NBC News faced a sharp backlash to its decision to host President Donald Trump for a town hall Thursday in direct competition with ABC’s event with Democrat Joe Biden, including a social media call to boycott the network.
Well! That's what happens when you cancel the debate and don't put the 2 men on the same stage (which is what Trump wanted). The networks are in competition. Why should ABC own the airwaves by signing up boring Biden for a town hall? NBC got Trump and is putting the Trump show on at the same time. It's just commerce. And by the way, the networks are at a disadvantage these days, with all the streaming media. That's a reason for them to compete aggressively, and it's also a reason for us not to get bent out of shape by 2 shows on at the same time. We'll be able to stream either show on YouTube and elsewhere. I've had a TiVo for more than a quarter century, and that's how long it's been since it's mattered to me that 2 things are on at the same time.
Apparently, Rachel Maddow freaked out (but doesn't she need something every damned night to freak out about?):
During an interview with Biden’s running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris, Maddow asked whether she was “as mad as everybody else” about the Trump town hall. “I’m not touching that,” Harris replied. In a second reference to the town hall as her show ended, Maddow spoke as the words “Apparently They Are Not Kidding” were shown on the screen behind her.
I think it's great that the shows are on at the same time. It implicitly argues that there should have been a real debate — something I agree with. And it's kind of like another chance to vote, but the question isn't Who do you want to be President? It's Who would you rather watch on TV? And then we can compare the ratings.
I'm sure Biden supporters are irked by the prospect of seeing that "vote" by Americans, because, of course, we expect Trump to win. He's much better TV, even for those who loathe him. In fact, I bet Rachel Maddow, in her own private space, clicks her remote to Trump.
What's the point of watching Biden? Waiting to see if the questions are at all challenging? Putting up with tedium in the hope of seeing him remain arguably lucid or waiting for a truly embarrassing screw up? That's not a good show. You'll hear if there's a big screwup, and if you don't hear about it, you'll know he remained decently lucid.
What more do you need? The excitement is with Trump. The election is about Trump. Biden is simply this weird person to whom we will turn our attention if he gets elected. When/if Trump is finally ousted, everyone will wake up and look at Biden and be free — at long last — to freak out about this odd old man whom we're stuck with as the next President.
Rachel Maddow will be free to insist that he get the hell out of the office he has no business clinging to. Get out of the way and let Kamala take over — Kamala, who was never made the slightest connection with the American people, whose statements are all about as enlightening as "I’m not touching that."
By the way, Biden's town hall is scheduled to go 90 minutes, while Trump's is only 60 minutes. So if you want mainly to know how well Biden is holding up late at night, you can watch all of Trump, then switch over to the last 30 minutes of Biden.
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79 comments:
Millions of people use zoom for work all day every day. Trump insists that it is not a valid medium and won't use it for the town hall.
Who to believe? Trump of my own lying eyes (for 6 months now).
When Trump bombs tonight, he will have no one to blame but himself.
Gee MSNBC trolls want to silence opposition.News at 11.Dog bites Man.On a ligHter note I watched "The Death Of Stalin" last week.Hilarious.
Once again - the left show their authoritarian colors.
NO platform for Any R! Chi coms are in charge.
"The networks are in competition."
Its been a long time since that was so. The news divisions are a dead loss to all of them. They stay around for non-economic reasons, they are subsidized for political purposes.
One of the underappreciated ironies of the Democratic Party is how hostile so many of its members are to democracy. They don't want a race, they want a coronation. Of course they think Trump is a dictator, they WANT the president to be a dictator. They just want him to be their dictator.
ABC can ask real questions or get killed in the ratings.
Either one benefits Trump and infuriates Maddow.
There's a second Chuck Todd with NBC news? Who knew?
Ah a return to the “DON’T NORMALIZE HIM” movement that punished Jimmy Fallon for touching Trump’s hair without dramatic disgust. Lefties love to censor viewpoints they fear, which is almost everything lately. What a bunch of babies!
Seriously. My first thought to the wails of "Noooo....they cannot do this to us." was that these same people manage to record repeats of The West Wing, while they watch "Reversing Roe" on Netflix.
Seriously- they're worried that no one will watch Biden and everyone will turn in to watch Chuck Todd play 'gotcha' with the President. They're right. Trump will outdraw Biden by a huge number. NBC will make some money on this. Those who do watch Biden will be zombie-like because seriously...who can listen to Joe for more than a couple of minutes? (frankly- I can't listen to Trump for more than a couple of minutes either).
Also- HERE'S THE REASON NBC IS DOING IT TONIGHT: There is no NFL Thursday Night Football game tonight. Typically there is. Covid pushed the schedule around. No politicians want to complete with the NFL.
