Tuesday, October 28, 2008

A Peek Behind The Mask

     Democrat Vice-Presidential Candidate Joe Biden has been working the satellite interview circuit pretty hard, his tie off and his suit jacket draped over a nearby table with careful informality.  This stuff comes over in the clear and all it takes to see it is a C-band dish and receiver.  You don't get to hear the questions, just his side of it.

     One example you've probably seen by now (with both questions and answers) is the interview in which a typical-looking anchorwoman asks him some very untypical questions (about, for example, what's up comments that sound kinda Marxist from the Dem Presidential candidate) and oh my, how it took him off-guard.

     Saw a bit of such a feed, one collection of softball-questions and sound bites after another, interspersed with breaks while the next interviewer dials in.  I was taken by how worn and wary he looked between takes.  Oh, when the bell rings, the old firehorse is rarin' to go, shiny white teeth bared in a happy smile, eyes twinkling.  He's a pro.   But after one session ends and the next is lined up, you could see the tension build.  

     A newsie from middle-class America held a mirror up to his campaign the other day and he didn't like what he saw; now as every new interview begins, he's wondering behind the smile, "Will she point out where the campaign is sounding socialist?  Will he call me elitist?"  

     Hey, Senator, it can't be softballs all the time.  Your party may have most of the media on your side, but you haven't got all of them.

     It's called Freedom of the Press.  Remember?  Pretty sure you're in favor of that when it's used on your opponents.

     Joe Biden's starting to get that hangdog, Spiro Agnew look in his eyes.  I wonder what kind of polling data he's seeing?

3 comments:

Crucis said...

I am astounded you remember Spiro Agnew!!

Ack!!

Word Verification: acked

Anonymous said...

To be fair to Ol' Joe, at this stage of the perpetual death march that is our presidential campaign, I'm amazed that he can still stay awake between takes.

Then there's our (well, somebody's) expectation that politicians running for national office be ready with an expert answer about any obscure (but perhaps locally important) issue they're confronted with. "Senator, how does the Obama administration plan to mitigate the effect of its embrace of carbon cap-and-trade on the coal mining royalty incomes of the Assiniboine and Sioux indian tribes?" Don't know? Oops, fail.

After months of stuff like that, I might look a bit hangdog, too. (Of course, he knew what he was getting into...)

TW: achine
Just an "m" away from a word.

Rabbit said...

Wow. C-Band dishes. How quaint.

Wish I had one.

Hey, I've got a SPiro Agnew watch somewhere in my goodie/keepsake box.
Even got a photo of myself as a kid wearing the thing.

Regards,
Rabbit.

verification word: booses.

heh.