetup. she was deeply moved by the whole thing, ugh. (its so weird. truly, some of the very best people, especially the women, are thoroughly saturated in the high-class flattery of NPR & PBS airwave words, and those agents have relentlessly lied in Kabuki-disciplined performance 24-7 for a decade, creating an impervious blob of assumptions in the minds of their kind-hearted Heifers, beyond reach from reality.)


She waited til most ladies left and then held forth, recommending we all see it, and mentioning some the points, like "Democracy was endangered", that "violence had to stop", and "ultra maga was the problem".

I was floored, honestly, and I know from experience here in oregon, don't respond without cloaking yourself in leftie style fluff-fluff-fluff if you want to talk with Obamabots.

I stood mute: All i could think was harsh or sarcastic, no wry, witty, humorous retort or mild comment came to mind, all i wanted to do was a single Growl.

All 3 of us listeners were polite. One is a good friend who knows me well and though she probably agrees w the starry-eyed Obamabot, she was mute, too, perhaps out of respect for me. The other, our hostess, is a crusty free-thinker on politics, but more gracious than I.

She brought up a point we could all agree on (we four share the same Presbyterian church): that the country needs to be fostering understanding of Christianity again. That was actually a solid rejoinder to our administration, and biden's godless assault last night.

I am better today.

I would not growl to her testimony for biden if it happened right now, I think I COULD use our Christian tie to experiment with an honest discussion. "Come, let us reason together" said Most High G*d to Isaiah, as a grandfather might say gently to his grandson at the table after dinner, showing His own affection and encouragement for each of us. My scottish presbyterian bible translates it as "Come let us argue it out."
Oh, that we could.

Perhaps with Thee, most High & powerful goodness beyond all naming, under your canopy of guidance and encouragement we could find ways to argue this out for the better. Come, sweet Lord of our ancestors, Come, help us all to thrive now.

G*dspeed, america

Lurker21 said...

I always knew that you and I were smarter than Biden's staff. I didn't realize the networks were too.

I don't think Biden's people are literally aiming at communism or socialism. Capitalism brings in too much money. But they seem to have adopted Lenin's concept of "democratic centralism." The party leadership decides "democratically" what to do, and the rest of us have to accept it, and any resistance is "undemocratic." "Our democracy" is the "democracy" of the inner party.

Fûz said...

"it's precisely the separation of government and journalism we need in a healthy democracy."

There's an old Greek joke hidden in here.

'Q: How do you separate government from journalism in the post-Bush era?

A: With a crowbar.'

Mikey NTH said...

All that was missing was a Pink Floyd rif:

Are there any MAGA in the audience tonight?
Put them up against the wall.

boatbuilder said...

Holy Crap! There is some shred of integrity at the networks?

I am truly dumfounded.

Michael K said...

Blogger Arturo Ui said...

Biden's speech perfectly timed with Trump's open criminality being exposed in the FBI docs scandal. Just cut him loose and find a non-gangster candidate. Not so hard!


Another nut case weighs in. Your timing, goofy, was perfect.

Mr. T. said...

Sorry Paul-you cant print schlock all day long but Christina Pushaw still does not want to sleep with you.

Gahrie said...

1) Joe Biden is exactly the person the Democrats and the media have been trying to define Trump as. The divisive speech, the corruption, using government against his political opponents and the utter lawlessness of his administration. Biden is the fascist attempting (and usually succeeding) to control corporate actions by government fiat. Biden is the demagogue giving violent and divisive speeches designed to fire up his base while othering his political opponents. Biden is the one leading a family enriching themselves through corruption.

2) This is definitely laying the groundwork for an attempt to fuck with the 2022 elections. Probably will try to repeat a tactic from 1860 and attempt to keep Trump off of the ballot.

3) What the Democrats have failed to realize is that this time they don't control a viable and self supporting portion of the country. Long before the real war ever breaks out, Red America will simply starve the cities into submission. No food, no energy, no water.

farmgirl said...

Hear, hear- Althouse!!
Thank you.

Rusty said...

Lilly, a dog said...
"Whose sock puppet is TeaBadHag? Days ago someone suggested it's Inga, but I doubt it. Is it Howard?"
Some drooling c*nt. Cut from the same pattern as Inga. Double digit IQs seem to dominate that side.

Iman said...

“Is it Howard?”

That ain’t Lipton soaking in Howard’s pie hole.

Rusty said...

Michael K said...
"Blogger Arturo Ui said...

Biden's speech perfectly timed with Trump's open criminality being exposed in the FBI docs scandal. Just cut him loose and find a non-gangster candidate. Not so hard!

Another nut case weighs in. Your timing, goofy, was perfect."
Well. he has named himself after a loser from a Berthold Brecht play.

Gk1 said...

Talk about handing a bat to your opponents to beat you to death with. That speech was a disaster for team Biden. No wonder anyone in a tight race wants to distance themselves from this box office poison.

Some on Twitter say this speech presages the DOJ indicting and trying to arrest Trump in a few weeks. I think it's more of a shitty speech given by a shitty president and will be quickly memory holed by all involved.

Buford Gooch said...

It's not really "healthy journalism". They read the speech and decided not to cover it not because of its political nature, but because they could see that it would make Biden look bad, even without the Marines and that horrible red lighting.

Narayanan said...

No, it's precisely the separation of government and journalism we need in a healthy democracy.
========
what happens when you achieve the separation of government and voterrs via journalists?

are we still in a healthy democracy.