Not tuning into either. I'll read the reports of it here.
It's funny- by demanding Chuck Todd be fired for hosting Trump it suggests lefties believe people watching Trump instead of Biden hurts Biden, when there is ample evidence that the less anyone sees of Biden helps Biden.
God forbid someone, somewhere, say some things at a time and in a place we would rather they didn't. How dare they!
Chuck Todd... #BeardedClam
And Maggie Haberman apparently is under attack by those who used to love her dearly, because she dared to mention the NY Post's recent Biden-Burisma story.
Her fellow journos are circling the wagons and rushing to her defense on twitter, trying to remind the restless (or should I say clueless) left-wing social media-addicted hordes that poor mistreated Mags carried one of the torches in an attempt to burn down the current duly elected administration.
Well, they haven't put it quite like that. They are, of course, asking her attackers to remember her work for which she won a Pulitzer. Without bothering to mention, of course, that her award-winning investigative work served to perpetuate a lie that was bought and paid for and circulated by Hillary and xim/xer cronies.
I can almost hear Chucky, Maggie and their fellow journos screaming, "Don't you remember? We're on your side! We're one of you!!"
I would have gone with the more concise #FuckChuck
Good analysis, but I'm not watching either. I mean:
"What's the point in watching Trump? Waiting to see how many Biden supporters are identified as undecided and get to ask questions? Putting up with the tedium of listening about issues that matter to few and designed to fragment voters? Wondering if Trump will do something embarrassing or how he'll do something normal the networks will attempt seem embarrassing?"
What’s the over/under on the number of “undecided” town hall voters who will end up being exposed as virulent Trump haters on social media?
Right again.
Counter programming is the norm, not an evil.
The dnc/media, ignores the reason we are here. Within hours of the shellacking Pence put on Harris, the Debate commission canceled the 2cnd debate between President Trump and Biden. Claiming Covid, but all the scientist knew the President would be Covid free and immune long before the debate. A 2cnd debate by Biden would be catastrophic.
That's why we are here.
Democrats are ahead by 14% in the polls, which explains why every thing they do exhibits an all encompassing fear of defeat.
Someone at ABC booked 90 minutes of prime time with Joe Biden? Good Lord, fire *that person.
The Left’s censorship is in overdrive.
"I'm not touching that"
Sorry but that is pretty funny! When even Chuck Todd is not lefty enough for you, you might be in serious need of professional mental heath!
Why should ABC own the airwaves by signing up boring Biden for a town hall?
They only did it as a favor to the DNC so Joe could say he was no longer able to debate.
They don’t want Joe on TV for 90 minutes, even with softball questions.
And now they’ve created a virtual debate without the ability for Trump to talk for half the time.
Racing town halls, and Todd picked the winner. Take him out and shoot him for counter revolutionary acts.
Gentle correction: The first TiVo came out in 1999 because I got one through a contact at work when we lived in Evanston. I still recall how astonishing it was to use it for the first time and rewind and record live TV.
There are some interesting new topics to discuss during the competing town halls. I do not envy NBC trying to keep Trump away from those new topics. ABC w/Joe? Easy peasy.
If the two networks coordinated their respective events, would that not be conspiracy in restraint of trade?
It's not like you can't watch the one you missed live later. It's all about suppression of the "wrong" cadidate. How afraid the left is of Trump.
Really, it is that they don't want Trump on AT ALL.
It was immediately obvious to me: He zigged when they told him to zag.
But no doubt you were looking for a more detailed picture. I get lazy when it comes to leftist outrage.
Does Rachel Maddow do anything but freak-out? Asking for a friend.
Biden and Harris are essentially robots programmed by leftist AI. Harris is just a newer model, now with "diversity". Althouse is right, the only drama with these two is that Biden's operating system is on the verge of a crash.
I, for one, think the US will enjoy having a dementia patient for President-elect, for the two weeks or so before Joe is removed from public view and returned to his basement. Heck, maybe they'll let him be inaugurated, before removal from office.
Joe's wife should be burned at a stake for her treatment of this old man.
If the Republicans were smart, unlikely, they will have further revelations waiting in the wings. Once, if, the story is denied by Biden and his campaign, they would release additional information. Laying a trap for Slow Joe to meander into.
That is to say that, if this was a planned leak by the Trump Campaign, expect more to come out in the next few days. If it is an actual investigative find by the Post, we've seen everything already.
Is Biden's town hall virtual?
If not, what was the point of what the Debate Committee did?
In how many network programming decisions does Chuck Todd, talking head, participate?
Biden supporters are all for suppression of speech. I find that alarming.
