Interviewing John King of CNN at the Republican Party Convention: Does his opinion matter?
Jeff Berkowitz: Does Sarah Palin turn some of those states, Michigan and Wisconsin and Ohio and Pennsylvania. She can identify with the working people, right?
John King [CNN]: I will subscribe to the old school until history proves it wrong-- that vice-presidential candidates don’t deliver states. The candidate at the top of the ticket does, but if she can increase the—the big problem for the Republicans coming into this Convention was an intensity gap in the polls: Democrats were excited and they were more passionate about going out and voting. We’re already seeing that Sarah Palin helps narrow that among Republicans.
Jeff Berkowitz: Republicans have the momentum now [Sep. 4], right?
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Interviewing John King [CNN] at the Republican Party Convention in St. Paul, MN was a bit frustrating, but mostly it was refreshing [watch a portion of the interview].
It was frustrating in that this reporter wanted to get some opinions, perhaps some provocative copy from King, and he wasn’t cooperating. But, it was refreshing in that CNN's John King, unlike, say, that very, very biased threesome at MSNBC (Matthews, Maddow and Olbermann), really did seem to think his opinions weren’t important—it’s the opinions of the voters that count, King argued to this reporter. However, if this reporter had been a little sharper and quicker he might have argued King’s opinions of the voters’ opinions are important. Next time.
But, for now, take a listen (or watch a portion of the John King interview, included here). Before MSNBC loses all credibility, it might want to recruit someone like King to its station. But, who that tough, but fair, interviewer could be, I just don’t know.
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John King [CNN]: There was a question coming into this convention, just like there was in the Democratic Convention, can you bring everybody together, will people leave with energy. I think you saw the last two nights here, there is a lot of energy and if that energy carries over into the next nine weeks, then we got a hell of an election on our hands. I was just looking up at my map, state by state; Obama has an advantage right now [Sep. 4th], without a doubt. When you look at the Electoral College, he has an advantage. But, two months is a long time and a lot of the states that are in play are states that Bush carried twice and they are leaning into the toss-up column or some are leaning slightly Obama right now, but they are more than getable. They are more than getable. McCain has to get all the Republicans and he has to reach out to Democrats, a small slice of Democrats and a bigger slice of independents. Now, we’ll see. It’s going to be fun. It’s going to be a great race.
Another reporter: is there one single state that you think is going to make or break this election? Ohio?
John King; I was just going through scenarios—look, if John McCain doesn’t win Ohio, he’s not going to be the next President of the United States. The math doesn’t work. There are other ways, but you’re in such a rare scenario, a hard to find scenario, the Republicans have to win Ohio to win the White House. I was just going through one scenario where it came down to New Hampshire- a little tiny state. That little tiny state could be Colorado, could be Nevada, it could be, conceivably, Wisconsin or Minnesota. You could get in a situation where one state does it again. At the moment, the electoral map is leaning Obama and McCain literally has to grab it and push it back, by turning some states that voted for George W. Bush, that are now leaning blue. This would be one of them. This is a state that’s voted Democratic-- that is available to a Republican if you run the right campaign. It’s a close swing state. Wisconsin is a really close swing state.
Jeff Berkowitz: Does Sarah Palin turn some of those states, Michigan and Wisconsin and Ohio and Pennsylvania. She can identify with the working people, right?
John King [CNN]: I will subscribe to the old school until history proves it wrong-- that vice-presidential candidates don’t deliver states. The candidate at the top of the ticket does, but if she can increase the—the big problem for the Republicans coming into this Convention was an intensity gap in the polls: Democrats were excited and they were more passionate about going out and voting. We’re already seeing that Sarah Palin helps narrow that among Republicans.
Jeff Berkowitz: Republicans have the momentum now [Sep. 4], right?
John King: I don’t know if Republicans have the momentum. I know they have energy. We’ll see in a week or two who has momentum. Never trust any polls the day or two after. I think there is no question that John McCain stopped Obama’s momentum with this convention. Did he gain momentum of his own? We won’t know that for a few days.
Jeff Berkowitz: What about the Commander-in-Chief issue? Commander-in Chief issue, everybody heard that tonight [Sep. 4]. McCain could be the Commander-in-Chief. Could Barack Obama?
John King [CNN]: That’s up to the American people. That’s not up to me. That’s why we have elections.
Jeff Berkowitz: What’s your opinion?
John King [CNN]: I don’t have an opinion. I cover politics. I don’t have an opinion.
Jeff Berkowitz: Rove said before tonight that—
John King [CNN]: I am not Karl Rove; he’s not a journalist--
Jeff Berkowitz: No, Rove is an [opinion] journalist now and he said Obama was ahead by 70 electoral votes going into the [McCain] speech. Did the speech change anything?
