I was watching political shows this Sunday. I had actually stopped as they have all seemed to be hellbent on their OWN agendas and not so much informing. Beyond my local NC Spin show, today I tuned into “Meet the Press” with Chuck Todd. I admittedly was a huge fan of CBS’ Bob Schieffer for years. I do like John Dickerson who took over for Bob, but I was hoping to get a broader overview. So I tuned into Chuck Todd and Meet the Press. Todd hasn’t been around for the huge number of years obviously as Schieffer, nor is he as affable as Dickerson, but he does have his own style – which I can honestly say now, I really don’t like. Been watching him for a while on and off, and have NEVER found myself thinking, “This guy has got it going on.”
His basic style just seems ongoing confrontational over anything that can possibly be made that way. He seems to have quite a resume so I believe that he is well-respected, but after today’s show, I honestly tuned out and stopped recording it. Commentary continues AFTER…
SO, TODAY’s mental image of just how WOULD an interview with Chuck Todd go in different circumstances…
Chuck Todd and the Girl Scout Cookies
Todd: My guest this morning claims to be a local Girl Scout director.
Wrigley: Yes, thanks for having me on today, Chuck. My name is Arlene Wrigley and I’m the local area director for the Girl Scouts here in the Dallas Tex…
Todd: You claim your name is Arlene Wrigley. That sounds possessive. So you’re claiming you OWN the name “Arlene Wrigley”? That’s YOURS?
Wrigley: Well no, I don’t OWN it per se, but yes, it IS my name, Chuck. Is that odd or some sort of..
Todd: CLAIMING a name as YOURS indicates to me and any SANE person that you OWN that name, and I think America would agree that is a massive overreach. I did a quick check and there are over 11,000 OTHER Arlene Wrigley’s across the United States. Why do you feel like YOU own that name and should be able to claim it?
Wrigley: Uh… Well, I don’t exactly OWN the name, Chuck, but my parents gave it to me at birth and…
Todd: OH. Your PARENTS GAVE it to you? Did they have the RIGHTS to give you that name? Them “giving” you the name denotes ownership. So you are going on record then and saying that THEY owned the name and thus the rights to “give” you THAT name? Here on national television? Are you willing to step up and say that?
Wrigley: Chuck, it’s just a na…
Todd: Well, I feel like we need to set the record straight here on national television. So will you go on record to state that YOUR parents had the RIGHTS to GIVE you THAT NAME??
Wrigley: I really don’t know, Chuck. I really d…
Todd: So now you’re FLIP-FLOPPING that this is even your REAL name?? YOU won’t step up on NATIONAL TELEVISION and even admit that this IS your name?
Wrigley: I. Uh. Chuck, seriously, I’m just here to tell everyone about our annual Girl Scout Cookie drive start…
Todd: Girl Scout “Cookies”? These cookies are made out of Girl Scouts??? Doesn’t that sound a lot like SOYLENT GREEN to YOU?? So you’re coming onto live TV and saying you are making these cookies out of GIRL SCOUTS??
Wrigley: NOOOOO! No, they’re NOT “girl scout” cookies like that!!! How could anyon…
Todd: So they’re NOT GIRL SCOUT COOKIES?? So what are you doing up here wasting my time, and the nation’s, talking about Girl Scout cookies that you’re NOW saying are NOT Girl Scout cookies??? Can you explain that? I think everyone is waiting for you to step up.
Wrigley: Noooo Chuck, these are the traditional GIRL SCOUT COOKIES that girl scouts come out every year and SELL! They’re not MADE of girl scou…
Todd: SO the scouts just SELL these cookies. Well, do Girl Scouts at least MAKE the cookies?
Wrigley: Yes, Chuck they SELL these cookies. But, no, they don’t directly MAKE these cookies. They’re all teenagers! We pay commercial bake…
Todd: So you’re telling America on LIVE TV, that the Girl Scouts have NO PART in MAKING these cookies?
