The Free Press
PARTIAL TRANSCRIPT OF MSNBC COVERAGE IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING MCCAIN’S SPEECH AT THE REPUBLICAN CONVENTION:
Chris Matthews: “This man has launched himself, I believe he will be ahead in the polls next week, they see a winner here, Americans like a winner, even though he, uh, had to do it the hard way.”
David Gregory: “He said, ‘Make no mistake, we will win this election’ That wasn’t just rhetoric.”
Andrea Mitchell (on the convention floor being bombarded by balloons): “I’m right in the middle of the balloon drop if you can imagine… (unintelligible) …this was not a partisan speech. The celebration on the floor continues… The least partisan speech…(laughter from above) I am somewhere, somewhere on the floor of this convention, surrounded by balloons, and confetti, but it, it certainly does mirror the excitement of this crowd, and they were rallied to a cry, a cry for patriotism, a cry of service, and a much more personal description than John McCain has every before given about his service and what happened in that prison cell in Hanoi. And I think at this point– I’m about to, uh– be bombarded by balloons.”
Keith Olbermann: “I think the term you’re looking for is flee! All right. Andrea Mitchell good luck, reporting from-”
Andrea Mitchell: “-somewhere on the floor-”
Keith Olbermann: “- the political equivalent of a Chuck E. Cheese apparently. Let’s go up to the safer vicinity of the uh, of the rafters, with Tom Brokaw, our NBC special correspondent.”
Tom Brokaw: “Let me just say at the outset however though, Brian, that I feel very very privileged to have reserved seats for Andrea ‘Boom Boom’ Mitchell and the dance of the Republican balloons.”
Brian Williams: “A bunch of balloon-wielding thugs down there! Free Andrea Mitchell!”
Tom Brokaw: “Well look Keith, to get back to the business at hand — look at her! She’s indomitable! Not these balloons, nothing will keep Andrea from reporting from the floor of the convention, something that we have known all of our lives. If you think John McCain is a warrior – a journalistic warrior is right there in the middle of those Republican balloons!”
Brian Williams: “I’ve been in Ramadi with that woman with automatic weapons going off – that didn’t stop her, but it appears mylar has stopped Andrea in her tracks.”
Tom Brokaw: “Listen, I think Keith, to get back-”
Keith Olberman: (Laughs) “There she is!”
Brian Williams: “The Where’s Waldo of this convention!”
Tom Brokaw: “Get that microphone Andrea up there with the NBC logo.”
Andrea Mitchell: “Right now, this is the biggest balloon – I’ve seen Reagan balloon drops. I’ve been covering conventions for decades, but I’ve never seen so many balloons at one time.”
Keith Olbermann: “Andrea you’re the target too.”
Brian Williams: “Andrea Mitchell is under seige.”
(laughter)
Tom Brokaw: “I think what you can say is, that the speech did work for this hall, which was an important part of what John McCain wanted to do.”
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September 5, 2008 at 3:04 pm
This “news” exchange is consistent with the depth of thought of most american voters.
September 6, 2008 at 6:25 pm
i would argue that the depth of thought of most american voters has been severely impeded by the decline of for-profit news over the last two decades. before media deregulation and corporate consolidation, the press provided the public with discourse and analysis that was more meaningful than this and was perfectly comprehensible for most americans.
your comment mirrors the self-justification of mainstream corporate journalists who believe that they are giving the people what they want and are capable of understanding.
i don’t believe that it is too much to ask of our national news media to aim for a higher standard than the lowest common denominator. the broadcast corporations were given the free license to use our publicly-owned airwaves in exchange for providing this public service, which they have completely abdicated.