John King [CNN]: I think that math is probably about right. I don’t think we have the gap that big. Obama is favored in the Electoral College probably by about fifty votes. Maybe a little more than that. I would agree with Karl on that point. I don’t know if anything here changed [that electoral math]. My opinion doesn’t matter. The opinion of Americans who live in those states that are in play matters. That’s what I am fascinated by in this election. So, we’ll travel there. We’ll see what happens. But, my opinion doesn’t matter.
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The above is a transcript of a video interview conducted on September 4, 2008[the last evening of the Republican Party Convention in St. Paul, MN; the interview was conducted in the Xcel Energy Center on the perimeter of the Convention floor, just after the Convention concluded. A portion of the video interview is airing on this week’s Chicago Metro suburban episode of “Public Affairs (Watch here).
*******************************************
We thank Amy Allen, Public Affairs intern, for preparing a draft of the above partial transcript of this week's suburban show with Obama, McCain, CNN's John King, Fox's Karl Rove, C-Span's Steve Scully, et al.
************************************************************
Jeff Berkowitz is host and producer of “Public Affairs,” a weekly political interview show airing in the Chicago metro area and in Aurora on Comcast and on CANTV [Comcast or RCN] in Chicago-- and also often on the Illinois Channel . You can also watch the shows here and read Berkowitz’s commentary, analysis, reporting, partial transcripts and airing schedules of his Public Affairs show on this blog. Berkowitz, who reported from the Democratic Party Convention in Denver, Colorado and from the Republican Party Convention in St. Paul, Minnesota for the Chicago Daily Observer, is now filing supplemental Convention related columns with the CDO. You can contact Berkowitz at JBCG@aol.com.
**********************************************
Recently posted shows on the Public Affairs YouTube page now include recent shows featuring clips and interviews from the Democratic and Republican National Party conventions, with Cook County Cmsr. and Obama Media Team Member Forrest Claypool, State Senator Bill Brady (R-Bloomington) and State Rep. Ken Dunkin (D-Chicago), 8th CD Republican Nominee Steve Greenberg, our show with Senator Obama (D-IL), Gov. Sebelius (D-KS), DLC Chairman Harold Ford, Cong. Rahm Emanuel (D-Chicago), Attorney General Madigan, WTTW's Carol Marin, Real Clear Politics' Tom Bevan, Sun-Times Abdon Pallasch and much more.
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John King [CNN]: I will subscribe to the old school until history proves it wrong-- that vice-presidential candidates don’t deliver states. The candidate at the top of the ticket does, but if she can increase the—the big problem for the Republicans coming into this Convention was an intensity gap in the polls: Democrats were excited and they were more passionate about going out and voting. We’re already seeing that Sarah Palin helps narrow that among Republicans.
Jeff Berkowitz: Republicans have the momentum now [Sep. 4], right?
*****************************************************
Interviewing John King [CNN] at the Republican Party Convention in St. Paul, MN was a bit frustrating, but mostly it was refreshing [watch a portion of the interview].
It was frustrating in that this reporter wanted to get some opinions, perhaps some provocative copy from King, and he wasn’t cooperating. But, it was refreshing in that CNN's John King, unlike, say, that very, very biased threesome at MSNBC (Matthews, Maddow and Olbermann), really did seem to think his opinions weren’t important—it’s the opinions of the voters that count, King argued to this reporter. However, if this reporter had been a little sharper and quicker he might have argued King’s opinions of the voters’ opinions are important. Next time.
But, for now, take a listen (or watch a portion of the John King interview, included here). Before MSNBC loses all credibility, it might want to recruit someone like King to its station. But, who that tough, but fair, interviewer could be, I just don’t know.
****************************************************
John King [CNN]: There was a question coming into this convention, just like there was in the Democratic Convention, can you bring everybody together, will people leave with energy. I think you saw the last two nights here, there is a lot of energy and if that energy carries over into the next nine weeks, then we got a hell of an election on our hands. I was just looking up at my map, state by state; Obama has an advantage right now [Sep. 4th], without a doubt. When you look at the Electoral College, he has an advantage. But, two months is a long time and a lot of the states that are in play are states that Bush carried twice and they are leaning into the toss-up column or some are leaning slightly Obama right now, but they are more than getable. They are more than getable. McCain has to get all the Republicans and he has to reach out to Democrats, a small slice of Democrats and a bigger slice of independents. Now, we’ll see. It’s going to be fun. It’s going to be a great race.
Another reporter: is there one single state that you think is going to make or break this election? Ohio?
