Preordained

Watching Chris Matthews, I just saw that Tim Russert has already booked John McCain as his featured interviewee for this Sunday. Republican presidential candidate who won the Iowa Caucuses? Well, sorry, you're out of luck. It's already been decided that the "real" story out of Iowa is McCain....

Comments

It really is embarrassing that this is the one fact every single major news organization agrees on.

His rise is nothing compared to Huckabee, and looking at just a slightly longer interval Romney also has impressive gains. Heck even in a best case scenario McCain will get far fewer votes than he was polling at 6-8 months ago.

I really hope Thompson beats him… I’d like to see how hard people try to spin that away.

Posted by DJ | January 3, 2008 7:52 PM

The real story out of Iowa is sleep deprivation. The Iowa caucuses suck. A modest proposal for reform.

Posted by Madison Guy | January 3, 2008 7:56 PM

It's like a conspiracy, except it's right out in the open. (Puts a different light on all the whining about having a 'shield law' don't it?)

I would think, also, that this would highlight the real political genius of the Rove/Bush team as not being their ability to convince actual voters of their wonderfulness so much as their ability to co-opt the press in supporting their narrative.

max
['Even when it's a complete fraud.']

Posted by max | January 3, 2008 8:06 PM

"so much as their ability to co-opt the press in supporting their narrative."

They just waterboarded the business media and the rest fell quickly into line.

Posted by bob mcmanus | January 3, 2008 8:22 PM

This is just beyond sad. Russert & his cohort long ago decided that they won't be informing the public... they'll just be telling them.

It is to weep.

Posted by raff | January 3, 2008 8:40 PM

And McCain is such a bad interview.

Posted by bjk | January 3, 2008 9:37 PM

And McCain is such a bad interview.

Posted by bjk | January 3, 2008 9:37 PM

You have a major step towards the first black nominee for either major party ever. You have the inevitable Democratic candidate knocked down to third. You have Chuck Norris winning a Republican primary. You have the national frontrunner coming in sixth.

Let's get on the guy who's going to win the same state he won eight years ago en route to losing the nomination!

Tim Russert - getting right to the heart of the story, then turning right and going for the appendix.

Posted by Starscream | January 3, 2008 11:43 PM

Maybe it's not such a conspiracy. Why would Huckabee want to go onto Russert's show anyway? Boning up on the facts is not his strong suit. Huck is going to get tons of free media no matter what.

From Am Spec Via HuffPo (12/18/07):
Huck stiffs Russert: Mike Huckabee would rather dine with Satan than be grilled by Tim Russert. "There is no way he'll do it without at least two weeks of prep time and we can't do that now," says a new arrival to Team Huckabee in Iowa. "He's focused on winning Iowa, not playing 'gotcha' and being embarrassed on 'Meet the Press.'"

Posted by Eric G | January 3, 2008 11:56 PM

I agree that the media is McCain's single greatest constituency, but in fairness to Russert, he did have Huckabee on last week (transcript: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22409176/).

Posted by charlie | January 4, 2008 2:10 AM

"It's like a conspiracy, except it's right out in the open. (Puts a different light on all the whining about having a 'shield law' don't it?)"

Posted by max

My view of 'conspiracy theories' is that the real conspiracies are those which can stand partial exposure, or even 75% exposure. The relevant parties have enough clout to distract/spin/BS/lie their way out of it. Prosecution is out of the question, of course, and the MSM is overwhelmingly on their side.

Posted by Barry | January 4, 2008 12:56 PM

I'm all for Russert and McCain bashing, but in fairness on this particular charge, Obama and Huckabee were the MTP guests last Sunday. Though this may be consistent with the post title - he likes to interview the winners before they win.

Posted by JG | January 4, 2008 1:54 PM

My God! Do you ever stop whining about something when you don't get things to work out EXACTLY as you wish? As others above have noted - apparently because you haven't the energy to do a little investigating before launching your latest whine -Huck was on Meet the Press just last week.

Posted by Terry | January 4, 2008 4:09 PM

My God! Do you ever stop whining about something when you don't get things to work out EXACTLY as you wish? As others above have noted - apparently because you haven't the energy to do a little investigating before launching your latest whine -Huck was on Meet the Press just last week.

Posted by Terry | January 4, 2008 4:12 PM