CNN finally covers prep school student's question producing McCain's "awkward moment"
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SUMMARY: On April 3, CNN finally reported on Episcopal High School student Katelyn Halldorson's question challenging Sen. John McCain to clarify why he was visiting the school if not for political reasons. Media Matters for America previously noted that CNN and MSNBC had failed to report on Halldorson's question despite extensively covering questions posed to Chelsea Clinton about Monica Lewinsky.
Two days after Sen. John McCain delivered a speech at his alma mater, Episcopal High School in Alexandria, Virginia, CNN finally reported on student Katelyn Halldorson's question challenging McCain to clarify why he was visiting the school if not for political reasons. On the April 3 edition of The Situation Room, congressional correspondent Dana Bash reported that "McCain's return to his old high school Tuesday was not welcomed by all" and aired a video clip from the April 1 event showing Halldorson asking McCain: "We were told that this isn't a political event. So, what exactly is your purpose in being here?" On April 2, Media Matters for America documented CNN's and MSNBC's failure to report on the exchange with Halldorson, despite both cable networks' having extensively covered and discussed questions about Monica Lewinsky posed to Chelsea Clinton at two campaign events.
The MSNBC political blog First Read called Halldorson's comment "[t]he boldest question" and Time.com Washington editor Ana Marie Cox wrote that Halldorson's comment "produced what's known as an awkward moment."
On the April 1 edition of The Situation Room, before Bash's April 3 report mentioning Halldorson's exchange with McCain, Bash said of McCain's visit to the school: "It was back to school for John McCain -- his high school in suburban Washington. The message of the day? Lessons learned." Introducing Bash's report, guest host and CNN chief national correspondent John King had said that McCain was "on friendly turf -- his old high school right here in the Washington, D.C., suburbs."
From the April 1 edition of CNN's The Situation Room:
KING: And McCain today is defending himself against attacks by both [Sen. Hillary] Clinton and [Sen. Barack] Obama, and he's doing it on friendly turf -- his old high school right here in the Washington, D.C., suburbs.
Our Dana Bash went along with him and got a one-on-one interview.
Dana, how does McCain manage to conduct this biography tour he wants to have, but also respond to all these attacks coming in from the critics?
BASH: Well, obviously, John, they would love for us to focus on one thing and one thing only, and that is what he says in his daily messages this week. But this is also built around the idea that the Democrats would be -- focus really on each other.
Now, as [CNN senior political correspondent] Candy [Crowley] just reported, they're focusing a lot on John McCain, so they're making him available to people like me and to other reporters in order to fire back.
[begin video clip]
BASH: It was back to school for John McCain -- his high school in suburban Washington. The message of the day? Lessons learned.
McCAIN: I will not lie, will not cheat.
BASH: But as McCain walks down memory lane, Democrats are blasting him as out of touch for demanding a limited government role in fixing America's housing crisis. In an interview with CNN, McCain tried to clarify.
From the April 3 edition of CNN's The Situation Room:
BASH: These stories, told all week, are aimed at making a personal connection with voters. And while McCain advisers tried to augment his bio tour with high-profile levity --
[begin video clip]
McCAIN: You look like the night manager of a creepy motel.
DAVID LETTERMAN (host of Late Show): Well --
[end video clip]
BASH: -- the week hasn't always gone to script. He couldn't see the teleprompter Wednesday in Annapolis.
McCAIN [video clip]: -- of serving something greater --
BASH: It was so windy and cold, he skipped a page of the speech. And McCain's return to his old high school Tuesday was not welcomed by all.
[begin video clip]
HALLDORSON: We were told that this isn't a political event. So, what exactly is your purpose in being here?
McCAIN: I knew I should have cut this thing off. This meeting is over.
[end video clip]
BASH: Republicans CNN contacted are mixed about whether this is the best use of McCain's time, but even some GOP McCain detractors say, local media coverage alone in battleground states make it a good investment.
Yes, CNN certainly needed to clarify this, indeed. I mean, of course McCain just sauntered into his old high school to reminisce about old times for nostalgic reasons - whew, thank god CNN highlighted this question so we all are now wiser to the fact that the presumptive Republican nominee is acting politically.
Who knew?
