MSNBC anchor and NBC News political director and chief White House correspondent Chuck Todd lashed out at Fox News for what he described as “pandering to an audience” over their coverage of President Obama’s enthusiastic handshake with Cuban dictator Raul Castro at Tuesday’s memorial service for Nelson Mandela.
—
Really? An entire segment on a handshake? Good grief; pandering to an audience
— Chuck Todd (@chucktodd) December 10, 2013
—
The irony of an MSNBC anchor accusing another network of pandering to their audience requires no explanation.
Todd joins CNN, Politico’s Dylan Byers, and a number of other elite members of the media in revealing his frustration over negative coverage of a historic handshake between a Cuban dictator and an American president. It should also be noted that until today, meetings of any kind between an American president and another world leader were considered legitimate news.
Because of this sudden change in policy, the pushback from the mainstream media on the handshake has been fierce. Few would question the media’s devotion to Obama and their support for his left-wing agenda. Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that the media fears the handshake will overshadow the positive coverage the media is already giving to Obama’s Memorial speech.
When challenged on this pandering charge, Todd responded that he does not pander to his audience:
—
@jpodhoretz I don’t pander to an audience.
— Chuck Todd (@chucktodd) December 10, 2013
—
While Todd is certainly very good at his job and much more professional than his MSNBC colleagues, anyone who watched The Daily Rundown’s obsession over gun control in the wake of Sandy Hook or the show’s relentless tearing down of Mitt Romney over rape comments made by an Indiana Senate candidate, could argue that while better, Todd has been far from perfect in this regard.
But back to my question: When exactly did a historic handshake between an American president and a world leader stop being news? When did dissecting the handshake, eye contact, and body language of such a meeting stop being a media sport?
Apparently, the moment such a meeting might distract from giving Obama a positive news cycle.
Follow John Nolte on Twitter @NolteNC
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.