Roy Sekoff on MSNBC on the Latest Presidential Campaign Developments

In Two Segments:

Segment One

http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1386354250http://www.brightcove.com/channel.jsp?channel=1178199204

Segment Two

http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1386354249 http://www.brightcove.com/channel.jsp?channel=1178199204

Comments

[wagadog]

...in which Roy Sekoff joins in a discussion on the horse race.

Is the horse race the most important issue?

In a word, No.

http://alternet.org/mediaculture/74488/

The MSNBC sportscaster (I wouldn't call her a journalist) was pretty insistent on staying "on message" in limiting the terms of the debate to the horse race and staying the heck away from the substantive issues of the race (the exclusion of Kucinich, Gravel and Ron Paul from MSM debates, health care, THE WAR and all "front runners" support of it past and present, not to mention the grotesque ownership of MSM outlets by war profiteers...)

Roy kinda fell for it. (Her, it, whatever....)

An alternative journalist with more backbone might have pointed out this limiting of the terms of the debate by the MSM to the horse race as defined by the identity politics of race, gender, age, region and religion.

This appearance (and he does make a lovely appearance on camera -- such a nice well-spoken young man!) would have been more satisfying had Roy ever so deftly introduced more substantive issues than just the horse race. I think he's capable of it, but he looked a bit dazzled by it all.

Ah, yes, but someday he will be the next Bill Moyers.

[randyw]

Oooopppsss I meant winner , oh Hell winner winer all about the same anyway!

[randyw]

Developments ? Developments you say ? You mean someone devised a new way to sling mud?
We all know by now that elections are all about the mud slinging and whomever slings the most mud the hardest is usually the winer!

[campaignman]

Paul Krugman is a bright guy but he is a Clinton supporter and is purposely distorting his comments for that agenda.

Barack's remarks are the most bland and generous possible towards a former President who did inspire many people and steal Reagan Democrats from us. We need those voters in November. I know Paul would rather we insult those voters so McCain wins them and we stay pure but that's not politics. Let Paul debate the finer points of economics. I want to win and then we won't have more of those economics in the next 8 years.

Meanwhile, Bill and Hillary FAILED us in the White House. Bill fobbed off health care on his wife so when it failed he wouldn't be blamed. What did he spend his time on? Well, NAFTA and other trade deals that hurt unions.

He supported welfare reform that pushed the poor off the rolls but didn't lift up their lives or help them. It just made it easier for us to ignore their plight. The Internet boom, created by Al Gore when he pushed funding for it in Congress, helped lift the economy for all. Other than being at the helm, why should Bill Clinton get any credit for that.

Hillary deserves no credit for anything. She didn't have clearance to be briefed on top secret issues. She was so secretive she didn't even reach out to Dems in Congress on health care. That plan failed. Is she any less secretive today? I doubt it.

Bill did help on the environment but, due to Bill's intern mistake, he blew an enormous chunk of time to achieve anything. Plus, his failures in his first two year cost us the House.

To say I was disappointed by their presidency is to understate it. It is time to move on - to Obama!