Look, as unseemly as it is for some stupid questioner to ask Chelsea about Monica, can't you at least acknowledge why that would be something the media would slurp over long before this about McCain, regardless of political affiliation?
It has nothing to do with ideology or biased media, if Clinton had been a Republican the same salacious treatment would be given.
"can't you at least acknowledge why that would be something the media would slurp over long before this about McCain, regardless of political affiliation?"
I can acknowledge it, but I refuse to follow your mantra and simply accept it.
I will continue to demand better from our media, as will MMFA.
Demanding better from the media is not as Jeter put it, tit for tat. It's not about urging the media to sink lower, fairly, it's about urging a rise to be better, isn't it?
Or is just politically and ideologically motivated?
We all decide.
We all decide - Tommy
You and I may have the time and the inclination to keep up on current events in order to "decide" what is true and what is false.
The problem is that many people do NOT have the time NOR the inclination for whatever reason (having something better to do or a hobby comes to mind) to sift through all the spin to come up with what they belive is the truth.
These people rely on the information gatekeepers. And when they drop the ball, it hurts all of us. So no, it's not a simple as "we all decide".
HALLDORSON: We were told that this isn't a political event. So, what exactly is your purpose in being here?
McCAIN: I knew I should have cut this thing off. This meeting is over.
Is THIS how McCain would respond to that phone call at 3:00 a.m.?????
That was my first thought in seeing the video, I wanted to know what McCain said next, if anything...
Jeeze, the Old Fellow looked kind of derailed, by someone as formidable as a squeaky-nervous high school girl, who asked the pressurized life-and-death question of (verbatim) "what exactly is your purpose in being here?"
Jeeze, you'd have thought it was Nikita Khruschev confronting the Old Fellow, banging his shoe on the table or something, instead of a nervous young girl asking a simple question.
It's almost unbelievable that it took CNN this long to "finally" cover this breaking story, and set straight their previous biased reporting of this event. But to their credit, they''ve been busy focusing on other unspeakable conservative propaganda, like the media's failure to report on Mccain's opposition, 25 years ago, to designating another national holiday.
-- challenging McCain to clarify why he was visiting the school if not for political reasons. -- mmfa
-- "I knew I should have cut this thing off. This meeting is over," McCain joked, before going into a long description of his biography tour and it's emphasis on "the values and principles that guided me and I think a lot of this country in the past," in addition to providing "a vision of how I think we need to address the challenges of the future." -- McCain from mmfa link
That should neatly clear up mmfa's question concerning the awkward moment...and the answer to Halldorson's question.
McCain JOKED??? Oh, it can't be. This flies in the face of the narrative that McCain is a loose cannon who flies off the handle at the drop of a hat, we can't risk that!!
But I thought it was only the rightwing that wear the fearmongers?
I certainly will give you that, but it still doesn't change the media's unbiased obsession with juicier personal failings of politicians and how it affects or lingers on their family members, etc.........as opposed to covering whether or not some student may have been misinformed about an event being political, in the midst of a presidential campaign.
It doesn't show bias, it shows sex is far more titilating and grabs bigger ratings, regardless of party.
Well, we can agree on that. Which is a good reason for Democrats to go on Fox News for unfriendly questions, let's see how they handle them?
Problem with that is--FOX "News" frames the questions to make Democrats look bad, and Frames questions for Rape-publicans to make them look good. FOX has no credibility, therefore, why should Dems go into the lions den? When opposing views to Fox's agenda are voiced, they simply turn off the mic, or worse--chop the qoute to make it look as though the Democrat said something totally different than what they actually said.
Sorry Tom, but McCain couldn't answer why he was there if not for political reasons. This proves McCain to be a liar. But, then again, the Right is used to this from their candidates. And although the Dems sometimes do this as well, most of us won't look the other way and become enablers.
-- McCain joked, before going into a long description of his biography tour and it's emphasis on "the values and principles that guided me and I think a lot of this country in the past," in addition to providing "a vision of how I think we need to address the challenges of the future.
No need to thank me...thank mmfa...they provided the link...for those curious enough to follow them.
MMFA's question is, "why was this not covered but we are given endless coverage of the Lewinsky question directed at Chelsea?"
MMFA's question was NOT "why was this not clarified?"
