Matt Lauer calls Obama's 30-min ad "a little sappy"

[npincus]

I suppose if I were making around $8 million/ year I might find the portraits of ordinary Americans suffering without adequate healthcare and deciding whether they should buy a 1/2 gallon or a quart of milk in the supermarket "a little sappy".

I admit being concerned about the contect of the ad before it aired, but found myself relating to all of the families portrayed, and it touched me deeply. My 'gut' tells me that this ad changed a few minds.

[Warren Stupidity]

1. Matt has to make hard choices too.

Hamptons, Vineyard, or Nantucket?

Lexus, Beamer, or that hot new Porsche?

Slumming in first class, or the private jet?

[npincus]

3. Bingo.

I was very moved by those families. How ironic that a large cap in my mouth fell out right as the ad started... which had me thinking of which dentist to go to... the expensive one in my neighborhood (he makes you pay upfront, insurance never covers it all) or the (nice) one in Manhattan who always eats the overage that the insurance doesn't cover.

[eshfemme]

39. That makes me recall an experience my mom had

Because she has breast cancer and needed a mastectomy, she required a plastic surgeon to do reconstructive surgery in addition to her cancer doctor. The first doctor that was in the neighborhood refused to do surgery that would re-create a breast out of her own fat and only wanted to do breast implant surgery because the profit margin was not high at all. But obviously, the possibly complications of simply using implants was too much to risk so finally after looking at other doctors, my mom ended up finding a nice plastic surgeon in Manhattan who reassured her that he would be able to do it and not to worry about the price as he'd negotiate directly with her insurance company. Thinking back, it's kind of obvious, he just chose to take the hit rather than further stress out my mom about the costs. So I'm grateful to him for having a doctor's heart. There's not enough doctors who actually take their Hippocratic oaths seriously and those doctors give the good ones a bad name.

So yeah, the assumption on my (and my mom's) part was that the neighborhood doctor would be much more understanding than the rich Manhattan doctor. But we were proven wrong.

[npincus]

46. oh my...

so sorry to hear about your mom's ordeal and illness. My mom had a mastectomy back in the mid-80's and she is still here, in good shape. Best wishes to her and your entire family.

Yes, the dentist in midtown Manhattan reminds me of an old hippie... a nice, nice, man w/longish hair, who holds your hand if you are scared (not in a perverted manner, there is always an assistant in attendance) and speaks softly and gently and to any fears you (the patient) have about the procedure. he is a really caring guy, talks about his family, has pics of them all over... and somehow, though you know that the insurance company pays a portion, not the whole thing, mysteriously he never asks for the balance. The only reason I stopped going is because it is totally inconvenient now, though my husband still goes to this day. I may go back, given out current circumstance (I work PT, have a young child), money is tight. Unbelieveably, because of financial mismanagement in my town (Hoboken, NJ) our property taxes are spiking up 47% in the 3rd and 4th quarters of this year... that's right 47%. That is going to HURT.

All the best. :)

[fujiyama]

12. Well said

They can't relate one bit to the struggles of ordinary Americans. I think it's particularly evident in the broadcast news industry/so called MSM. They're just fucking clueless how life is. They talk about issues like "healthcare" and "the economy" in such abstract terms, but does it REALLY matter to someone making over a million a year?

There are many times I'm happy not having a TV.

[okieinpain]

41. oooh! the hot new porsche for me please. n/t.

[RoadRage]

53. Bullshit...

He doesn't pick between any of those things... he just buys them ALL. Why have a lexus OR a beemer... when you can drive both, and have the Porche to toodle around in on the weekends.

:eyes:

[Lerkfish]

2. well, matt lauer is a little sap, so I guess he'd know

:)

[chieftain]

43. Exactly.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

4. He also called it over the top...Repuke in Dem clothing, Harold Ford was there and said

something condescending about it (can't remember..just waking up) which pissed me off, and the mute button became my friend. Too early for manure.

[EmilyAnne]

5. It probably was over the top as in over the top of his head. What a moron.

[npincus]

6. right... he gets a company car from his multi-million dollar Soho digs

to come to a tv studio to call a campaign commercial focused on middle-class struggles 'sappy, over-the-top". What a fricking ass-wipe.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

19. I think what bothers me the most is that he states his opinion as if it's fact. Not "I thought

it was" but "It was"

The Today Show is the highest rated morning "news" show and people take their "beloved" Matt's word as gospel. That makes him downright evil.

