Just yesterday, a guest-hosting David Gregory took to the Today Show and, in an extended exchange, took presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton to task for responding to his questions with a series of parroted talking points. However, given the opportunity to do the same this morning with John Edwards, Gregory made no use of the reportorial tenacity he displayed with Clinton, as he allowed the candidate to skate by on a similar recitation of campaign talking points and mushy declarations of the "energy" and "excitement" he maintained was palpable in Iowa.
GREGORY: Let's look at the reality in Iowa which is really do or die in the view of many for you. Right now it shows Obama has the edge at the moment. A lot of people think he has plenty of momentum at the moment. The issue for you is why you haven't really broken out of the pack despite how deep your organization is, how long you've been campaigning in the state...really, since 2004. And the question is whether -- there's a question of authenticity, whether your own personal wealth, your investment in a hedge fund that -- to the subprime crisis, belie your populist rhetoric.
EDWARDS: I think what you'll see, David -- I've seen it in the last few days. The First Lady of Iowa just endorsed me. There's huge momentum in Iowa. Energy, excitement. I've seen this before. and I know how to close in Iowa. I've been through this before. I mean, these people know me, and when I talk to them about the way I grew up in mill towns and mill villages, the fights that I've been engaged in on their behalf against big corporate interests my entire life, they understand that and they respond to it. I see it -- nobody has to tell me about it and I don't have to read it in a book. I first lived it my whole life and I see in the people of Iowa, the caucus-goers, a real response to that. We have a huge energy and momentum right now that I haven't seen previously. It's exciting what's happening.
GREGORY: All right, Senator John Edwards, we'll leave it there for this morning. thank you very much.
So, numbing inanity is okay when it comes from the candidate whose "comeback" has been woven into the official media storyline!
Considering Gregory promoted the exchange at the top of the hour as one in which he would ask Edwards if he could "get past some of his missteps, including questions about his authenticity," his letting Edwards off the hook on this very question is, at best, disappointing, and at worst, inconsistent.
[Watch it.]