Live Blogging JK & THK on The Today Show
It’s just about time for some more liveblogging. Fill up your coffee cup and turn on The Today Show. JK and THK will be on shortly after 7 am ET. (Just FYI… if you’re an NPR fan or just don’t tune into the morning TV shows, the Today Show will be on your local NBC affiliate.)
While we wait for them to appear, check out the book review by JK blogging community member MH at Freedom’s Fire, Brightly Burning.
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Wake up, it’s almost time!
While you’re waiting, check out my newly remodeled youtube channel. I was inspired by something THK said on Imus the other day to put together the latest video with some photos I took at the Climate Crisis Action Day.
“The biggest sin is to do nothing.”
Just don’t be late for the liveblog!
http://www.youtube.com/globalvillage1
David Gregory is sitting in for Matt Lauer this morning. Good deal. I like Mr. Gregory, he’s an actual reporter in an era of talking heads. We need another news channel: all Gregory, all the time.
Morning all. Great video GV!
jk and THK are on
They’re up.
Talking about JRE & EE. Very gracious. They have to make their own choice.
Was that a necessary question? What an awkward question to answer for Teresa.
They’re on. Teresa looks lovely. Talking about the Edwards’ decision. John is talking about how it’s a personal choice to run or not.
Teresa saying it’s a personal, difficult decision and how brave Elizabeth is.
Merideth asked THK a really off the wall question. What was that about?
Merideth asked JK about his cancer. JK answered the question and then turned conversation to the book and how it talks about the enviroment and cancer. Well done.
Well it looks like the first part of the interview is going to be discussing the Edwards and cancer. JK has just expertly turned the conversation to the book by talking about the environmental causes of cancer.
The focus so far is on the Edwardses dealing with cancer on the campaign trail.
JK talking about his cancer. Says he talked to Elizabeth during the Livestrong event in Texas.
Talking about the link between cancer and the environment, and bringing the topic back to the book.
Says the book talks about everyday Americans fighting to protect their surroundings.
Interview starting off with the E’beth Edwards cancer story, no surprise there since it’s the big headline of this news cycle and JK did choose him to be his VP candidate in 2004, after all. THK speaking philosophically about the tough choices involved in being the spouse of someone who’s ill. Now JK talking about E’beth & John making sure they discussed this with their kids before making their decision, sharing a remembrance of being with E’beth at the ‘LiveStrong’ event last year, but then carefully guiding the interview back on topic where it is supposed to be: the book. Very smoothly done segue, very professional.
Book “connects the dots for people” to make it useful for average folks.
Finally talking about the book. JK is talking about the inspirational aspect of the book, the stories of people fighting back.
Jeez, now the hostess switched to Iraq.
Now Merideth asked JK about Iraq. He wants to talks about the book, and to give THk a chance to talk about the book, but Merideth doesn’t want to let him.
Meredith switching the topic to Iraq.
What do the Dems hope to accomplish, since they don’t have the votes to override the president’s veto.
JK says it’s important to keep fighting.
Talking about how last June, K/F got 13 votes, and this time they got 48 votes.
JK redirecting back to the book.
Can they not even get the title RIGHt. JK brought the topic back to the book. Now switching topic to Iraq, now JK bringing back to the book. Arrgh, I’ll take Imus anyday interviewing JK and THK.
JK now having to talk about the “political theatre” aspect of the Senate & House’s votes dealing with the Iraq war. JK addressing the question quickly but then pulling the interviewer back on focus by asking THK to talk about her experiences with cancer in women in the environment.
JK switched back, giving Teresa an opportunity to address cancer related to the stories in the book.
Meredith now asking about the Iraq war. Why put a bill if it’s going to be vetoed? Isn’t this just theater? JK made it very clear that it’s a step-by-step battle.
Well Meredith didn’t impress us in her ability to engage both people sitting in front of her and talking about their book.
Interview over. Merideth tried to make it about everything but the book. JK and THK both looked terriffic. JK wore a blue tie.
Well, I know Jon Stewart will do a better interview later today.
Was it just me, or did Meredith not see Teresa sitting next to JK?
