Discussion: Critics Skewer Matt Lauer For Commander-In-Chief Forum Fails

Hopefully other media figures take notes about what not to do when talking to Trump. Of course they wonā€™t, but one can hope.

19 Likes

The Today Show. Perhaps the most insipid show on television. Selling garbage to the rubes for decades, and Matt is its king.

11 Likes

So many problems with Lauer last night, but spending interminable minutes on the e-mails, then constantly interrupting her because he was running out of time was pathetic.

And what do e-mails have to do with veterans anyway?

You know itā€™s bad when people in your own news division donā€™t support you.

33 Likes

Lauer failed. The final straw was when he asked at the end ā€œNobody would expect you to know that much about foreign policy, but what are you doing to prepare yourself?ā€ Uhā€¦heā€™s running for President and this is a question.

39 Likes

All the major media fully realize the POTUS election is already decided, which is a direct threat to their revenue stream.
Answer: Gin up fake & disproven controversies about the winner of the election, and ignore the multitude of scandals of the HO loser.

9 Likes

A professional teleprompter reader in way over his head. Iā€™m surprised there were no questions of Clinton regarding whether she can do the job of being Commander in Chief and being a grandmother at the same time.

16 Likes

Maybe Trump should do a presser so he can be asked follow-ups.

6 Likes

Watching MSNBC post-event last night, you could feel the barely suppressed outrage at Lauerā€™s performance. Then Chris Matthews says ā€œā€¦he could correct him, but then heā€™d be expressing an opinion.ā€

No, you idiot. Heā€™d be stating a fact. And that quote, in a nutshell, is whatā€™s wrong with TV ā€œjournalismā€ today.

As to WTF is up with the NY Times, who knows. But if I was Alex Burns - one of their best reporters - Iā€™d be pissed as hell that they pulled my story and replaced it with drivel.

27 Likes

Yes, but Trump actually failed in responding even to that question. He Palinly was unable to mention a single thing that he has read and bizarrely emphasized how he is spending a lot of time on other things, like running his business. Iā€™m surprised this answer hasnā€™t gotten more attention.

31 Likes

The thing that really pissed me off about the NBC farce was that for unfathomable reasons, the Drumpsfter Fire polls well with the military and veterans.

So to keep things on a ā€œfair and balancedā€ platform, NBC chooses the neutral territory of an aircraft carrier.

I hate to admit it but Lame Stream Media is an apt description.

16 Likes

Also: multiple questions about Hillaryā€™s email but none to Trump about his attack on the Khans? When they are talking to vets??

31 Likes

One condition of ToupeeHO talking to Lauer is that Lauer not use the term ā€œbald-faced lieā€.

Given his own shiny pate, Lauer willingly agreed.

(with apologies to my hair impaired friendsā€¦)

3 Likes

NBC created and enabled Trump from the get go, so Lauer is just continuing his employerā€™s mandate to keep the attention dependent beast alive. A real journalist would ask questions that they have researched, backed up, and know the answer to. They know the facts on which the question is based. and so can follow up when the subjectā€™s answer does not correspond to reality. OTOH Lauer is an entertainment meat puppet, nothing more. Heā€™s basically as lazy as Trump when it comes to awareness and knowledge. "Honestly, Iā€™m paid to look serious and read this script, period. Hey, itā€™s not easy acting like Iā€™m some kinda intelligent person, OK? Trust me, I work hard enough as it is! "

23 Likes

Approximately one year after Bernie Sanders expressed the sentiments of the nation with the line ā€œIā€™m tired of hearing about your damn emailsā€ Lauer spent ten minutes with four follow-up questions grilling her about her damn emails and then when Trump said how we should ā€˜take the oilā€™ he just shrugged and moved on.

Edit to add: and then Chuck Todd graded the candidates performanceā€¦

I'm not sure either candidate can feel like they made progress tonight. Clinton was on the defensive and Trump lacked a lot of substance

ā€” Chuck Todd (@chucktodd) September 8, 2016
8 Likes

How much do you want to bet that Lauer defense on spending all that time on the emails will be because Hillary never does press conferences? Iā€™d place moneyā€¦nevermind that sheā€™s spoken to the issue MANY timesā€¦and while weā€™re on itā€¦WTF was that retired general who is TOTALLY for Trump doing on Rachel after the forum? He was a moron. Why arenā€™t we talking about HIM??? Or the aftershow for that matter.

10 Likes

Donā€™t forget when he asked her serious foreign policy questions he told her to ā€œhurry up!ā€

21 Likes

Yes and the follow up should have been if elected POTUS how much time are you planning on running your business from 1600 Pennsylvania Ave and how much time playing golf at Camp David?

9 Likes

That was almost shocking to hear.

4 Likes

To prove that the general supporting HO are morons.

2 Likes