As NewsBuster Brad Wilmouth has noted, over the weekend NBC News political director Chuck Todd, previewing the Saddleback forum, suggested it represented an opportunity for Obama to forestall "personal hatred" of him by evangelical Christians.
Todd has now contacted NewsBusters to express regret over his choice of words.
Todd's initial remark was made to Andrea Mitchell during a pre-game special edition of Hardball on Saturday:
CHUCK TODD: It's just not, it's just not his comfort zone. So it's a huge opportunity for Obama tonight to at least not be hated by the evange-, look, these folks are not going to ever support him. They know what kind of judges he's going to appoint. It's going to be judges that evangelicals aren't going to be happy with. But they're not going to, if they don't have a personal hatred of him, then that's a good thing for Obama.
Todd today contacted NewsBusters, acknowledging:
Clearly, I should not have used that word, but I was using it in terms of political hate, which I view as differently. But it clearly came across the wrong way. Message received.
Added Todd: "I deserve the hit. [My remark] reads awfully."
Credit Todd, whom I see as knowledgeable and fair-minded, for taking the initiative on the mea culpa.
Note: Todd's forthrightness has been well-received in the conservative blogosphere.
Jennifer Rubin at Commentary: "If more MSM figures would engage and respond to criticism with candor they would be better off, right? But Chuck Todd is the exception."
Patrick Hynes at Ankle Biting Pundits: "Apology accepted. Issue over. Why can’t more media types do this?"
—Mark Finkelstein is a NewsBusters contributing editor and host of Right Angle. Contact him at mark@gunhill.net.
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You're up, Andrea...
August 18, 2008 - 13:06 ET by SickofLibsYou're up, Andrea...
LOL: excellent point.
August 18, 2008 - 13:08 ET by Mark FinkelsteinLOL: excellent point.
Words are cheap!
August 18, 2008 - 13:13 ET by RackieSomeone send Todd a sword or a broken broom stick to fall on.
hehe...
Words are cheap, but Todd
August 18, 2008 - 15:00 ET by NewsbusterbrownWords are cheap, but Todd has been pretty fair so far as an analyst on MSNBC, so I'll cut him some slack.
“There are no easy answers' but there are simple answers. We must have the courage to do what we know is morally right.” - Ronald Reagan (1964 Republican Convention)
I don't pay much attention
August 19, 2008 - 11:00 ET by mattmI don't pay much attention to this guy or his network, so I don't know if he's worthy of slack or not, but his outburst reveals the basic mentality of the secular-humanist Inquisition (i.e. the MSM) who look at Christians as freaks and fanatics...
They're too blind to see that they are the ones who are "...wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:" Rev. 3:17
Hey Mark,
August 18, 2008 - 13:19 ET by BlondeAs you know, I'm a Morning Joe fan (can't wait until the Olympics are over, F&F makes me gag), and I enjoy watching Chuckie T (as Joe calls him).
He's a pretty good analyst, and only occasionally slips into the liberal blather, but that's to be expected, considering the company he frequently keeps (Mika, Chrissy, & any one of the numerous Obama talking heads).
Good for Chuck Todd for admitting that his statement came off badly. Maybe he'll ponder this further and consider how badly the entire network frequently sounds. I think with a little bit of serious effort on his part, he'd be a good replacement for Tim Russert (if they'd quit interviewing each other on MTP).
David Gregory, do you know which damn network you lie for? ~ Uncle Jimbo, @Blackfive
Todd's apology
August 18, 2008 - 13:21 ET by KC MulvilleFine by me. I like Todd also. He's no conservative, but he doesn't give cheap shots (none I can remember anyway), and I think his "hatred" comment was just a case of being carried away by the point he was trying to make.
One question, though. Does it seem a little different without Russert? I appreciated the discipline that Russert brought to his work, like seeing Michael Jordan demanding that his teammates play better. Russert struck me that way, a guy whose own hard work made it more obvious when other teammates weren't trying as hard as they could. That's why the Andrea Mitchell thing, for me, is revealing. I thought that was just sloppy and lazy. I don't think that Russert would have done that, and I wonder if Mitchell would have said that with Russert around.