And wow, that’s it already. Disappointing to see such a short interview and one in which the interviewer was being so shallow in the questions and the flow of discourse. But then again, what else did we really expect from the ‘Today’ show? I’ve no doubt that JK will be able to provide much more substantive content during his interview with Jon Stewart on ‘The Daily Show’ this evening—which is, come to think of it, a rather sad comment on the state of mainstream broadcast-television culture these days.
I’m disappointed in Meredith. What’s with the ‘distraction’ question she put to THK? That was pretty off topic, not to mention being a Republican campaign talking point.
I would characterize Meredith’s interview style as ‘rude’, although I think she was going for something else. Not sure what, though.
The interview was supposed to be about a book on the environment. What was she thinking?
Terrific answers to a terrible interviewer.
John Kerry did what he could to keep the interview under control, and it was certainly not an easy task, given that Vierra wanted to talk about everything but the book.
About half of the interview talking about the Edwards. Not that I do not care, but it seems to me they have taken their decision and this is all that matters. Then a very stupid question to Teresa. And, when finally, John Kerry brings the conversation to the book, she comes back with Iraq.
At the end, though, they succeeded in bringing their message around the obstacles that the interviewer was throwing.
Wow, Meredith was a nasty interviewer. She couldn’t have been more hostile if she tried. Her attack on Teresa was despicable. I absolutely don’t get the lack of respect and the hostility.
Even so, they were able to get some information out on what their book was about. Senator Kerry’s answer on Iraq was great. The question was phased to imply that they should just be staying quiet if they don’t have the 67 votes to overwrite a veto, calling it “political theatre” to do otherwise.
That was stunning. I don’t think Merideth had even looked at the book prior to the interview. She was completely unprepared to talk about it. I never watch the Today Show, so I wonder if that is how she treats all of her guests. It was if THK wasn’t even there. Just wow.
Very frustrating interview. FrenchGirl (7:30 am, above) summed it up nicely: “Great answers to terrible questions”.
Just even to get the Vieira to talk about THE BOOK or even the environment in general was a major struggle. Artful move by Sen. Kerry to segue from the overly-long cancer discussion to the environment.
And people wonder why the environment wasn’t discussed more in 2000 and 2004, despite Gore’s and Kerry’s eagerness to make it a keystone of both their campaigns: reporters wouldn’t cover the topic then, and it’s still a struggle to get them to cover it now. SOO frustrating and infuriating.
Scary to think that many people get most to all of their “news” from shallow journalism like this. (Like Karennj, I also felt the Vieira was rude, as well as off the mark). And, as was already said, this was a more substantive morning than usual, as Dick Gregory was on board.
Hopefully, Jon Stewart will be better.
And MSM shakes its head about people getting their news from the Daily Show… Personally, I’d choose a Jon Stewart interview over a Meredith Vieira interview any time.
Meredith Viera took a strange approach to the interview. She used up a third of the time talking about the Edwardses, then threw in an off-the-wall question correlating the distraction of dealing with cancer on the campaign trail with being outspoken. She followed that with a question about the book that included a statistic to show that people don’t care about the environment. Next came a question about Iraq, basically implying that the Democratic legislation calling for deadline for withdrawal has no chance of passing. John Kerry did a great job trying to bring the interview focus back to the book and engaging Teresa with a question about cancer related to the stories in the book.
Meredith needs some training to focus her questions. She also needs to do some research. She did a terrible job.
MBK, like you and a few others said, “Hopefully Jon Stewart will be better.” Isn’t it sad that we are reduced to pinning our hopes for a decent interview of someone with a “fake” news show? Just how low television journalism has sunk.
Thanks for waking up and watching this <s>catastrophe </s> interview.
For what it’s worth, here’s my opinion.
MSM is about profits. What makes profits is all they care about. And they have to serve two different “Gods” in their quest for profits. One God is the Republican Party. The other God is the Republican Party’s talking points.
So in this interview, they focused on Elizabeth and John Edwards because they’re trying to get JK to say something that will hurt himself politically or would hurt his ex-running mate politically. They have no clue about what relationship Kerry and the Edwards maintain but they’d love to see a flame war between the two.