[DainBramaged]

11. Did you say manure?

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

27. Sam "Joe" certainly is a bucket of crap!

[Cosmocat]

18. I stuck up for Harold Ford when he was running ...

for the Senate in Tennessee, that is tough go for a D, much less an african american D, so I always defended his healthy dose of moderate and slightly rightward positions.

But, his perforance this year on MSNBC has been atrocious - he makes Alan Colmes look Amy Goodman in relation to Hannity vs his tact with Scarborough, and frankly any other appearance.

It is clear that he has a HEALTHY dose of both a problem with BO getting where he might have envisionsed himself AND readily whoring himself out to be the D foil.

I have a LONG memory - I will NOT support Mathews in the primary if he runs, I will work for whoever might be opposing him (now the general, I will let it go, but I still won't work for him) cause he spent the overwhelming majority of this decade marginalizing Ds and kissing R butt in a MSM setting.

Ford, if he ever goes for office again, will not get my support.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

25. As to Matthews... He is a coward who is finally regaining his voice. He has spoken

on his show about being threatened by the Cheney gang. Although I have some compassion for him, there is no way I would want him to have a position of power in the government. He is easily intimidated.

[PassingFair]

35. D-L-C

:puke:

Working against Democratic Ideals from day 1.

[yellowcanine]

50. Harold Ford thought he was going to be the first black President. I am sorry, but I think that is

his problem. He was told that by Don Imus so often he started believing it.

[Supersedeas]

61. who is Harold Ford catering too anyway?

[qanda]

7. That means his allergies were bothering him too last night...

Yeah, that's what it was... allergies!

[jpgray]

8. This from the guy that asked RFK Jr. "How's your dad?"

:eyes:

[realitythink]

10. Really?

Wow

[peacebird]

17. no way...? He asked THAT? good grief.....

:wtf:

[terrya]

38. You're kidding. NO one can be that insultingingly clueless.

[Occam Bandage]

63. Yep. Here's the video.

http://www.videogum.com/archives/morning-zoo/matt-lauer-to-rfk-jr-hows-your_026041.html

[iamahaingttta]

9. I thought it was a little sappy too.

Overall it was terrific, and was pretty much what I expected.
I thought the end was great.
But yeah, a little sappy and I was expecting it to be.

[underpants]

13. Nothing "real" like stanindg on rubble for you there Matt?

How about an aircraft carrier? Maybe Ann Curry could do the USA!USA! chant thing again

[Sedona]

14. complain here

[e-mail]

[Meshuga]

33. I sent an email

Pretty much complaining that to an out of touch Matt Lauer (who has a lucrative deal with NBC), families that work hard, and yet struggle to survive, are simply considered as material for a sappy video while gimmicky bullshit like "Joe the Plumber" is considered authentic. Yet, when people with real stories like the families in the ad get a voice they are automatically dismissed by these rich pundits.

As we can see the ad speaks to people who are struggling and not to TV pundits who are truly clueless to what people are going through.

Obviously I had a nicer tone in my email so they would take me seriously but I let them have it. What a bunch of BULLSHIT!

[Sedona]

42. sorry I told him to fuck off

Obviously I had a nicer tone in my email

:evilgrin:

[polichick]

15. I've always thought Lauer was a little sappy.

[NEOhiodemocrat]

16. I know it decided two voters here in Ohio!

After the spot my niece called her mother and told her that she and her husband watched it and "Obama is amazing". They have been definitely undecided as her Mother in Law is constantly sending her the republican emails and my Sister and her Husband just changed their registrations to Democratic this primary. So my sister said she told her to 'take the chance for change'. And now Obama is up two voters in very red area near Cincinnati. Jean Smidth and John Banear are their representatives. (Sorry about the spelling!)

[vaberella]

20. Of course he's above human suffering. Remember this suffering = sappy.

What did he want? An action movie?! Matt Lauer can kiss my ass!!!

[book_worm]

21. Matt Lauer has always struck me as being a republican tool

he's stuck on the Today Show, unlike even Brokejaw he has no future without morning television, unless he becomes a sportscaster or something. Nobody thinks of Matt Lauer and equates a serious news person.

[renie408]

22. I think it might have done some good in the area of making Obama less scary.,

I know psycho repukes who think Obama is the boogey man. I think even they, if they watched the ad last night, would have a hard time being afraid of him now.

[NC_Nurse]

23. He must really hate the Today Show....oh, wait....

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

40. +1

:thumbsup:

[nyc 4 Biden]

24. You don't call real life people's suffering "sappy!"

You call holiday cards, after school specials "sappy."

[No Elephants]

26. Lauer is a Republican pimp. He is a little twerp who is a big sap. BTW, has he

ever watched some of the segments on TODAY in which he participates? Bleccchhhh. Talk about sappy.

