Following the varied missteps by pundits and pollsters in New Hampshire, and the slight uproar caused by NBC reporter Lee Cowan admitting it was “hard to stay objective” while covering Sen. Barack Obama, Brian Williams posted a blog which sprung an enormous response yesterday. The blog entry, titled “Something’s happening here” and posted on both the Daily Nightly blog as well as the Huffington Post, has more than 800 comments on the Nightly site and 100 comments on the Huffington Post.
Williams’ blog delves into how the media dealt with the Obama-Sen. Hillary Clinton race and campaign in New Hampshire, and how the media was wrong about the eventual outcome. He also speaks deeply and at length about growing up in the New Hampshire area and the emotions of both the Clinton and Obama campaign rallies.
Many commenters praised Williams for the well-written piece. But the part about how wrong the media was garnered much attention. “Give us a few weeks — we will promptly forget the lessons of this debacle in polling, predictions and primary politics. We will all live to screw up another day, though our performance in New Hampshire will be hard to beat,” Williams wrote.
Readers voiced their displeasure with NBC and its coverage. “Your coverage of John McCain’s victory speech and the handling of the forgone loss by Clinton was embarrassing at best,” one wrote on the Nightly Blog.
“Just hours after Brian’s ‘Kiss Ass’ interview with Obama, Hillary spanked him in NH. All week long Brian and Timmy were pronouncing the death of Hillary Clinton,” wrote one commenter on Huffington Post. “I wish BW didn’t believe his own act on NBC and did some serious journalism on the side that focused more on substance than style,” another wrote.
With many positive and negative responses, the barrage of NBC News-news has clearly set off a broad web dialogue.