Members of Biden Clan Expected to Give Half of Their Earnings to ‘Pop,’ Hunter Biden Text Reveals
I find it remarkable that the loudest voices for censorship have been "Journalists."
We live in a nation where leftwing radicals like Rachel Maddow fill the airwaves with lies.
Leftwing crime on the streets is covered up, ignored and sanctioned by Rachel Maddow and company.
The Biden family raped US tax payers thru billions given to nations. FBI ok with it. Media ok with it.
I've had a TiVo for more than a quarter century...
...and it still works? and TiVO is still living?
"What's the point of watching Biden? Waiting to see if the questions are at all challenging?"
That ship has sailed. Biden has already announced that the voters don't deserve to know what he thinks.
Chuck Todd is a fairly loyal democrat hack. But even he doesn't cut it in ultra radial leftist circles.
The #FireChuckTodd effort apparently came from people angry that Todd dissed Keith Olbermann, over Olbermann's rant last week to send everyone from Trump to Amy Coney Barrett to the Gulag. Todd never mentioned Olbermann by name, but people on the left put 2+2 together pretty quickly, and were mad that Chuck was using Olby as a way to hit both sides of the political spectrum.
Based on Wiki, C Todd worked on Harkin (D) presidential campaign. His wife is a professional D.
These "attacks" on C Todd are really either trolling or disinformation, IMO.
But as we all know, only R's are attacked for "disinformation".
Don't ever forget that modern journalism defines "sharp backlash" as "comments by a few dozen cranks on twitter."
Hmmmm, let me see. Would I rather watch a boxing match for 60 minutes or an infant being fed porridge for 90 minutes? Tough call, but I bet the male/female ratio will be far from 1:1.
I remember a time when we felt sorry for people living behind the Iron Curtain without free and competing media. Sure they had multiple outlets, but they all reported in lockstep. Given yesterday's Twitter actions and this story today, it seems many Americans today would welcome something like that.
One interesting tease, about why the MSM behaves as it does.
Yes, this is open paranoia on my part. But one imagines it is a journalists job to be paranoid. Or it was back in the old days.
The case of Leon Black.
Leon Black was an old hand at Drexel Burnham Lambert, supposedly Michael Milkens right hand man. These days he runs Apollo Global Management, which he founded, which is a private equity (leveraged buyouts and ownership as well) and credit market investment outfit - that means they are a hedge fund that invests in debt, including buying up corporate debt. In all, they have $400+ billion under management. They are somewhere between #3 and #8 among the private equity outfits. What opportunities for hanky panky are inherent in such things I leave to the imagination.
Anyway, last year Black bought up controlling interest in various media properties and consolidated them, now as Cox Media Group. That is about 50+ TV stations and 80+ radio stations. There were some complex shenanigans purchasing and selling back another 30 or so newspapers. In any case Apollo is now fairly important player in the MSM.
So, a few days ago the NYT publishes a piece about Leon Black, saying that he was an old pal of Epstein (that Epstein) and that he had been in the habit of paying Epstein very large sums (it says @$75 million), for "financial advice".
Hmmm. I smell a rat or two. Why suddenly buy up a mini-media empire, just after Epstein was snatched up again? Why get leant-on special by the MSM, and not some of the many other friends of Epstein? The NYT is not in the habit of leaning on the various friends of Epstein, or not the important ones anyway. What is it about mass media ownership that is so ... sensitive? Or is it the other way around? Was there some perceived break in the circle of omerta? Or is it that Black just doesn't belong in the closed club of MSM owners?
"...and it still works? and TiVO is still living?"
I haven't used it in a long time. It plugs into the phone hard line which I don't have anymore, and I have a DVR from my cable that essentially replaced it, quite a long time ago.
Surprised to see Tivo only goes back to 1999. It feels much older.
Of course, you could also consume 2 shows with just a VCR by watching one live and recording the other.
I read 2 different blogs by former UW low professors. One cheers on the direction we’re headed. The other continually points out the horrors of where we’re heading but claims that regardless of the stakes, she could never vote for the icky orange man. While both takes are pretty scary, it’s hard at this point to decide which is worse.
So, will they ask Joe about Hunter?
"Of course, you could also consume 2 shows with just a VCR by watching one live and recording the other."
Not anymore. Good luck recording today's high definition signal with a VCR. You'd have the same problem if you fired up that TIVO. That DVR from the cable company is the only game in town now. Or you can do a home brew system with your computer I suppose.
Sebastian said...
So, will they ask Joe about Hunter?
If they do, Joe will tell us what a wonderful kid Beau was and it is disgusting that Republicans disparage his memory.