Wrigley: Well, they did back in the early 1900s, but as time passed, in 1935 or so, they started selling commercially made…
Todd: So Girl Scouts aren’t IN the cookies, they don’t MAKE the cookies, so you’re REALLY telling me that the Girl Scouts have been DEFRAUDING United States consumers since the 1930s and no one has ever challenged this? I am disappointed. For an organization that claims to build character and alleges to be a positive force in the lives of young women everywhere, to be sitting here telling me today that your organization has been DEFRAUDING Americans for DECADES.
Wrigley: I. We. You. I. I. I don’t even know what to sa…
Todd: I think we can all agree that YOU’VE said enough. I hope this has illuminated the nation about what Girl Scout cookies are really all about. Thank you for your time today… whoever you are. And next up, a man claiming to be from Vatican City with millions of followers worldwide. “Pope” Francis – international dictator or criminal huckster? Coming up next.
How did my attention even get turned this way??? Last week, I watched Todd work over a tentative and “standing on shaky ground” Kellyanne Conway. I think she probably needed calling out, however, there’s a time to stop these things. There should have been a ref there to call TKO. It’s sort of like when basketball teams start pulling their first string and subbing in down to the third string. To her DETRIMENT, there were perfectly GOOD answers that she could have given that would have taken care of the questions that WERE being asked, but she failed to use them. SHE, like Todd, also seemed to be spoiling for a fight – or had no other tactics BESIDES combat in her repertoire.
She really struck me as someone who maybe went out Saturday night, drank WAY too much and left her brain at home when it came time to put on the big girl boots for the show. Felt like she was sidestepping everything possible in almost a stereotyped, cartoonish way. These weren’t even elegant deflections. It was blatantly obvious what she was doing. Getting righteously indignant over ANYTHING that was said no matter how good or bad. She pulled the same shit on Dickerson – and he was GIVING her opportunities to explain her position. I believe I caught HIM shaking his head in disbelief over her posturing. The piece with Chuck Todd though – It was literally painful to watch. I actually groaned several times while watching her bob and weave – but mostly get smacked right in the face. I had to turn away from the carnage – literally. Maybe Trump thought a lot of her performance, but it was sad. VERY sad. It was figuratively like watching someone kick a half dead dog the rest of the way. Pathetic on both parts IMHO – Todd because he should have just said enough is enough, and Conway as you can NOT say the same lame “doesn’t even make SENSE” thing over and over and expect it to change anything. OMFG. Apparently media advisers need media advisers.
Conway did moderately better with Dickerson a half hour later. I am amazed that she regained her composure. I had, as mentioned, turned away from the carnage of Todd just beating up on her and her trying to stand on flimsy ground to begin with. The thing is I noticed Dickerson seemed to be much more “Let me get the information from you” than Todd was/is. Of course, she still wanted to take the same combative approach even though he was GIVING her room to do what she needed to make points. That sort of resonated with me.
Bringing us to THIS Sunday’s show – “Meet the Press” – and first guest Reince Priebus. I personally thought him an odd choice in Trump’s White House initially, but I like the guy. He actually strikes me as someone who has managed to maintain in a world of craziness. But today, here we go with Chuck Todd.
I don’t know Chuck Todd, but I was having an inner debate myself watching him hammer on Priebus – “Did the DOG shit in his cereal this morning? Or was it the CAT? How about LAST week? Or is this just the way he is ALL the time? OR just since Trump won?” In any case, something shit in his breakfast and it was coming back out in angry bursts that accomplished nothing but making him look like a bully. Sadly, MOST political people with their own shows look like bullies – making points with their own audience while beating up on ANYONE opposing them. HOWEVER, on a supposedly unbiased basis, one might expect the host, Todd in this case, to actually let the guest speak. Not so much. Just a whole lot of stuffing combative words in where they really didn’t seem to be needed. Maybe he IS just a bully at heart.A big bully pulpit he has and since he is political director, he can practically get away with whatever he wants…
I personally wanted to just stay informed, but when it’s basically a host that just wants to show how big and bad HE is at the expense of actually HEARING what a guest has to say? No thanks. Stopped watching Chuck Todd as of today and cancelled my series recording. Maybe after they change political directors again, I’ll check it out. But it will be a while. Wanted insight and news, Chuck, not a combative asshole – and all you mustered was the latter.