Chuck Todd was named Chief White House Correspondent after David Gregory failed up to being the host of Meet the Press. A lot of people were surprised at the move, most seeing Todd as a numbers guy, but not necessarily a "serious" beat reporter.
Todd published a report on MSNBC today about Obama's first 2-3 weeks on office, entitled "Obama's Growing Pains". If this is an example of what he is going to be writing, he might bring major network media some new respectability.
I liked Chuck Todd during the election coverage. He was smart, analytical, and he did not try to make himself the center of the story. He didn't buy into anyone's BS, Democratic or Republican, and I thought he had a lot of good observations. I was a little suprised when he was named Chief WH Correspondent, but I was also looking forward to seeing him operate in the bigger pond--would he stay the same, or would he become a flaming douchebag like Gregory or Jake Tapper? Or would the demands of the network turn him into another MSM drone?
I thought the article today was astute, insightful and fair. It did what a white house correspondent is supposed to do: use the privileged position to give me an inside view that I could not get otherwise--even if much of the information confirmed what I already suspected. It provided analysis without the correspondent inserting himself into the story, trying to prove how cool or how tough he was.
Basically, Todd looked at Obama's struggle with the stimulus bill and how this reflects some beginner mistakes.
They know they will figure out a way to pass this package. But more importantly, passing it will give them a chance at a fresh start. And it will teach them some important lessons about how to move forward when they present even tougher asks to Congress and the American people.
Todd describes what many of us were thinking--what happened to the candidate Obama? Obama has failed to use the tools that got him elected--speaking directly to the American people and using local support. He also forgot about what it's like to be an underdog and doesn't seem to realize that at this point, Republicans have nothing to lose. It has been my impression that both Obama and the Dems did not take this seriously enough and did not prepare politically. I think they got caught up in the "honeymoon" and I also think they have been so involved with the rapidly deteriorating economy, they assumed the need for the stimulus package was self-evident. They forgot that a huge spending package will include a number of items that can be cherry picked and blown out of proportion, and that Republicans are the masters of this practice. In short, they allowed Republicans to define the issue.
Regardless, the Obama team, starting with the president, certainly seemed a tad haughty, acting as if their lofty rhetoric was enough to cause Congress to bow and the stimulus bill to magically pass. Obviously, that’s not the way Washington works. Ironically, the Obama folks spent two years telling voters change wasn’t going to be easy, only to act in their first two weeks as if passing an $800 billion stimulus bill should be easy.
Todd also talked about a fear that I and many others shared: sometimes you have to go to Congress with the Democrats you have, not the Democrats you wish you had.
Obama never should have allowed his first major piece of legislation to be written largely by a man elected to Congress when the president was only 8 years old. I’m referring to House Appropriations Chair David Obey.
I’ve noted many times here and in "First Read" the stunning lack of change inside the leadership of the House Democratic caucus. The roster of current committee chairs is not exactly a profile of change Obama outlined during the campaign.
I don't know about you, but deep down, I was pretty sure there were going to be some missteps along the way. As good as Obama is, the fact is that going from state legislator to POTUS in 4 years is a pretty big jump. Had he been able to step right in and perform seamlessly, even I might start thinking he was the "Messiah". I supported Obama because of his character, intelligence and insight. I also thought he had the greatest capacity for growth--in other words, I didn't know that Obama would make a great President, but I was certain that, of all the candidates, he was the only one with the potential to be one.
So now that they have learned their lession, what's next?
The Obama White House has learned these hard lessons in their first month in office and, more importantly, learned these lessons without sacrificing a major piece of legislation. The White House won’t be caught flat-footed again as they move to sell the massive financial bailout (to be announced on Monday). Nor will they again believe they can get Congress to simply bow to health care or energy reform without a serious campaign-style effort.
History will one day record the administration’s effort to pass the stimulus package as an amazing feat, especially given the size of the bill. In our 24/7 news cycle, everything is nit picked, something it seems the Obama White House forgot.
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Obama will be best served if he embraces his own campaign rhetoric and remembers the sophisticated operation he built — the one which got him elected.
If you missed it, check out the whole article here. If this is what we can expect from Chuck Todd, a major network might finally have a White House Correspondent who isn't a pud.