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Manchester, NH -
(September 7, 2010) Hearst Television station WMUR has hired popular local political analyst James Pindell. Pindell is the publisher of NHPoliticalReport.com, a web site he launched in June 2009 dedicated solely to covering local politics. Statistical analyses and commentaries from NHPoliticalReport.com are frequently cited in New Hampshire newspapers and in widely read Washington, D.C.-based political publications such as National Journal.
"James will provide a new layer of on-air and online political coverage to complement WMUR's already extensive reporting. He brings an analyst's point of view and experience producing in-depth online content," said WMUR-TV President & General Manager Jeff Bartlett.
-snip
Pindell will also run WMUR's new subscriber-based web site packed with even more in-depth, insider content than is available on WMUR.com. WMURPoliticalScoop.com will charge users a fee to view articles and pages similar to NHPoliticalReport.com but with more robust content than was available to subscribers on the old site. Subscriptions will be available on a yearly, monthly and daily basis at start at $1.99 for a one-day pass. Breaking news, select articles and limited content will be available for free; all other premium content will be accessible with a subscription.
In the wake of the Ayotte Missing Email story, both WMUR and DiStaso fail to mention that just prior, the NHGOP demanded the release of all administration records pertaining to the FRM scandal, but instead dutifully stenograph the NHGOP's silly attempt to change the subject.
WMUR doing a fantastic job of populating their political shows with a real cross-section New Hampshire's political representation:
10am, WMUR-TV's Close-Up: House Republican Alliance members Reps. Robert Mead, William O'Brien, Nancy Elliot and then NH Institute of Politics Political Director Jennifer Donahue.
Looks like I'm taking that literally, since I'm making my television debut on WMUR's close-up this weekend. I'll be joining Grant Bosse to discuss the Manchester mayor's race, health care reform, and the US Senate race, among other matters.
I kind of like the fact that I'll be on with Grant. Since we both ran wonky but comically underfunded congressional races in recent years, we share something in common. Should be a fun discussion!
At the last debate, Horn was a big meanie who couldn't stop attacking. I'm curious to see if she's tries a new tactic tonight, begin so far down in the polls.
Have at it.
Post-script: During the debate, Jennifer S. Palin-Horn tried really hard to hide her hard-line pro-life stance. So, I'm wondering then: just what is it that she didn't like about Rudy's "stance on abortion"?
Post-Post-Script: The rapid response from NHDP on these debates has been great:
(Manchester) In tonight's WMUR debate, Second Congressional District Candidate Jennifer Horn accused Paul Hodes of not understanding the flat tax, saying that "of course it wouldn't eliminate [the home mortgage] deduction."
But just a few weeks ago, Horn herself said that a flat tax meant "no deductions, no gimmicks, no exceptions" - which includes the home mortgage deduction. [10/08/08, Concord BPW Forum]
"This is a simple enough question, but it's hard to decipher where Jennifer Horn stands," said Raymond Buckley, Chairman of the New Hampshire Democratic Party. "Does she support eliminating the home mortgage deduction or not? Does she want a flat tax or not? These are basic questions that a Congressional candidate should be able to answer, and Jennifer Horn has failed to do so on many occasions."
(The show's about to start... - promoted by elwood)
This Sunday's edition of WMUR's Close Up (10 AM) is all about young candidates running for State Representative. It features three Democrats, Hamsters all: NHYD President Garth Corriveau, Merrimack candidate Andrew Sylvia, and me, as well as three Republican counterparts.
I actually just got back from taping it. Again, it will air this Sunday, August 3, at 10 AM on WMUR.
Oh, and guess who plugged www.bluehampshire.com but not his own website?
The ABC/Facebook debate came at a pivotal time in the presidential primary process. Untold numbers of undecided voters in New Hampshire tuned in to this debate. Other voters may have tuned in order to reconsider their loyalties in light of the results of last weeks Iowa Caucus. But the ABC did not provide voters with a complete picture of the race. The network decided to lock Democratic candidate Congressman Dennis Kucinich out of the debate.
According to the Kucinich campaign, ABC would not allow the progressive Congressman to debate because he did not place fourth place or better in the Iowa Caucus. Kucinich emphasized the point that his campaign had decided to bypass Iowa, spending the majority of its resources in the Granite State.
The ABC lock out is particularly harmful to the Kucinich campaign in that it will leave New Hampshire voters with the false impression that their candidate has dropped out of the race. Kucinich was not the only candidate effected by ABC's decision making process. Had Joe Biden and Chris Dodd remained in the race they would have been denied a place in the debate as well. It is entirely possible that the fact they would be excluded made the decision to withdraw from the race a little easier for the veteran senators.
ABC used two other criteria in "narrowing the field" for the debate. Candidates had to have reached the 5 percent mark in at least 4 major surveys of New Hampshire voters. They had to reach the same mark in one of the last four major national surveys as well.
Voters should ask themselves why ABC should have the right to decide the criteria for "narrowing the field". That is the job of voters, not television network executives.
ABC has published a story about the events involving Kucinich and the debate on its website. I encourage readers to leave comments there:
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics...
You can also lobby a general complaint with ABC here:
I edited the diary, because I realized I may have been violating fair use guidelines... oops, my bad.
This weekend's presidential debates and forum will not include some nationally known candidates, and the chairmen of the state Republican and Democratic parties are not happy.
Fergus Cullen and Raymond Buckley say the decisions by ABC News, WMUR and, in Cullen's case, FOX News, are inconsistent with the New Hampshire Presidential primary's tradition of providing a level playing field for all candidates.
ABC News and WMUR television (Channel 9) confirmed yesterday they have established performance-based criteria for Saturday's presidential debates. The rules could leave several candidates on the outside looking in, including Reps. Dennis Kucinich and Duncan Hunter, as well as Sens. Joe Biden and Chris Dodd.
And Cullen confirmed that FOX News has invited only five presidential candidates to a Republican forum scheduled for Sunday night, leaving out Ron Paul and Hunter. Cullen said the state GOP was in "ongoing discussions with FOX News about having as many candidates as possible participate" and remained a forum co-sponsor as of yesterday.
UPDATE: Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama this afternoon issued statements prodding ABC and WMUR not to narrow the field.
Obama said: "The voters of New Hampshire deserve to hear all the Democratic candidates' views on who can best lead America in a fundamentally new direction, and that's why I urge these networks to allow full participation in this week's debate."
Clinton said: "I believe in the true spirit of the New Hampshire process, the candidates who have participated in past debates should not be excluded from this one."
In an earlier posting on a liberal Democratic blog, www.BlueHampshire.com, one of Clinton's top local supporters, former state party chair Kathy Sullivan, had said that anyone upset by the debate's format should call WMUR and complain.
In contrast, John Edwards told UnionLeader.com this afternoon, "I'm staying out of that. I don't get to set the rules for the debates. I'll let the people who are in charge of the debates set the rules. And I'll be there."
(Full article click link:) Union Leader.com Who's In Who's Out, Who's Mad
