Russert: Giuliani will get support in FL from "people who still have memories of September 11th"
During MSNBC's January 19 coverage of the Nevada caucuses and the South Carolina Republican primary, while discussing Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani's chances of winning the upcoming Florida primary, NBC Washington bureau chief Tim Russert predicted that Giuliani will get support from "ex-New Yorkers and people who still have memories of September 11th." In assuming that "people who still have memories of September 11th" will support Giuliani, Russert echoed a tendency by many in the media to tout Giuliani's actions as mayor of New York City on September 11, 2001, without mentioning that his performance before, during, and after the terrorist attacks has been questioned and criticized.
From the 6 p.m. ET hour of MSNBC's coverage of the January 19 Nevada caucuses and the South Carolina Republican primary:
CHRIS MATTHEWS (host of MSNBC's Hardball): Who is McCain's base? I mean, if he does begin to look like the leader of this party, what's his base?
RUSSERT: Veterans. Certainly he's proving that in South Carolina throughout this campaign, in terms of getting them out. A hard line on foreign policy. His position in favor of the surge has won him support with that particular community. But you go to Florida in a four-way race, Chris, evangelicals go to Huckabee. Rudy, I guess, ex-New Yorkers and people who still have memories of September 11th. How does it divide up?
I think money will be important. Mitt Romney has his own money, and you can't underestimate that. I read one of the stories today that Rudy Giuliani was calling for people to come make phone calls on his behalf, but bring your own cell phone, which I interpreted to be perhaps a shortage of money. So, you pick it in Florida. Who knows? But what I do know is, if you win Florida, going in to Super Tuesday, you really do have a lot of free media momentum on your side.
I can only surmise he's talking about older, retirees who are probably innundated by media narratives: Americans Mayor, etc? Otherwise, what's Rudys appeal in Florida against, say, Iowa?
This time the narrative isn't working...Rudy is done. Maybe they can sell McCain better, eh?
EASY,
Appeal in Florida to that of Iowa...... more like appeal in Florida to that of anywhere at all!
The only part about Guiliani that will be most remembered of him is that he spent 90% of his effort in Florida to drum up fake support for his bullcrap claims of being some kind of a saint on 9/11 and that he ended up with not more than 7% of the vote (my personal prediction) .......
Then with luck, he'll simply crawl back under his rock and stay there!
Rudy is my 9/11 hero. No other hamster could have done as much as he did on Septembre 11th.
Of course, it may be useful to remember that it was his decision to put the emergency response center in a building that may have been a prime terrorism target. How could he have guessed the World Trade Center could be attacked? It had already been bombed in 1993.
http://greytheory.blogspot.com/2007/08/sorry-rudy-but-america-is-tired-of.html
Yeah! It may have been useful to allow profiling when looking for terrorists. It may have been useful to be able to intercept phone calls before they attacked...again. It may have been useful to not worry about collateral damage when trying to eliminate the enemy. But, some radical people think stopping the enemy before they attack should be against the law.
Maybe, just maybe they targeted the WTC 'because' it was the center for operations. Have any of your 'conspiracy theorists' thought of that?
We know you're here to hijack a tread again, but I'll bite anyway.
Actually, I hope you're wrong. I hope people have a moderate amount of regard for Sept. 11th, more than the stunningly disappointing support Rotten Rudi has received in primaries thus far.
Here's the quote:
" But you go to Florida in a four-way race, Chris, evangelicals go to Huckabee. Rudy, I guess, ex-New Yorkers and people who still have memories of September 11th. How does it divide up?"
So in questioning his fellow pundits about their predictions of the Republican primary in Florida, Russert "guesses" that ex-New Yorkers and people who have memories of 9/11 will trend toward voting for Giuliani, and asks their opinions.
This is an incredibly weak instance of supposed conservative misinformation.
MMFA objects to Russert's speculation, which even includes the weakening phrase "I guess".
Media Matters is simply pointing out that Giuliani's performance on 9/11 is questionable and open for debate. MM questions why Russert would "guess" those who remember 9/11 would favor Giuliani, when "his performance before, during, and after the terrorist attacks has been questioned and criticized", in their words.
One wonders what Russert's justification for "guessing" that way, considering the fact that Giuliani's 9/11 response has been criticized by a fair number of people.
In addition to that, Giuliani’s 9-11 performance aside, Russert implies that his militancy is still a sensible basis for a candidacy, even in light of the new information that the Iranians have stopped trying to develop nuclear weapons years ago and the now obviously shaky economy---caused in part by the military spending in Iraq.