Wasn't there a debate scheduled, and then one backed out because the other had COVID and refused to reconsider after the other tested negative, and has since?
So tedious. It must take almost superhuman endurance to keep up a facade of double standards for so long and try to make it look normal and unhypocritical. We're even getting to the point where reference dictionaries are changed in real time to reflect new Progressive talking points.
rehajm - 7:08 might have it right. If anything, Trump distracting from Biden could prevent people getting a revealing moment with Biden's foibles. And yet....when I get bored with something, I switch channels. What happens when 'Trump, unfettered' is compared to 'Biden, unfettered'. Back and forth....back and forth.... This might just be the best debate yet.
It is pretty hilarious to see my liberal FB friends lose it over the competing town halls. No one wants to see Biden, not even the people planning to vote for him. What does that tell you?
There is no real upside to allowing Joe in public if you really believe the polls that have him with such an insurmountable lead. So this probably seems foolhardy to them. But with a former Clinton political operative like Stephanapolis shepherding him through the "town hall", with democratic political operatives planted in the audience to ask questions, Joe should be fine.
If people watch ABC's "town hall" it will be for the same reason people tune into NASCAR to the fiery car wrecks and careening tires sail into the crowds.
As clear and extreme as the media bias is, people on the left really don't see it like that. They think it's non-existent, or very mild at worst. Some believe it's OK, because Fox is a counter to all that, but while that's partly true, it's slipping away too, and it doesn't matter unless you watch FOX as much as the rest of media. People I know on the left have very little perspective beyond what they see on CNN and the like.
Has there been any extreme new position from the left that has not gained strength and acceptance, regardless of how unfounded, unscientific, or bigoted it is? The culture now embraces open racism against Whites, and Asians, and bigotry against heterosexuals, especially men, and most especially white men. Even the old racists of the South didn't consider Blacks evil based on race, but that's where the left is today with Whites.
"I'm trying to understand why #FireChuckTodd is trending on Twitter. It was not immediately obvious."
It must be the goatee.
... um ... he does still have a little beard, right?
In fact, I bet Rachel Maddow, in her own private space, clicks her remote to Trump.
As will most Democrat voters, I'm sure. Can't get that sweet, sweet outrage from a Biden town hall!
BleachBit-and-Hammers said...
Members of Biden Clan Expected to Give Half of Their Earnings to ‘Pop,’ Hunter Biden Text Reveals
Hey! A kick-up, just like in the Mafia!
Guess that makes Joe the Don of Delaware, not bad for a non-Italian!
Wonderful commentary Professor. This is why I visit this blog everyday. Sharp criticism. Even some of the comments are useful.
Joe Biden, "I did not have formal interactions with the man, Po, Pozzzzz...., Ski racing, you know the thing."
"Hmmmm, let me see. Would I rather watch a boxing match for 60 minutes or an infant being fed porridge for 90 minutes? Tough call......"
LOL! Apt description of the two events tonight.
I wrote this a couple of times in the last several weeks- the media are apparently blind to how their overt bias actually plays out viscerally to voting non-partisans. Can you even imagine Biden agreeing to attend a town hall arranged by Tucker Carlson on Fox Network? Of course you can't- no one really can. Almost all of the people on the left (and a majority on the right, by the way) seem to think that the best thing for their candidate is to get softball questions from friendly, campaign donating inquisitors all the time, and for the political opponent to be grilled like a well done piece of charcoal by the same obviously partisan hack. The exact opposite is actually the truth- it is far better for your candidate to get the grilling from a partisan hack- the essential unfairness can be easily seen by pretty much everyone, and it doesn't help the candidate treated with kid gloves, the one porridge fed in Bagoh's funny description. Trump understands this dynamic better than any candidate I have seen in my life- he routinely strides onto the Colosseum grounds to do battle with his political enemies, and all of these battles with no pre-agreed question list for which he has notes or teleprompter scripted answers.
I have the same question one of the commenters above does- is Biden on the stage tonight, or is it a virtual town hall? It seems to have to be virtual since it would completely contradict the reasons given for not holding the debate live.
It's the hive mind talking....they're all Borg now...
"...Here's an AP article that went up today: "NBC faces backlash after agreeing to Trump town hall..." I love to see this - AP's and Reuters are almost monopolies in their product segment and is being shattered by the 'Stream Product'. But this is about campaign propoganda pushed by the likes of AP, Reuters and the Liberal press cabal. Said it once will say it again - we are witnessing the dying of the 'Legacy Media'. Thank God! We haven't had a reasonable piece of information not colored by political or social B.S. in some decades now.