I'll give him credit for clarifying his statement.
August 18, 2008 - 13:24 ET by JTPTodd comes across as a decent guy given his position at NBC. I think he was sincere refering to it as political hatred. Most religious folks don't hate personally and call themselves Christian.
"I need more cowbell!" SNL
maybe what makes this event
August 18, 2008 - 13:33 ET by TruthMongermaybe what makes this event so special and admirable is that it is so EXTREMELY RARE IN OCCURANCE ?
Journalism is the opium of the liberals
Chuck Todd
August 18, 2008 - 17:30 ET by McClatchy WatchWas he trying to impress Andrea Mitchell, the noted Obama booster??
Kevin Gregory
McClatchy Watch
Well I'll be danged...good
August 18, 2008 - 13:27 ET by bigtimerWell I'll be danged...good for Chucky T as Joe Scarborough calls him....I'm impressed...well for the time being anyway.
Glad to know about this....also glad he contacted NBs to correct himself and sort of apologize.
Andrea will most likely do that when pigs fly....
...although she did have to do so about her red-necks reference awhile back....
Of course now she has nationally accused McCain of cheating....
I wished Shanklin/Limbaugh would make a tune/parody to the words of the song Anticipation, using the word Desperation instead for the title ect...because that is the mode the msm/leftist party are now in....and I find it delicious.
"America isn't the problem...America is the solution." ~ Rush Limbaugh
A stand-up guy. He did the
August 18, 2008 - 13:28 ET by FairlightA stand-up guy. He did the right thing.
I'm sure Andrea will apologize, too, as soon as Keith gives her the okay.
Pithy & Succinct
August 18, 2008 - 14:48 ET by cest moiLove your comment, Fairlight!
Code Words
August 18, 2008 - 13:28 ET by Lee Boggs"These folks?"
Choose your words carefully Chucky, blacks are evangelicals too.
Just Showing His Stripes
August 18, 2008 - 13:32 ET by Chasvshe may have mis-spoke, but he didn't fail to display his perspective!
As with any Lib MSM Hack, his narative is the hateful, racist conservatives will never vote for a balck man.
he doesn't get it that it's BHO, a idiot that we won't vote for. It has NOTHING to do with his Color or Religion! They just can't get past it!
Hey Barack, we don't need your stinkin CHANGE!
That's funny because his remarks read very clearly.
August 18, 2008 - 13:50 ET by c5thenPersonal hatred is different than political hatred. Now Todd says that he is sorry for using the word "hate" and that he meant it as "political hate" not the other kind. (??) But then, he should have apologized for using the word "personal" instead of "political" but that is not what he apologized for.
On the whole I think he meant to say exactly what he said in his initial remarks, but is now sorry that he got 'caught' doing it.
The day that "politician" became a career choice is the day we started losing the Republic. Let's get it back! Alan Keyes '08.
So it's a huge
August 18, 2008 - 14:00 ET by dscottSo it's a huge opportunity for Obama tonight to at least not be hated by the evange-, look, these folks are not going to ever support him. They know what kind of judges he's going to appoint. It's going to be judges that evangelicals aren't going to be happy with. But they're not going to, if they don't have a personal hatred of him, then that's a good thing for Obama.
Hate is such a strong word, let me help you Mr. Todd. Obama needed to give his personal (nuanced) view of his religious beliefs and in so doing dispell some stereotypes that he (Obama and libs in general) think evangelicals may believe about them.
Mr. Todd, this was more about Obama dispelling his own myths of how he views evangelicals than the other way around. Myth number one which by the way you still obviously believe: People of Faith have closed minds and won't even consider/listen to alternative view points. Wrong Mr. Todd, the fact was displayed by the civil and respectful reception given Obama unlike what is expected of lib gathering. Just because we don't reflexively accept what you prattle about your belief system doesn't mean we don't hear what you say. Unlike your follwers, WE DO LISTEN VERY CLOSELY and we don't demonize someone for what they believe but for WHAT THEY DO.