John King; I was just going through scenarios—look, if John McCain doesn’t win Ohio, he’s not going to be the next President of the United States. The math doesn’t work. There are other ways, but you’re in such a rare scenario, a hard to find scenario, the Republicans have to win Ohio to win the White House. I was just going through one scenario where it came down to New Hampshire- a little tiny state. That little tiny state could be Colorado, could be Nevada, it could be, conceivably, Wisconsin or Minnesota. You could get in a situation where one state does it again. At the moment, the electoral map is leaning Obama and McCain literally has to grab it and push it back, by turning some states that voted for George W. Bush, that are now leaning blue. This would be one of them. This is a state that’s voted Democratic-- that is available to a Republican if you run the right campaign. It’s a close swing state. Wisconsin is a really close swing state.
Jeff Berkowitz: Does Sarah Palin turn some of those states, Michigan and Wisconsin and Ohio and Pennsylvania. She can identify with the working people, right?
John King [CNN]: I will subscribe to the old school until history proves it wrong-- that vice-presidential candidates don’t deliver states. The candidate at the top of the ticket does, but if she can increase the—the big problem for the Republicans coming into this Convention was an intensity gap in the polls: Democrats were excited and they were more passionate about going out and voting. We’re already seeing that Sarah Palin helps narrow that among Republicans.
Jeff Berkowitz: Republicans have the momentum now [Sep. 4], right?
John King: I don’t know if Republicans have the momentum. I know they have energy. We’ll see in a week or two who has momentum. Never trust any polls the day or two after. I think there is no question that John McCain stopped Obama’s momentum with this convention. Did he gain momentum of his own? We won’t know that for a few days.
Jeff Berkowitz: What about the Commander-in-Chief issue? Commander-in Chief issue, everybody heard that tonight [Sep. 4]. McCain could be the Commander-in-Chief. Could Barack Obama?
John King [CNN]: That’s up to the American people. That’s not up to me. That’s why we have elections.
Jeff Berkowitz: What’s your opinion?
John King [CNN]: I don’t have an opinion. I cover politics. I don’t have an opinion.
Jeff Berkowitz: Rove said before tonight that—
John King [CNN]: I am not Karl Rove; he’s not a journalist--
Jeff Berkowitz: No, Rove is an [opinion] journalist now and he said Obama was ahead by 70 electoral votes going into the [McCain] speech. Did the speech change anything?
John King [CNN]: I think that math is probably about right. I don’t think we have the gap that big. Obama is favored in the Electoral College probably by about fifty votes. Maybe a little more than that. I would agree with Karl on that point. I don’t know if anything here changed [that electoral math]. My opinion doesn’t matter. The opinion of Americans who live in those states that are in play matters. That’s what I am fascinated by in this election. So, we’ll travel there. We’ll see what happens. But, my opinion doesn’t matter.
**************************************************
The above is a transcript of a video interview conducted on September 4, 2008[the last evening of the Republican Party Convention in St. Paul, MN; the interview was conducted in the Xcel Energy Center on the perimeter of the Convention floor, just after the Convention concluded. A portion of the video interview is airing on this week’s Chicago Metro suburban episode of “Public Affairs (Watch here).
*******************************************
We thank Amy Allen, Public Affairs intern, for preparing a draft of the above partial transcript of this week's suburban show with Obama, McCain, CNN's John King, Fox's Karl Rove, C-Span's Steve Scully, et al.
************************************************************
Jeff Berkowitz is host and producer of “Public Affairs,” a weekly political interview show airing in the Chicago metro area and in Aurora on Comcast and on CANTV [Comcast or RCN] in Chicago-- and also often on the Illinois Channel . You can also watch the shows here and read Berkowitz’s commentary, analysis, reporting, partial transcripts and airing schedules of his Public Affairs show on this blog. Berkowitz, who reported from the Democratic Party Convention in Denver, Colorado and from the Republican Party Convention in St. Paul, Minnesota for the Chicago Daily Observer, is now filing supplemental Convention related columns with the CDO. You can contact Berkowitz at JBCG@aol.com.
**********************************************
Recently posted shows on the Public Affairs YouTube page now include recent shows featuring clips and interviews from the Democratic and Republican National Party conventions, with Cook County Cmsr. and Obama Media Team Member Forrest Claypool, State Senator Bill Brady (R-Bloomington) and State Rep. Ken Dunkin (D-Chicago), 8th CD Republican Nominee Steve Greenberg, our show with Senator Obama (D-IL), Gov. Sebelius (D-KS), DLC Chairman Harold Ford, Cong. Rahm Emanuel (D-Chicago), Attorney General Madigan, WTTW's Carol Marin, Real Clear Politics' Tom Bevan, Sun-Times Abdon Pallasch and much more.
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