5 responses to “Jim Lehrer, Moderator – RIP”

1. 

   billy T

   09 October 2012

   Saw Lehrer on Imus last night. Great interview. Mr. Lehrer turned down the offer when the Debate Committee approached him. He is writing a play, finishing up a book, and having a ball. Even his wife and children were against him taking on the role, according to Lehrer.
   The Debate Committee (Repubs and Dems) offered him an idea he could not refuse. They proposed a free flowing dialogue between the candidates when the candidates would debate each other to each other. Something unheard of in modern times. Jim’s job was to stand back and hopefully it would work. His job was not to be a referee as much as a facilitator to this idea.
   Jim was gloriously happy with the results. The candidates went beyond giving scripted answered to debating each other and talking to each other. He also said he was too focused on the exchange to notice all the little things we noticed in TV Land. He did notice that Obama was not looking at Romney, but that was about it.
   The debate went off as designed, thus Mr. Lehrer’s pre-debate extreme nervousness turned to post debate joy and success.

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2. 

   billy T

   09 October 2012

   Part 2. My favorite part of the respectful interview was when Mr. Lehrer was questioned about calling a candidate out on answers that played loose with the facts. Lehrer replied “it was up to the candidate to challenge the other candidate’s statements, not his.” Guess it is true what they say. Obama prepped in Vegas. What happened in Vegas stayed in Vegas.

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3. 

   Gregory

   09 October 2012

   I can’t think of Lehrer without both remembering the late Robert McNeil, his partner on the McNeil/Lehrer News Hour, and “Viva Max!”, a very funny movie from the ’60’s based on a Jim Lehrer novel by the same name. Peter Ustinov, Jonathan Winters, John Astin, Keenan Wynn, Harry Morgan.
   It’s particularly funny to read the complaints that Romney was allowed to run rampant, when it’s apparently the case that Obama had the floor for four more minutes than Romney did. Romney said more in less time. In short, progressives are not happy until conservatives are not happy.
   BTW, a conservative friend of mine called me unpatriotic for planning on not voting for Romney despite preferring Obama to lose, illustrating why I reject conservatism. If California gives more than zero electors to Romney it will have turned into a landslide and my vote would be as a tear in a rainstorm. I’d rather vote for Gary J than the lesser of these two evils, no matter how lesser the least evil is.

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4. 

   Scott Obermuller

   09 October 2012

   Gregory – California is now a winner-take-all state to ensure that all votes for anyone but Obama will not count. Pretty cool, huh? If it were reversed, there would be bloody rioting in the streets. I don’t see Romney as evil, but I’m not voting for him. I haven’t seen that he would clean house and provide the shock wave that’s necessary to yank this nation to it’s senses. Last time I voted for the least bad candidate for pres, I ended up with a bad taste in my mouth for years and saw conservatism’s good name dragged through the mud. There are still some good Rs in other races to vote for. Remember – vote early, vote often!

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5. 

   Walt

   09 October 2012

   Since “O” is running attack adds using Big Bird, I am just waiting for something like this to show up
   Romney’s got a gun! Big Bird is on the run.. What made Romney Snap? Was he tired of Obama’s crap? When Romney was arrested, they found Oscar headless in the trash! No,, Sesame St. will never be the same….

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