I watched it for about 15 minutes, and that was all I could take. They had a guy working on a giant Ipod, constantly fooling around with it on split screen while they talked, and then occasionally they put the guy on full screen to show the wonderful toy they had. It must have cost alot to get them so proud of it. It was like that Ipod was the real story and everything else was just filler in between sequences where they let the gizmo do its magic.
I tried to watch, I really did. But they had this guy who kept pointlessly caressing an electronic map to make it *gasp* zoom in and *ahh* zoom out and I just couldn't take it. I would have checked out MSNBC but I don't know what channel it is on my cable system and was too lazy to hunt for it. Basically, cable news is simply stupid. Megan McArdle has a funny little blurb about it:
Thanks for the informed input. You shoulda stuck around Smiley. They had a cute Republican "analyst" who managed to say "Reverend Wright" five times in 30 seconds in response to the question of if it was possible for Hillary to get the nomination. Then she managed to accuse the entire Democratic party of hating democracy, superdelegates of being elitist, and union bosses of rigging the election. Since you didn't watch it I won't confirm or deny that she said these things while wearing a leather bustier, cracking a whip and crying "You will comply!", in response to Donna Brazile wrestling her to the ground and into the mudpit.
I watch MSNBC for two reasons: 1) Chuck Todd is a God. Best and most relevant analysis on the tube; and 2) The MSNBC panel. Pat Buchanan and Rachael Maddow are awesome. Unfortunately, neither 1) nor 2) get near enough time, so you spend a lot of time listening to Chris Matthews waxing poetic about PA all the time and Keith Olberman blatantly cheerleading the Obama campaign (that's my job damn it. ).
I can't stand cable news, but I admit that I make an exception for MSNBC's coverage of the results. Maddow and Buchanan are indeed fantastic, and Chuck Todd is simply amazing.
I'll be in downtown Denver the whole week of the DNC. If I was to meet any "news celebrity" that week I would hope it would be her or Chuck Todd.
LOL! A giant Ipod? You guys should kick back and watch Copa Libertadores on Fox Espanol, and get all the election coverage from the Big Soccer Politic threads. It works. This morning I am the most informed person in my office, both about the football and about the elections.
I watched for hours yesterday, as the race is basically over now. I thought yesterday was fascinating. On CNN, Smiley is right - they did do a split screen that included John King basically going over data. This was after hours and hours of analysis and spin. I think everyone on the CNN set was exhausted. However, I thought it was fascinating to watch King prep for his next segment. At MSNBC, as someone else had commented, you had the Chuck Todd show. He is really terrific. And as much as I detest Buchanon, he is a terrific analyst. He was one of the first to predict the Swift Boat attacks would stick. Mostly everyone else guffawed, but Pat was right. I learned to listen carefully what he has to say, because he knows exactly how and where the reep attacks are coming from. I also like Maddow. Also on MSNBC, Russert zinged Matthews on the thrill going up my leg comment, with a split screen of Olbermann laughing his ass off. Too bad, they didn't zoom to Matthews. Then on Fox, you have one of the talking heads talking about reep attack points on the dems, and Mr. Talking Head turns to Turd Blossom (!!!!!) and asks, so how will this attack be conducted? So fitting, and so wrong at the same time. To wrap things up, there was a Clinton spinnster talking to an incredulous Anderson Cooper about what a great Clinton night this was. (This morning, the blogs are reporting that superdelegates aren't returning Hillary's calls.)
I don't know. North Carolina and Indiana estudiantes turned out in good numbers . . . . oh, the soccer. Yes.
I watched the CNN coverage while I was on the treadmill at the gym last night while listening to my iPod. Even with the sound down, Lanny Davis seems ridiculous.
I play in a 7 v 7 league on Tuesday nights, so I've missed all the election-night coverage. I feel I'm a better person for it.
you called that one. everyone else was saying how it was practically over, and Mr. Davis was saying how big of a win it was in "Obama's backyard". the mayor of Hammond, IN did the same. both of them neglected to mention that Clinton had the support of Evan Bayh, the chosen son of Indiana. that alone probably won her 100,000 or so votes.
You're probably right. I wish it was possible for TDS and TCR to go live more often, they're always way more interesting the cable news.
Buchanan is about as far away politically from me as possible (Rachel Maddow represents my politics very well -- I'm very liberal and culturally gay), but I think Buchanan's analysis is usually right, even though I don't agree with his solutions. He thinks there is no going back to a pre-1968 time period. I agree. He bemoans that cultural and political transformation while I celebrate it. But I still think his analysis is usually dead on.