Stock Up on Red Bull, Jim Lehrer!
PBS executives announced today that they will be broadcasting extensive, "gavel to gavel" coverage of both the Democratic and Republican conventions this summer.
From the release:
As this summer’s national political conventions take place (Democratic National Convention in Denver, CO; August 25 to 28; Republican National Convention in St. Paul, MN; September 1 to 4), The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer will produce 24+ hours of live, prime time coverage to be broadcast in high-definition nationwide on PBS. These eight nights of convention coverage will be the only complete broadcast coverage made available by a U.S. broadcast television network.
The PBS coverage will be anchored by Jim Lehrer, anchor and executive editor of The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, from sky boxes overlooking the podiums in both convention halls. Lehrer will be joined by, among others, NewsHour senior correspondents Gwen Ifill, Ray Suarez, Judy Woodruff and Margaret Warner. Political analysis will be provided by New York Times columnist David Brooks; syndicated columnist Mark Shields. Presidential historians Michael Beschloss and Richard Norton Smith will add historical perspective and Andy Kohut, President of the Pew Research Center will update viewers with the latest polling information.
SIR:
WHEN I TUNED IN WITH THE CANDIDATES THERE ON THE SCREEN, THE TENSION WAS INDEED VERY NOTICEABLE, AND I BELIEVED SOMEONE, MAYBE A PRODUCTION EDITOR OR SOMETHING COULD HAVE ASKED THE CANDIDATES "WOULD EITHER OF YOU LIKE A GLASS OF ORANGE JUICE?" ONE MIGHT NOTE THAT JAMES LEHRER COULD GET ANOTHER NOVEL OUT OF WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN WITH THIS ELECTION PROCESS AND RESULT: SOME LIBERAL FELLA WHO IS COACHED EMINENTLY BY AN EX - PRESIDENT WHO SPENT HALF HIS LIFE AT OXFORD LEARNING HOW TO HAVE A DEEP, SEXY VOICE, AND HOW TO POSE FOR PICTURES AS WELL; THE OTHER GUY IS INDEED A NAVAL ACADEMY GRADUATE, AND PROBABLY TRIED TO PREPARE FOR EVERY QUESTION AND OTHER CONTINGENCY AROUND THE DEBATES, BUT PROBABLY SITTING AT HIS OFFICE DESK INSTEAD OF REHEARSING WITH GESTURES, LINGUISTIC INFLECTIONS, AND SO ON. ALSO, IT IS DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE HOW THE DEBATES WENT, REALLY BECAUSE IN THESE HAPPENINGS THE AUDIENCE CAN FLY OUT OF CONTROL AND EVEN THE RESPECTED COMMENTATOR LOSES HIS / HER COMPOSURE BEFORE TELLING PEOPLE TO PIPE DOWN. IT WAS LIKE THE LIVE AUDIENCE, AND THE CANDIDATES, WERE WAITING FOR SOME TYPE OF BOMB TO GO OFF, OR AN EARTHQUAKE OR SOMETHING... FORTUNATELY, WITH MR. LEHRER'S CONSIDERABLE EXPERIENCE IN THESE THINGS, HE ASSURED GOOD TRANSITION BETWEEN QUESTIONS AND AT LEAST SOMEWHAT GOOD CONTINUITY OF PROGRAM DISCUSSION.
BY THE WAY: WHO WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE IN OFFICE? GENERALLY, AND HOWEVER INFANTILE THIS MIGHT SEEM, I ASK MYSELF A SIMILAR QUESTION THAT OFTEN HAS THE SAME ANSWER: "WHO WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE ON YOUR SIDE IN A PHYSCIAL FIGHT?" GENERALLY I WOULD AGREE, BECAUSE HE IS A LITTLE TALLER, THAT O'BAMA WITH A STICK BAT MIGHT DO A REASONABLE JOB ON MY SIDE IN A PHYSICAL ALTERCATION; BUT SENATOR MCCAIN PROBABLY HAS A COUPLE OF BATALLIONS OF MARINES, THE SEVENTH ARMY (AT LEAST) AND A COUPLE OF AIRCRAFT CARRIER BATTLE GROUPS BEHIND HIM AT PRESENT, AND THEY ARE INDEED VIGILANT, IF I MIGHT BE PERMITTED THAT WORD.
PLEASE ALSO NOTE THAT THE IMAGE OF MR. LEHRER ON THIS WEB PAGE HAS A SLIGHT SMILE. SOMETIMES PEOPLE WHO HAVE SAT IN JUDGMENT OF OTHERS HAVE THIS TYPE OF LOOK... AND I DO WONDER WHAT AND HOW HE EVALUATED THIS DEBATE EVENT.