OFFICIAL : Meet The Press thread : Sunday Morning!!

[TheConstitutionLives]

I give it a 7 out of 10. It wasn't great but it wasn't bad.

 

[Sey.Naci]

I've watched meet the press off an on for the last 3 years, and before that every week for 4 years solid. I have NEVER seen an interview that even approached the outright attack level of this one. This was a practical catalog of every obscure, discredited, smear that has been thrown against the wall hoping to stick to Dr. Paul all crammed into one interview.

I'd be interested, then, in your opinion of how Dr. Paul managed the interview.

 

[TheConstitutionLives]

I'd be interested, then, in your opinion of how Dr. Paul managed the interview.

I don't buy that. The Rudy interview was just brutal. It was worse than this one. Google it and see for yourself. He tore Rudy to pieces.

 

[Nothlit]

Anyone know what was said in the "political roundtable" afterward?

Nothing terribly interesting. They discussed the latest national and state polls, talked about Romney's clarification of seeing his father march with MLK, and brought up the Christmas commercials. Ron Paul was not mentioned at all, except for a fleeting statement Russert made about his Christmas ad.

 

[Hangly Man]

Can you offer why you think it was terrible besides saying he could have done better?

I found nothing terrible about it.

It was nerve-wracking, that's for sure. The interview was hostile in the extreme. In the foreign policy section Russert even tried to maneuver Paul into saying the US and Al Qaeda are morally equivalent. If that's how it goes for everyone who comes on the show then I guess I'm not worried.

Its good to be challenged like that. Let's take the lumps and come back stronger. There's nothing wrong with Paul's ideas, he just needs to be more specific in places. Maybe we can get some exact numbers on troops, expenditures, alternate ways of raising money, and maybe even a complete budget proposal.

Lew Rockwell? Are you reading this?

 

[Paulitician]

talked about Romney's clarification of seeing his father march with MLK

Saw that on PBS yesterday. Willard explanation of that was... uh... interesting

It was complete nonsense: "I didn't actually see my dad march with Martin Luther King, but I 'saw' him..." what a moron

 

[aravoth]

He did just fine. Russert's show is always about turning a politician into a pile of steamy pulp. He asked Ron tough questions, as every reporter should ask anyone tough questions. I thought he handled himself very well.

 

[Sey.Naci]

I just finished watching Dr. Paul on MTP. I watch MTP every Sunday (have for years), and Dr. Paul did as good as any candidate I've ever seen grilled by Russert. I don't think we could have realistically expected anything more.

Thanks for that. Some of us haven't a TV and so haven't the MTP history that you and perhaps others on this forum do. That you're able to compare this interview with others you've seen helps the rest of us put this interview in context.

Not having seen many MTP interviews before, I was nonetheless prepared for RP to be skewered. I was pleasantly surprised to see how much of Dr. Paul's views and philosophy were allowed to be aired.

Re the earmarks issue, that Russert cut off further explanation from Dr. Paul was telling and likely not missed by viewers. RP had been doing well in defending himself - he was scoffing and laughing (in a friendly manner) at Russert, telling him that he, Russert, was confused about the issue. It was after that return that Russert made one quip, then changed the topic without letting RP reply to the quip.

 

[TheConstitutionLives]

He did just fine. Russert's show is always about turning a politician into a pile of steamy pulp. He asked Ron tough questions, as every reporter should ask anyone tough questions. I thought he handled himself very well.

Exactly. I wish all reporters were this tough. If they were we wouldn't be in all these messes.

 

[jaybone]

Russert was hostile, as expected.
Ron proudly stood up to him, also as expected.

Ron needs to try and bring his NH discussion over eggs and coffee: loose, candid, natural, and above all clear, to his more uncomfortable appearances.
easier said than done, it's a zen thing I guess.

 

[TooConservative]

The worst part was the segment on RP's criticism of Republicans, resignation from the Republican party and then questioning why Reagan is on his literature.

I recall that RP said he sent in the letter of resignation and the "membership card" (as though a GOP membership card means anything to anyone) and that the RNC chairman called him back and tried to talk him out of resigning from the GOP even though he had already committed to run Libertarian.

I can't recall if Haley Barbour (current governor of Mississippi) was still the RNC chair then or not.