Dave,
I got the point (what you mentioned), but still think it is weak.
I have consistently thought and said that MMFA would be better if it had fewer reports, leaving just the "cream".
Others disagree, and enjoy the volume of info--different strokes...
"Questioned and criticized" by who? By those who fill their day thinking up ways to denegrate him? I would imagine EVERY politician has had EVERY decision they made 'questioned and criticized'.
Perhaps mm can give some links that don't point out his 'sex habits' as proof his 9/11 performance was 'questionable' and actually provide links that show criticism from someone besides the far left pundits. The links I read showed no proof of anything inapropriate. Simply saying his actions are questioned/criticized doesn't make it fact.
I agree with showme, that mm should stick to higher quality 'misinformation' and should stop creating it in order to print it. Doing what they are doing, by whining about every little sentence that someone from the right says simply gives the impression that they are a hateful group of little men sitting around a table thinking of ways to put themselves in the limelight in any way they can.
Its a concept called framing Phil. The Noise Machine spends alot of time and money on it.
As you exclude a liberal opinion of Rudy having any weight that would tend to cut any criticism resource off at about ankle height.
His sex life is an issue only insofar as it affects two issues, that I recall, as you note not settled in any court. I think we're going to have to make a desion without the court(s). Using the resouces that you believe are not creditable, He comes up without my vote.
Perhaps mm can give some links that don't point out his 'sex habits' as proof his 9/11 performance was 'questionable' and actually provide links that show criticism from someone besides the far left pundits.
How about some objective analysis that shows he did something worthwhile, other than yell into a bullhorn and thank the big sky daddy that GWBush was President? Noun Verb 9/11 might make a great bumper sticker, but it's not worth a single considered vote.
RG blew 9/11 in advance by not being prepared, despite a previous attack eight years earlier that demonstrated just how ill-prepared NYC agencies were. He had a long time to correct the problems, and not only did he not correct them, he compounded them with mistakes like putting the emergency HQ in the WTC itself.
The links I read showed no proof of anything inapropriate.
Careful now. Wouldn't wanna set that bar too high.
Simply saying his actions are questioned/criticized doesn't make it fact.
Neither does the media labeling RG "America's Mayor."
"How about some objective analysis that shows he did something worthwhile, other than yell into a bullhorn and thank the big sky daddy that GWBush was President?"
You want me to provide proof of mm's claims? Since when does the burden of proof fall onto the shoulders of someone questioning what is being charged?
"Questioned and criticized" by who? By those who fill their day thinking up ways to denegrate him?"
Just as there are those who fill their days thinking up ways to denigrate liberals.
However, there have been legitimate, well-considered criticisms of Giuliani based on facts and his actual performance before, during and after. Russert, in saying those who remember 9/11 will vote for Rudy, ignores them.
MORE TO THE POINT, Russert is asserting that if anyone were to NOT vote for Guilliani, they must have somehow FORGOTTEN 9/11.
It's the IMPLIED assertion that Russert puts forward as a premise that is so damned offensive. It's the "REMEMBER 9/11, vote for Rudy" versus "Vote for someone OTHER than Rudy, you must have FORGOTTEN 9/11" implication that is morally and intellectually bankrupt.
I personally would vote AGAINST Guilliani BECAUSE of his performance before, during, and after 9/11. I look at the FACTS of his actions and inactions, rather than the manufactured media hype. Take THAT, Tim Russert.
COPIOUS,
That is the most brilliant post I have ever read! I bow to your superior intellect..... But I have to ask,
Whom are you claiming on what was said that is correct? Russert? Guiliani? Matthews? Please clarify and then perhaps provide any facts that might back up your claim of either? Unless of course I'm asking to much of you?
PS: Your blog still reminds me of a 10 year old whinning when he doesn't get his way
Who here is not persuaded by that level of articulation?
This is one of the dumbest remarks Russert has ever uttered.
Me thinks these guys are just pulling anything out of their asses just to have something, to say in the way of commentary.
But even more disturbing is their assumption that voters vote based on their belief systems and other personal information (Huckabee gets the evangelicals, not the people who support his platform; Giuliani gets the former New Yorkers, not the people who support his platform). Maybe if the media doled out a little actual information every now and then, viewers could make more informed decisions.
Then your post and this column have a LOT in common.
I'm guessing that come primary day, roughly 75% of Floridians will prove to have "forgotten" 9/11.
but apparently a portion of the republican base think that he did [ do something extraordinary ]
RG sure hopes so.