The fact that you confirmed Obama will appoint extremely liberal judges tells every person who is Athiest, Jewish, Catholic or Evangelical who cares about the right to life, Obama is not an option under any circumstances. To vote for Obama is to vote for Abortion, period, there is no nuance you can give to dilute that central message.
Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, starving the poor one gallon of ethanol at a time. Fill your tank with E85 and cull a village.
"Hate is such a strong word,
August 18, 2008 - 16:35 ET by"Hate is such a strong word, let me help you Mr. Todd. Obama needed to give his personal (nuanced) view of his religious beliefs and in so doing dispell some stereotypes that he (Obama and libs in general) think evangelicals may believe about them. "
Well said Dscott.
I would only add that as an alleged Christian, Mr Obama has said some decidedly troubling things which prompt one to pray for him, rather than "hate" him. Obambi is on record as saying that Jesus is NOT the only way to heaven and that my friend, can't end well! The following is an excerpt from a site called "Audacity of Deception and Hypocrisy", which includes a link to the article where in Obambi called Jesus in essence, a liar. http://www.audacityofhypocrisy.com/2008/07/02/obama-jesus-is-not-the-only-way-to-god/
Obama: Jesus is NOT the Only way to God
Posted by adminJuly 2, 2008
Obama said: “I believe there are many paths to the same place, and that is a belief that there is a higher power”
Jesus said in John 14:6 “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Source below
Chicago Sun-Times columnist Cathleen Falsani, who interviewed Obama in 2004 for her book, “The God Factor: Inside the Spiritual Lives of Public People “and asked him specific questions about his religious beliefs.“I’m rooted in the Christian tradition,” said Obama, who has declared himself a Christian. But then he adds something that most Christians will see as universalism: “I believe there are many paths to the same place, and that is a belief that there is a higher power, a belief that we are connected as a people.”
Falsani correctly brings up John 14:6 (and how many journalists would know such a verse, much less ask a question based on it?) in which Jesus says of Himself, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” That sounds pretty exclusive
Link:http://www.suntimes.com/news/falsani/726619,obamafalsani040504.article
When I see an alleged Christian who had been mislead by false doctrine my heart fills with pity. I realize that if you sit in a church that hates white people or black people or ANY people, you can't know much about Jesus in the first place! I understand that "scripturally speaking" it is more a temple of Satan than a temple of God and certainly is a home for liars of which, Satan is chief.
1John 4:20-21
20If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
21And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.
So we see that "hating" the white man, or the black man or the beige man is out of the will of God and that kind of false teaching will poison anyone who listens to it. So NO Mr Todd, rather than "hate" Obama, my heart fills with endless sorrow for his soul, which is surely in danger. Not only has he blasphemed Christ by saying that his sacrifice was UNNECESSARY, since there's all these other ways to get to heaven, but he also found acceptance of SODOMY in the "beatitudes" of all places..
"I believe in civil unions that allow a same-sex couple to visit each other in a hospital or transfer property to each other," he said, referring to unions that grant all the legal benefits of marriage, minus the name. "I don't think it should be called marriage, but I think that it is a legal right that they should have that is recognized by the state. If people find that controversial, then I would just refer them to the Sermon on the Mount, which I think is, in my mind, for my faith, more central than an obscure passage in Romans. That's my view. But we can have a respectful disagreement on that."
No, Mr Obama, we really can't. Because in general scriptures you find specific acceptance of ABOMINATION and in specific scriptures (Rom 1:22-32), that condemn such abomination, you find "obscurity". There really isn't a whole lot that we can talk about. The whole article can be found here...http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=27532
Don't Pass the Buck, Chuck
August 18, 2008 - 14:10 ET by Lee BoggsChuck, you obviously read this message board. So answer this question. You're the Political Director of NBC News. From a journalistic perspective, why did you not challenge Mitchell on Meet the Press when she told millions of viewers that John McCain cheated at a church forum? Why did you not practice the skepticism and objectivity that I assume you were taught and expect from other journalists? How could you sit there as Gregory agreed, yet choose to say nothing? Not even one question.