But JK was successful in steering the interview back to environment from cancer because there are plenty of well-formed health studies that prove there is a clear link between environment and health problems like cancer, emphysema, asthma, etc… (OT-Now if only JK would leap onto immediate health care for everyone he’d have the full circle covered!)
This is why in a way could be seen as helpful to JK that Ms. Vierra opted to be bull-headed about how she was directing the conversation about E.E.‘s cancer. It allowed the Kerry’s to make the connection for the viewers. And this connection may not have been made without a little dot connecting.
So now we move to the Iraq Occupation and the K/F vote. This portion was also another Republican talking point. I’ve already heard it from them, “It’s just political theatre and it’s wasting our tax dollars and the troops resent it.”
So each time the media throws out that language it’s a TP and they’re playing to some one’s base. But JK effectively spoke about how the Congress votes, and that there are numerous issues that change and push the resolution forward. Of course, I’d love to have ‘seen’ him speak about the political theatre that caused the problems in Walter Reed, the waste of tax dollars that isn’t helping vets with PTSD, and all the flag waving and anti-flag burning political theatre when most people haven’t seen a flag burned in their neighborhood in decades! But we all have seen soldiers returning home with PTSD, injuries, or returning home to live in a shelter because there’s no jobs. And we all know some one’s kid or husband or wife or mom or dad is coming home in a casket too. And we all know that Iraq is a mess as a result of Bush’s incompetence or as a result of their grand plan—whatever the case may be—it is a complete civil war there and our troops are being used for target practice.
Disappointing interview but I think JK (and all the Democrats) are getting better at giving it right back to the media.
Now, I can’t wait for the Jon Stewart Show. Some real news for a change.
Thanks for the live blog and thanks for linking to my post!
I guess I’m not sorry I missed the live show - I didn’t need to get that mad first thing in the morning - but I hope there will be a video available later. From the comments here, it sounds like JK and THK did a good job handling a nasty interviewer.
Thanks to everyone for posting your impressions.
This was a disingenuous interview from the get go.
This from their website:
Did Ms. Vieira not get the memo, did the producers not get the title of the book? During the interview they highlighted The Kerrys: Moment on Earth . Total laziness or total distraction from the book and the important subject matter ? You decide, I already have.
We saw who the professionals were in that interview and it wasn’t the interviewer but the interviewees. JK and THK, you rock.
What can you do with an egotistical morning-show host who has zero interest in helping you promote your book and cause? JK did what he could, deftly steering the conversation more than once back to the reason they were there. I’m sure if it weren’t for the seriousness THK places on the subject she’d much rather have skipped this appearance.
JK is used to being knocked about and takes it in stride. I noticed how he put a hand on Teresa’s knee when Meredith abruptly switched to a question on Iraq, knowing how his wife was probably reacting. But what can you do but make the best of it. Even Imus was much nicer to the Kerrys than this person who seems to feel she has a license to be rude. People with real power and class don’t need to act this way.
I agree with you - The Kerrys were professional and the interviewer was definately not.
Even that story on their website is strangely worded. Since when do you say that Kerry was the Presidental candidate and running mate to John Edwards rather than saying that John Edwards was Kerry’s running mate when Kerry ran for President in 2004.
Thanks for the liveblogging everyone. I am listening to the interview, it’s too bad that the interviewer hijacked the thread for the personal corporate agenda. Kerry and Momma T did their best under the circumstances.
Hopefully The Daily Show interview will be better.
I am going to send an email to the Today Show and complain about the way the Kerrys were treated. There was a strong tone of antagonism there. Unmistakable.
How many of you will join me in sending emails to the show and telling them what we thought of it? There is a link on the bottom of their homepage.
Our leaders should be treated with a little more respect.
Thank you!
Oops, I meant hijacked the interview, not thread.
Kay,
I sent an email to the Today Show to complain about the way the interview was conducted. There was no need for this unnecessary antagonism towards the Kerrys. It was unfair. Ms. Vieira seemed less like a reporter and more like a FNC republican hack who had her own agenda in conducting the interview.
Cool.