As clear and extreme as the media bias is, people on the left really don't see it like that. They think it's non-existent, or very mild at worst. Some believe it's OK, because Fox is a counter to all that, but while that's partly true, it's slipping away too, and it doesn't matter unless you watch FOX as much as the rest of media.
I don't know. It seems like Brian Stelter wants to see Fox News crushed and ground into the dirt. He's a strange little man. Just what goes on in his head is a mystery, as is what happened between Trump and Scarborough.
the last 30 minutes of Biden.
That is an interesting phraseology.
"I’m not touching that." came out of Kamala's mouth?
#UnsaidThings
It’s possible that after his session with Trump the Trumpists will be calling for Chuck’s scalp.
telemundo, is owned by leon black, they have a chilean as their frontman, cesar conde, who has a dishy but complicated spouse,
Steve Scully has now been put on leave from C-Span after he admitted he lied about being hacked.
So now lets talk about the debate comission again, and why it's so wrong for Trump to do a Town Hall tonight.
WaPo reports:
C-SPAN suspends political editor Steve Scully indefinitely after he admits he lied about his Twitter feed being hacked
By Associated Press
Oct. 15, 2020 at 3:28 p.m. EDT
NEW YORK — C-SPAN suspends political editor Steve Scully indefinitely after he admits he lied about his Twitter feed being hacked.
That's all WaPo reported from the AP story. But, of course, that wasn't all:
by: DAVID BAUDER, Associated Press
Posted: Oct 15, 2020 / 03:28 PM EDT / Updated: Oct 15, 2020 / 03:37 PM EDT
NEW YORK (AP) — C-SPAN suspended its political editor Steve Scully indefinitely Thursday after he admitted to lying about his Twitter feed being hacked when he was confronted about a questionable exchange with former Trump aide Anthony Scaramucci.
The news came on the day of what was supposed to be a career highlight for the 30-year C-SPAN veteran. Scully was to moderate the second debate between President Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden, which was canceled after Trump would not agree to a virtual format because of his COVID-19 diagnosis.
A week ago, after Trump had criticized him as a “never Trumper,” Scully tweeted “@Scaramucci should I respond to Trump.” Scaramucci, a former Trump communications director and now a critic of the president, advised Scully to ignore him.
Scully said that when he saw his tweet had created a controversy, “I falsely claimed that my Twitter account had been hacked.”
He had been frustrated by Trump’s comments and several weeks of criticism on social media and conservative news outlets about his role as moderator, including attacks directed at his family, he said.
“These were both errors in judgment for which I am totally responsible for,” Scully said. “I apologize.”
He said he let down his colleagues at C-SPAN, fellow news professionals and the debate commission. “I ask for their forgiveness as I try to move forward in a moment of reflection and disappointment in myself,” he said.
C-SPAN said Scully confessed to lying about the hack on Wednesday.
“He understands that he made a serious mistake,” the network said. “We were very saddened by this news and do not condone his actions.”
The debate commission did not immediately return a message seeking comment.
Scully has led the network’s presidential election coverage since 1992, but the suspension means he won’t be part of C-SPAN’s election night programming. Scully has been the moderator of “Washington Journal,” the weekly call-in program, and regularly hosted other C-SPAN programs.
The network said Scully has consistently demonstrated fairness and professionalism, and built a reservoir of good will.
“After some distance from this episode, we believe in his ability to continue to contribute to C-SPAN,” the network said.
https://www.wavy.com/news/politics/c-span-suspends-scully-after-he-admits-to-lie-about-hack/
It’s a real shame, Steve Scully. Having to admit to lying about your Twatter account being hacked.
A real shame, but it was par for the course.
I have a solution:
I intend to watch both townhalls simultaneously and then complain loudly about how the candidates and moderators talk over each other constantly and that this is no improvement over the first debate.
Biden supporters are all for suppression of speech. I find that alarming.
You misspelled 'predictable.'
Biden is weird, eh? That's what you used to say about Trump.
In fact, Joe is mainstream. Just older than is ideal. The rest is your fantasy that he will be the puppet of the left.
Of course Scully lied- didn't everyone with an IQ above room temperature know this? Did others notice that the next debate moderator shut down all her social media the day Scully got caught being a Democrat partisan?
Is that Elvira waving her Pampers?
“The great lesson of the Trump era is that pretty much all of the “nonpartisan” institutions are filled with corrupt, partisan hacks. Who are all on the same team, regardless of what flag they fly.”
—- Glenn Reynolds
I mean, when else was Trump, the president, going to fit this event in? Biden canceled on him, so, well. There's a nice big hole in the most important man in the country's schedule. Of course he's going to fill it... and it sounds like at the same location so they don't even have to try and do security somewhere else.
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