Maybe we should give Brokaw the benfit of the doubt...

[Curtland1015]

Now, now... before everyone jumps on me, hear me out.

Not too long ago we all heard Charles Gibson would be doing Palin's first interview. The DU went nuts. "Gibson is in the tank for McCain!" "Gibson is going to lob softballs at Palin!"

What happened? Gibson asked her REAL, but fair questions, and she failed hard.

A little later, we found out her next interview was with Katie Couric. Again, the DU went nuts. "Katie is in the REPIGS pocket!" "It's going to be a fluff piece!" "Palin is going to get free advertising!"

What happened? Katie asked her REAL, but fair questions, and again Palin failed hard. REAL HARD.

Tomorrow, Brokaw is scheduled to moderate the next debate... and what is everyone talking about? "Tom is in the tank for McCain!" "Tom is going to read all the Republican talking points!!!"

Now I'm not saying I don't think Brokaw supports McCain for President. But I am saying that that doesn't necessarily mean he'll try to smear Obama tomorrow. Perhaps we should just wait and see how it goes before jumping to conclusions?

I'm just saying...

[JuniperLea]

1. I don't think it matters what way he blows the wind...

Obama is going to come out on top. McCain has nothing... even ol' Tom can't make that sow's ear into a silk purse!

[dchill]

2. At this point, we don't really have a choice...

The debate IS tomorrow. If Brokaw "smears" Obama in the course of a presidential debate, he won't have to re-retire. He'll just be irrelevanted out the side door.

[cui bono]

3. Well he lied about a poll on MTP last week. Flat out lied in order to give

viewers the wrong impression. Among other things...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x7256531

[RoadRage]

4. Yup.. and we thought Ifill would be the best moderator yet...

and she was the worst. Possibly because of the rules set in place for the debate.. but none-the-less... it seems like these types of moderators / journalists want to go out of their way to appear impartial.

We'll see if that continues to happen tomorrow night.

[spanone]

5. no other choice...

[FreeState]

6. It doesn't matter really at this point IMO

There is nothing McCain can do... the only way for him to win is to steal it and as far as the debates go the only way he can win one of them is if Obama somehow dies on the stage IMO.

[Lancer]

7. I think the town hall format is going to work against McLame

They have to perch on stools and get up to answer questions and walk around the stage. Rightly or wrongly, McCain is not going to look all vim and vigory alongside Barack. There has been such concern for McCain's health lately, real or feigned, the up close and personal thing won't work in his favor, I'm guessing.

[gauguin57]

8. I keep telling y'all that Brokaw leans Democrat in "real life."

You may not believe it (although there are old threads from Democratic Underground on which this was taken as gospel) ... but he hangs with Dems., was offered a job in the Clinton Administration, was pressured to run for office as a Dem. (by a group of Hollywood lefties, who also were touting him as John Kerry's running mate four years ago), owns property with Robert Rubin, is a big environmentalist ...

I think he's been trying to ensure (for the public's benefit) a balance to his network (or should I say "group of networks") that, as an old-school journalist, he may have viewed as being a bit off-kilter with Keith and Rachel kickin' it for the libs at night.

I absolutely do not believe Brokaw is "McCain's buddy," or that "liaison to the McCain camp" meant what everyone thought it meant. I saw it as, "Hey, McCain camp ... I know MSNBC leans way left at night, but I still have some clout at this network and I'll make sure everything's balanced...."

[Obamarulz11]

9. I will never forget that smile he had when he announced Bush in 2000

He announced bush as the next president in 2000 with a smile. I will never forget that.