Apologize for the small
August 18, 2008 - 14:22 ET by Chris NormanApologize for the small things and let the bigger things slide through?
McNotObama '08
Nice
August 18, 2008 - 14:07 ET by MikeknaJChuck Todd continues to have my respect, for doing exactly this type of thing - trying to keep it balanced and owning up when he makes a mistake.
Read a great LA Times article on him yesterday. I hope he gets consideration for the MTP slot.
"The shadow proves the sunshine" - Switchfoot
http://www.xanga.com/mikeknaj
Granted, an apology from
August 18, 2008 - 14:56 ET by Chris NormanGranted, an apology from anyone in the MSM is progress, although it would be more effective if he did a mea culpa the next time he appears on the show. If not, the "apology" here is, by nature, rather limited.
McNotObama '08
And when will CHUCK TODD being admitting to this ON AIR
August 18, 2008 - 15:08 ET by Guy Arthur ThomasAnd when will CHUCK TODD being admitting to this ON AIR and apologizing for it?
The answer to terrorism IS war. Next Please!
Hey, Chuck--
August 18, 2008 - 15:28 ET by lumpyCould you do us a favor and ask your colleague, Andrea Mitchell, why she didn't discuss the Edwards scandal during the primary because it wasn't verified--but it's okay for her to spread unverified speculations about McCain's "cone-gate?"
Oh, and could you also ask your bosses at NBC/MSNBC why they allow Olbermann to co-anchor news panels and debates when he's become a regular diarist at DailyKos, a hyper-partisan Dem blog?
(I don't think we'll hear back from him on those two issues.)
lumpy.... Excellent
August 18, 2008 - 15:37 ET by bigtimerlumpy....
Excellent questions...
...which we all know we will never get answers to.
It has got to the point where just about everyone with a brain cell that works can see through their propaganda.
"America isn't the problem...America is the solution." ~ Rush Limbaugh
Sorry Is Not Good Enough
August 18, 2008 - 16:47 ET by GothampcHe may have explained the "hatred" statement, but he needs to explain the following:
"Obama being, you know, sort of, almost a born again Christian in some ways, not born again in the way George W. Bush is, but he sort of chose his Christianity, and so he's very comfortable with it."
Perhaps he can answer:
What is an almost born again Christian?
How is Obama not born again like GWB?
How did Obama "choose" Christianity as opposed to GWB?
What is an almost born again Christian?
August 18, 2008 - 20:16 ET by needleIn this case I personally do not think it is similar to being “a little bit pregnant.”
Impunitas semper ad deteriora invitat.
Again, when will CHUCK TODD being admitting to this ON AIR?
August 18, 2008 - 17:21 ET by Guy Arthur ThomasAgain, when will CHUCK TODD being admitting to this ON AIR and apologizing for it?
The answer to terrorism IS war. Next Please!
GAT.... Most likely the
August 18, 2008 - 17:25 ET by bigtimerGAT....
Most likely the 12th of Never.
On the other hand....he may in between the Olympics somewhere on msnbc when nobody is watching....as he does evidently know all about NBs and will want to prove us wrong.
"America isn't the problem...America is the solution." ~ Rush Limbaugh
Give credit where credit is due
August 18, 2008 - 19:29 ET by well99He owned up to it and gave a explanation to how he meant it.I thought that was straight up to do.I will take him at his word.
He just wants to be viewed as unbiased
August 19, 2008 - 08:22 ET by KimnotaChuck Todd should make this apology on MSNBC. He only wrote it to NewsBusters because he's trying to be viewed as unbiased so he can pursue the Meet the Press Anchor.