Strangely missing from NBC's look back on the 2012 campaign were gaffes and controversial statements from the Obama-Biden campaign. Friday's Today featured a mini-blooper reel of GOP mishaps on the campaign trail, but made no mention of Democratic controversies.
In its lengthy string of highlights from the 2012 campaign, Today included Mitt Romney's infamous "47 percent" remarks along with Rep. Todd Akin's "legitimate rape" meltdown. Today said nothing, though, of Biden's controversial "chains" comments or Obama's "you didn't build that" remark.
What else could NBC have included? Biden told a crowd in Danville, Virginia, a city with a high African-American population, "Romney wants to, he said in the first 100 days, he's going to let the big banks once again write their own rules. Unchain Wall Street. They're going to put y’all back in chains."
In July, Obama told a crowd in Roanoke, Virginia:
"If you were successful, somebody along the line gave you some help. There was a great teacher somewhere in your life. Somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive. Somebody invested in roads and bridges. If you've got a business—you didn't build that. Somebody else made that happen."
A transcript of the segment, which aired on December 28 on Today at 7:05 a.m. EST, is as follows:
BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States: The state of our union is getting stronger. We've come too far to turn back now.
MATT LAUER, co-anchor NBC's Today: I have talked to so many people, huge supporters back in 2008. They're disappointed in you.
BARACK OBAMA: This is the nature of being president.
MITT ROMNEY, former GOP presidential nominee: He seems to think America is on the right track and things are going well.
BARACK OBAMA: We're still fired up!
PETER ALEXANDER, NBC News White House correspondent: Things are truly heating up in the GOP race.
LAUER: The attacks are flying, and most of them are aimed squarely at front-runner Mitt Romney.
NEWT GINGRICH, former GOP presidential candidate: Can we drop a little bit of the pious bologna?
JON HUNTSMAN, former GOP presidential candidate: Romney enjoys firing people.
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE, co-anchor, NBC's Today: Do you think that is a legitimate line of attack?
MITT ROMNEY: A competitive primary does not divide us. It prepares us.
Rep. MICHELE BACHMANN (R-Minn.), former GOP presidential candidate: I have decided to –
RICK PERRY, (R) Governor of Texas, former GOP presidential candidate: – suspend –
RICK SANTORUM, former GOP presidential candidate: – suspend –
GINGRICH: – the campaign.
LAUER: It's a lock. Mitt Romney secures the Republican presidential nomination.
MITT ROMNEY: A better America begins tonight.
LESTER HOLT, weekend co-anchor NBC's Today: Mitt Romney has chosen Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan --
MITT ROMNEY: The next Vice President of the United States.
DAVID GREGORY, NBC News: It's all about the economy for this election.
Rep. PAUL RYAN (R-Wisc.), former GOP vice presidential candidate: He can't tell you that you're better off.
JOE BIDEN, Vice President of the United States: Osama bin Laden is dead, and General Motors is alive!
HOLT: High-profile distractions for the Republican Party.
Rep. TODD AKIN (R-Mo.), former GOP Senate candidate: If it's a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.
LAUER: That's just not true.
AKIN: I was misinformed.
GUTHRIE: Romney defending comments secretly recorded at a private fund raiser –
MITT ROMNEY: 47 percent who are with him, who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims –
It's not elegantly stated, let me put it that way.
CLINT EASTWOOD, actor: I'm not going to shut up. It's my turn.
ANN ROMNEY, wife of Mitt Romney: No one will move heaven and earth like Mitt Romney to make this country a better place.
RYAN: We can get this country working again.
MITT ROMNEY: I accept your nomination for President of the United States!
MICHELLE OBAMA: We've got so much more to do.
BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States: Governor Romney, he's a good debater. I'm just okay.
GUTHRIE: Round one, Romney.
MITT ROMNEY: You're entitled as a President to your own airplane and to your own house, but not to your own facts.
CHUCK TODD: Obama let Romney dictate the terms of the debate.
MITT ROMNEY: I'm going to stop the subsidy to PBS.
I love Big Bird.
RYAN: I know you're under a lot of duress to make up for a lost round.
BIDEN: That's a bunch of malarky.
MITT ROMNEY: Mr. President, have you looked at your pension?
BARACK OBAMA: You know, I don't look at my pension. It's not as big as yours.
MITT ROMNEY: ...can you help us find folks? And they brought us whole binders full of women.
BARACK OBAMA: We have fewer ships than we did in 1916. Well governor, we also have fewer horses and bayonets.
MITT ROMNEY: Attacking me is not an agenda.
