With the way forward on impeachment not looking so hot, NBC political director and Meet the Press moderator, Chuck Todd did some venting during an appearance on Sunday Today. According to him, polls showing the public’s sourness on impeachment or declining support were not “organic” because of political ads running on TV. Then there was his complaint that House Republicans were somehow “bullying” their Democratic colleagues by pointing out the flaws in the Democratic-led process.
Amid their discussion, Sunday Today host Willie Geist shifted gears to talk about how poor the polling for impeachment was, since the public didn’t appear to be for it. “Even in those two weeks of public testimony that looked dramatic to a lot of people, but the public didn't seem particularly moved by that. That's got to please the President,” he whined
“Well, look, and it was -- it didn't happen organically you know,” Todd bitterly declared as if it were a fact.
Adding: “We're going to report this this morning, but we’ve tallied up the amount of paid media on pro and anti-impeachment. There’s been basically a 4-to-1 spread of impeachment messaging on the President's favor over the last essentially two months since this inquiry began.”
Todd complained that “Donald Trump and his allies” were treating impeachment (a political process) “as a political campaign” by running political ads, while “the Democrats for fear of looking like they politicized the process have essentially outsourced this to Tom Steyer. Because, if it wasn't for Tom Steyer advertising on impeachment, there would have been no advertising to counteract the Republicans.”
“So yes, I think the President’s pleased,” Todd huffed. “But, like I said, it didn't happen organically. This was asymmetrical warfare and the Democrats didn't pick up a weapon.” Meanwhile, back in reality, the effectiveness of campaign ads was a hotly debated topic among political scientists.
Shortly before whining about the public’s refusal to move on impeachment, Todd lashed out at House Republicans for exposing how shady the Democratic-led impeachment process was. “I think now what the Republicans have settled on as a strategy and what President Trump has settled on as a strategy, which is to just pound the process. Discredit the process, try to make the process seem either unfair or arbitrary or hard to get your arms around,” he said.
“All of it, I think, intended to see if they could bully enough House Democrats to sort of hesitate on pulling the trigger on impeachment and declare political victory,” he added. “This seems to be what the strategy is now, we'll see how it plays out over the next couple of weeks. But Republicans are going to continue to look for reasons to describe the process as unfair.”
Or maybe, just maybe, Todd, the public and those hesitant Democrats knew the process was unfair and shady.
The transcript was below, click "expand" to read:
NBC’s Sunday Today
December 1, 2019
8:07:23 a.m. EasternWILLIE GEIST: Chuck, good morning. Always good to see you. As Kelly said, the impeachment process now, after this vote on Tuesday night, will move from the Intel Committee to the Judiciary Committee. Democrats have expressed interest in getting a full House vote on impeachment before the holidays. Where do we stand in this process right now?
CHUCK TODD: Well, I mean, it looks like that's still the schedule they appear to be on, we're going to see a report from the Adam Schiff portion of the hearings, that gets sent to judiciary. Look, it’s pretty clear what the -- I think now what the Republicans have settled on as a strategy and what President Trump has settled on as a strategy, which is to just pound the process. Discredit the process, try to make the process seem either unfair or arbitrary or hard to get your arms around.
All of it, I think, intended to see if they could bully enough House Democrats to sort of hesitate on pulling the trigger on impeachment and declare political victory. This seems to be what the strategy is now, we'll see how it plays out over next couple of weeks. But Republicans are going to continue to look for reasons to describe the process as unfair.
GEIST: And of course, that's what they have done from the beginning as you know. Chuck, we saw the President travel to Afghanistan, he'll be in London in the next couple of days. The impeachment polls, Chuck, have not moved much. Even in those two weeks of public testimony that looked dramatic to a lot of people, but the public didn't seem particularly moved by that. That's got to please the President.
TODD: Well, look, and it was -- it didn't happen organically you know. We're going to report this this morning, but we’ve tallied up the amount of paid media on pro and anti-impeachment. There’s been basically a 4-to-1 spread of impeachment messaging on the President's favor over the last essentially two months since this inquiry began.
So, one side has fought this as a political campaign, Donald Trump and his allies, and the Democrats for fear of looking like they politicized the process have essentially outsourced this to Tom Steyer. Because, if it wasn't for Tom Steyer advertising on impeachment, there would have been no advertising to counteract the Republicans.
So yes, I think the President’s pleased. But, like I said, it didn't happen organically. This was asymmetrical warfare and the Democrats didn't pick up a weapon.
(…)