[Chiyo-chichi]

32. No kidding.

[Meshuga]

28. Exactly

Families in trouble are "sappy" while the phony Joe the plumber is supposed to represent Americans. He is so out of touch.

[graywarrior]

29. I can't look at that guy

He thinks he's so independent and unlike any other talking head in the universe.

[mwb970]

30. I've never seen the "Today" show.

Sounds like now is not the time to start watching.

[PBS Poll-435]

44. I saw it "yesterday"

J/K

[mwb970]

48. Well, maybe I'll try it to"morrow" then! /nt

[mitchum]

31. That balding anteater is a tool

[dugaresa]

34. Matt Lauer lives very well has healthcare and doesn't give a shit about anyone else

he doesn't understand the issues the folks were facing in that commercial.

[SammyWinstonJack]

55. In other words, he's a rich greedy republican POS.

[coalition_unwilling]

36. Pot, meet kettle - n\t

[Virginia Dare]

37. That's rich coming from a guy who serves up buckets of drivel..

on a daily basis....:eyes:

[TheZug]

45. The King of Sap Lauer ought to know all about sappy.

The Today Show is one big sap fest.

[rucky]

47. Just makes him look like even more of an a-hole. n/t

[Politics_Guy25]

49. I met someone back in 2004 who knows Matt Lauer personally

She told me that he is a very conservative republican. So there you go.

[npincus]

51. blech.

[Essene]

52. the first 20 minutes were boring, sappy and silly... and im not scared to say it!!!

:)

the last 10 minutes were wonderful.

i'd have preferred to see them just massively spam a national campaign of funny family bloopers.

and doing 2-minute "live from america" campaign stump moments would be amazing.

Those were the aspects that really were compelling.

[npincus]

58. not at all for me... to my surprise.

I found myself really touched by the stories of the people he presented, probably because it taps into so many of my own personal anxieties and the overall view how far the AVERAGE American standard-of-living has fallen, and what a sorry state this country is in. So much sadness, so much anxiety. I teared up. Particularly touching to me was the old couple who had paid off their home, but the old man had to pull equity from his house for his wife's medications and work at Walmart to pay off the loans. THIS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN IN AMERICA.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

54. Says the guy who works on the Today Show.

:rofl:

[budkin]

56. Matt Lauer is a complete tool

[bdamomma]

57. Lauer needs to talk to some Americans

to see what they are going through, sappy huh? Just another tool he is.

[Orsino]

59. Orsino calls Matt Lauer "a little whorish." n/t

[Gman2]

60. You guys dont get it.

That is street cred. for their resume. When they attack Obama, in the obtuse, respectful manner they do, we vett our candidate. If they just gave him a pass, it would delegitimize his run. I dont agree that they should hobble his ass so old man can take afull advantage of affirmative action, but some gauntlet makes sense. Like it or not, our ritual hazing of our leaders is part of the process. The way they handle that stress of personal judgment of the population they wish adulation from, gives us our best view into their crisis demeanor style. Obama just further shines every time he is tested. And the marvelous thing is, after he is done with them, we still allow them to retain their credentials. Unlike the Repubs, that want to defrock all those that wouldnt fawn on their feminine monstrosity, or their geriatric gunslinger. They act as if Obama getting 69% favorable coverage vs. McCain's 36% or so, is proof of left wing bias in media at large. It is surely a chicken vs. the egg argument. Did McCain SUCKKKKKKKKKKKKKK before his negative coverage, or after. I contend he SUCKED before, and the repubs look REALLY pathetic complaining about it. It seems that the only thing McCain and Palin can do is inflict the kind of hobbling to our candidate that makes him unable to ineviteably lead, and those, I will labor effortlessly to crush, even after the election. As I said many times, shrink the repubs until you can strangle them in the bathtub. But do it in the style of the Spanish Inquisition. Give them a chance to renounce repub. No need to renounce conservatism, as that is a respectable profession. Although, still an opponent.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

62. Next on the Today Show: Pups on Parade Also: Lollipop cookies!

[alison]

64. "Matt, Matt, Matt, Matt...you're glib."

[Cha]

65. Good..that shows matt lauer's elitist fucking

mindset for all the world to see.

[freestyle]

66. It was empathetic, not sappy.

Of course, I watch It's a Wonderful Life at least once a year, so my sap-meter may be off. Anyway, I thought the real connection of Obama to Americans who are struggling was excellent. McCain is incapable of that level of caring.

[AtomicKitten]

67. Lauer is a lot sappy.