Between the Super Bowl and Super Tuesday, it has been a humdinger of a week for TV news. For those of us who follow both football and politics, it has been gut-wrenching in either fantastic or heartbreaking ways. But in this whirligig of a political climate in the era of live and up-to-the-millisecond coverage, it should only be expected that someone should screw up.
MSNBC's David Shuster screwed up. Despite the praise laid upon Chelsea Clinton by Shuster right before he called her a prostitute for her mother's presidential campaign, this was a sloppy, irresponsible move. He knows it, and he has apologized, but he deserved to be suspended by MSNBC - though not fired. I have a complicated relationship with MSNBC as a female viewer. While I think my favorite cable news channel really is THE place for politics, I hate that women are under-represented in prime time, but I really cringe when my trusted and beloved anchors say stupid, chauvinistic things. Not because I expect these men to be angels, but because for the majority of the time, they are simply better than this.
While Shuster really got his start digging into the Clinton White House for Fox News Channel, the David Shuster that I know and love relentlessly dug into the Bush White House, especially during the CIA leak case. This was when I became a fan.
But lately, as Shuster has been allowed more screen time, it is more than a little apparent that he could be gunning for his own show. If that's the case, he may have had support - at least until now. This Clinton gaffe is just bush league (pun intended). It's the stuff of Shuster's former employer and the people for which they shill, the people (among them a current presidential candidate) who made their living in the 1990s bullying an awkward teenage girl. I said before that I don't expect my anchors to be angels. But I do expect them to be responsible journalists while on the air. Right-wing blowhards barely qualify as broadcasters, let alone journalists, reporters or anchors. But MSNBC, David Shuster and every other on-air personality are better off above this fray. Mistakes of fact are one thing; they can be corrected. But when it comes to seedy invective as used by Shuster and others, remember that you're a journalist! When you're off the air and goofing around the office or the pub after work, say whatever you please. But when you're on the air, and people are looking to you for sound political analysis from every angle, remember how many people want to trust you.
Be like my team - the Giants. There were a lot of times, especially during the fourth quarter, that we could have screwed up and given the Patriots the "told you so" victory they wanted so badly. Instead, the Giants focused, and brought their A-game in the tensest, craziest moments that mattered the most. Could we have let our guard down in the last 2:30 on the clock? Sure. Could Eli have been sacked, preventing that purely magical pass to David Tyree? Yes. Could Tyree have dropped that ball, giving it back to the Pats and denying Plaxico Burress our winning touchdown with just about 30 seconds left? Yes. Could our defense have been inches away from preventing two Patriots touchdowns in the last seconds of the most watched Super Bowl EVER? Yes. But it didn't happen. The underdogs, who emerged as serious contenders, became champions.
MSNBC is still the underdog in the ratings, even though it shows more and more potential. This political season is the last 2:30 of your fourth quarter. Except when it's over and you announce our new president in November, you won't be done. You'll simply be better - but only if you keep the dirty plays and the verbal diarrhea in the locker room and off the field.
Have you ever gotten drunk.... Should we call you an alcoholic if you ever did?
Did you ever make a mistake at work? Did you think you should have been fired?
Shuster made a mistake... he does live tv and used a loaded word... People are judging him on one slip up. It's very sad. Such narrow minded people here... I'd expect that from Fox news devotees but not on a liberal bastion like this. I guess the hard left is just as ossified in their orthodoxy and unforgiving as the hard right... how very sad..
Let Schuster have his time slot!
Contrast this with people like Ann Coulter, who gleefully libel and slander innocent people with extreme malice and forethought (9-11 widows, Max Cleland) and NEVER apologize. And they're in CONSTANT demand as guests on every news network. The exposure drives up sales of their latest book, and they make millions!
It's always the most harmless guys that get scapegoated when they make a mistake. Never the Ann Coulters, because everyone's scared to death of her. It's an ugly and cowardly tradition in our society to make an example of the more benign offenders, and almost never the malevolent ones who deserve it.
In short, Mr. Shuster doesn't deserve to be the Sin Eater for an industry that's lost its manners. It's time to forgive and move on.
Please pass the Excedrin.
It's a shame when such a well-oiled machine as the Clinton spin-o-matic needs replacement.
Their hate for the Clintos oozes out from every report on Hillary's campaign.
It's really disgusting.
Six articles so far about Chelsea-gate. Or seven?
http://mediamatters.org/items/200802080011?f=h_top
So, in his fatique, Shuster forgot he no longer worked for FOX (the slip would have gone without an apology there)but MSNBC. An apology in order. The suspension unwarranted under the circumstances.
Chelsea Clinton was put out there by her parents and, in the public eye, free game. It is her parents who should apologize to her, not the press.
I know that many young people use the term in the "pimp my ride" context - that is, to make something look fancy. But I personally know some of these young people - they literally do not know the origin of the term pimp. They have no idea it refers to prostitution. They would never say someone is "being pimped out."
I am also a fan of David Shuster, especially his coverage of Plamegate. But Shuster certainly knew what he was implying with his comment - he is not 10 years old. He made a huge mistake trying to use slang to appear cool to his audience. He needs to rethink his position. I look forward to his return, and hope he'll learn well from this experience.
But of ,course,we all get to enjoy some more of that manufactured "outrage" that Billary does so well.The two of them will really pimp out their daughter now,in hopes of gaining some votes.We'll hear their how hurt and angry Hillary is over and over,her acolytes,like Taylor Marsh,will go on the airwaves,gnashing their teeth like utter and total idiots,and in the end,Shuster will have been right.
The Clinton campaign might well not have complained if Shuster weren't so clearly in the tank for the Obama campaign. Which is fine -- but don't tell anyone he's some kind of "news reporter" at this point. That ship sailed a long time ago.
Methinks the poor, fragile, now underdog Clintons doth protesteth too much. If Chelsea can't take a little ribbing, she needs to stay home and shut up. She's no longer the little child Hillary sought to protect in the 1990s.
Don't want to debate on MSNBC, Hillary? As we say around here, don't let the door hit you in the ass. If you find it inappropriate to mention the word "ass" because you're a female, well, that's all the better as far as I'm concerned. You can't have it both ways, tough girl.
She's done what she thinks she needed to do (however boneheaded at times) to get elected in order to accomplish what she wants to accomplish. There's absolutely no evidence that that's not true.
And Obama's posited non-universal Universal Health Care, praised Reagan's ability to bring people together (without mentioning the dishonesty of the Reagan message), etc. In other words, what he thinks he has to do to get elected in order to accomplish what he wants to accomplish.
There's no significant difference there, except that Barack hasn't been around long enough to have put his foot in his mouth as often as Hillary has.
But if you think that's a good reason to vote for him (and it may be - I don't deny the 'wait for the Hillary haters' rationale), by all means, vote for him. Just don't go calling politicians soulless (and worse) for bending their principles a bit to get the job done.
Soulless. No, that's when you're born the son of the son of a Senator who's father becomes president and who fucks up everything he touches for 40 years - all with a free pass from his father's influence-buying friends. And then you decide you should be President of the United States just because you lack direction and Karl Rove says he can make it happen. And even he has a soul.
politics can be theatrical.
everyone's got their full of **it moments to varying degrees.
it's just some are better at the deceptive dissembling than others.
for example mitt romney wasn't so believable, george bush does not even seem to try to lie convincingly and amazingly he is still POTUS.
what's that say about political 'talent?"
go figure