"what is your purpose in being here?"
"I knew I should have cut this thing off"
That's an acceptable answer to you, Wesley? Looks like a Cut & run to me.The rules seem pretty relaxed on the straight talk senior circuit.
Of course it was an exceptible answer...if you bothered to follow the links supplied by mmfa.
The moment beyond "awkward" was the silly question posed by Halldorson...apparently she was one of the few that failed to know anything about his reason for being there...His well publicized Service to America tour.
Oh to be young again.
"apparently she was one of the few that failed to know anything about his reason for being there"
No, she was apparently misinformed:
"We were told that this isn't a political event. So, what exactly is your purpose in being here?"
I think McCain should have taken the opportunity to find out why she was misinformed about the event.
It would appear that you are a cynic only if you disagree with the politician in question.
Let's try this: I've got a house I built that I'd love to sell. I'd like you to meet me there this evening. I know we've never met, but trust me, I'm not trying to sell you this house. I just thought you might like to see it.
It sounded to me to be a lesson in civics and the reasons McCain stated. Of course since McCain is running, any appearance has political overtones. However it was not political in the sense that McCain was saying vote for me. After all, speaking at your High School alma mater to children who cannot yet vote is not your typical political event.
ps. speaking of lying, anyone seen an MMFA thread on Hillary's harrowing landing in Bosnia a few years ago? ;-)
I didn't know we were talking about Hillary. Bit that's typical. If you can't "win" the debate--change the subject, then ease into the "Two wrongs make a right" tactic. Limbaugh would be proud.
Awkward moment? Well that's a bit of a stretch... Certainly nothing like the awkward moment for Chelsea Clinton. So what's MMFA looking for here? A t#t for tat moment?
I didn't think this was all that awkward for McCain & he certainly handled it without appearing awkward.
But if it makes folks happy that CNN finally covered it, then great. I wouldn't want anyone breaking into a case of hives over this ;-)
his biography tour?
My gosh, the old man won't be done with this "tour" for another couple of years if he's only up to his time in high school.
It seems to me that MMFA already covered this issue Wednesday, complaining that the mainstream media did not cover this story.
How is it that CNN covering this story is now conservative misinformation?
WITH?
You mean when the media highlights this ridiculous irrelevancy about some innocuous question on the campaign trail, that's a good job? But when the media highlights another ridiculous irrelvancy shining a not so flattering light on some Democrat, that is bad?
Got it.
No, you don't "got it."
I mean when the media manages to finally place one gram on the others side of a scale that has 10 pounds on it.
Got it?
Pete,
It looks to me that you are agreeing with what we've been saying for years. To put it simply, the mission statement of MMFA is simply a cover for the good folks here to push their progressive agenda.
You missed my point. This thread is not at all about conservative misinformation. It is the opposite.
the whole McCain awkward moment thread is ridiculous. Some blogger expressed that view. As far as awkward moments go, this was a non-starter. MMFA would like you to believe otherwise. Must be a very slow news day.
Must be a very slow news day.--AnotherAmerican
AA -- Bingo, we have a winner...you just boiled it down to its flimsy essence. --Wesley
Now I understand--it's a slow news day.
Oh, it was a "challenge"?
Saying that MMFA's point is lack of clarification when it's obvious from the headline alone that the point is a lack of balanced coverage, THAT'S your challenge????
It's immortalized in your opening post, Tommy. The point eluded you.
Sometimes one just wants to scream. It's this simple: Everybody knows that McCain's promotional tour is part of his Presidential campaign and that isn't a problem. BUT, for some strange reason he and his people keep trying to make the claim that it isn't. That's the problem. It isn't about the question or McCain's use of humor to deflect from being caught in the lie. It's about the lying about something so stupid and transparent and not relenting when it's so obvious that a high school kid will call you on it.
Anything on TV is going to be edited by someone being told what to do, for any number of reasons. Too bad we don't have real scoops and real news via that medium. It's carefully filtered so we hear the parts they want us to hear. You have to dig deeper if you want to learn what's going on.
I'm glad the student at McCain's alma mater asked that question and made him uncomfortable. How great would it be if we had more students asking tough questions instead of the usual softballs thrown by professional journalists (i.e. the one's that get paid to report).