Ron has never said whether he ever got an acceptance from the RNC of his "resignation". Well, RP was trying to do the honorable thing by not trying to pretend he was running as a Republican. But he did unintentionally cause some problems with the Libertarians because he's so pro-life and they were so pro-choice. Ever since Ron's 1988 run, the LP has had a large but probably slightly less than a majority of pro-life Libertarians. The leadership leans pro-choice slightly in a few statements on their site but clearly they won't take on their pro-lifers in the LP either. Ron subverted the LP's pro-choice purity on the abortion issue. LOL.

As for rejoining the GOP in 1989, he just showed up at the courthouse and registered Republican again, same as anyone else. It's not like there's some GOP commissar standing there guarding the registration to make sure certain people can't sign up.

We don't have a Soviet commissar system and political police to control who can register, vote and run for office in American parties. We're a lot freer than that.

So what is a Republican? It's someone who shows up at the courthouse an registers Republican. Period. Democrats are the same. And it's the same to register to vote as it is to run for president. Show up, fill out a short form.

 

[Giuliani was there on 911]

Ron Paul definitely came out on top, especially after seeing the way that Russert tore Giuliani and Romney to shreds. Romney is still feeling the soreness with all those news lies of his being talked about

 

[angelatc]

Youtubbeeee

It is going to be available at the copyright holder's site at 1:00 est.

Why would anybody waste time breaking it up into three parts on YouTube is beyond me.

At least Google video lets people upload more than 10 minutes at a time.

Maybe I need to rethink this whole free market ideology.

 

[Giuliani was there on 911]

I do agree his comments about Reagan could hurt him though, a lot of republicans today worship Reagan and light a candle in his memory every night before going to sleep.

 

[Stealth4]

ht tp://forums.audiworld.com/politics/msgs/233536.phtml

"Ron Paul sure came off as a nut job on Meet the Press today, I'm not a supporter, but that sure hurt him."

also my FIL watched it and didnt think it went well. I didnt see it, but my guess is for people who dont normally watch meet the press any interview they watch "wouldnt go well"

 

[frasu]

Dr. Paul did just fine and I will say Russert did a good job too. He didn't waiver from his usual tough routine. He is good, we need more of his type. I thought it will be much brutal, all circling around more crappy questions... Seriously, who didn't like this interview should look up the other candidates on Meet the press.
Much better to have an interview with a fair Russert than with that crazy snake Beck (what a back stabber).

 

[angelatc]

ht tp://forums.audiworld.com/politics/msgs/233536.phtml

"Ron Paul sure came off as a nut job on Meet the Press today, I'm not a supporter, but that sure hurt him."

also my FIL watched it and didnt think it went well. I didnt see it, but my guess is for people who dont normally watch meet the press any interview they watch "wouldnt go well"

Anybody who says "nutjob" is already bent on being a detractor.

 

[grizzums]

Finished watching it a second time, this time with my brother who has been an incessant Bush supporter/defender for the first 5+ years of his Presidency....

I don't know how much my bias influences my rating but whereas I gave him a 5-6 on the interview my first watch, I've upped it to a 7 on the second pass. I have watched MTP for several years so I know how Russert and the shows format works. I actually respect TR and his consistent "hard ball questioning" of his guests, for the most part.

I have worked on my brother for a good couple months now, trying to educate him on Paul's platform and philosophies. He has been a really tough sell (very big war supporter)...

...he didn't say much during the whole interview...he was pretty focused...lol - after RP's time just finished, he turned to me and said..."Okay, I'm not completely convinced that he can accomplish all that he advocates for, but he's got my support."

I'm not kidding...I did NOT expect that. He had to run out of here to finish XMas shopping, but man....I am just kind of in "shock and awe"...you would be too if you knew my bro.

 

[Triton]

Russert pwned Paul on earmarks. To think otherwise is self-delusion, plain and simple. Otherwise, it was actually a good half-hour. I give it a 7 out of 10. If Russert doesn't make you look like the south end of a northbound horse, you've done well.

 

[Giuliani was there on 911]

Dr. Paul did just fine and I will say Russert did a good job too. He didn't waiver from his usual tough routine. He is good, we need more of his type. I thought it will be much brutal, all circling around more crappy questions... Seriously, who didn't like this interview should look up the other candidates on Meet the press.
Much better to have an interview with a fair Russert than with that crazy snake Beck (what a back stabber).

He couldn't, he had to resort to doing his retarded guy routine. Like when he said slavery would still exist today if not for the Civil war or his comments about Iran invading Israel