I contacted Major Garrett of FOX News a few weeks ago, to get the opinions of yet another respected network veteran, leading up to Election Day. I had no idea Garrett’s name would be a hot topic on this the day before what has been one of the most historic of all elections. Garrett was gracious to respond, in written interview format, providing an excellent complement to an earlier interview of CBS’ Bob Schieffer posted here at www.pingwi-fi.com.
Garrett, FOX photo
(But first a quick side note: I also hope to include Major in some minor “old home week” blog in the future. Garrett and several other notable communicators all worked on the newspaper where I cut my teeth a few years back. Ironically, just a few days ago, I heard from yet another guy from that same news room, Phil Fiorini … working now in PR for Purdue. And of course I try to stay in touch with Al Lewis at Dow Jones in Denver … another member of the group. More to come on that …)
You have probably seen Major Garrett’s political coverage on FOX, following the candidates on the campaign trail. Therefore, he pointed out that his perspective on the mood in Washington, D.C. dates back to July before he hit the road.
“Older voters see a deep recession, like 1981-1982,” Garrett said. “Young voters don’t know what a deep recession is and wonder how they’ll get through.”
Garrett has been in D.C. since 1990, a time before 9-11 when he says he could park his car 50 yards from the U.S. Senate steps, without a special parking sticker. As a reporter, he has been in the Oval Office many times. He said D.C. naturally has much more of a fortress feel, and politics have become much tougher.
“The GOP won big in 1994, and it took 12 years for their steam to die down,” Garrett recalled. “Now Democrats are ascendant.”
So what are the recurrent themes? Just as it was when he came to Washington, costs of health care (Medicare and Medicaid) and retirement (Social Security) and politicians’ refusal to reckon with them.
Garrett has interviewed John McCain and Barack Obama many times, and he is impressed by both for their skills as politicians.
“They are politicians through and through,” he said. “That’s not an insult. It’s a fact. Politics is a vocation with an aspect of avocation. But the principle skill set is being political. We don’t call football players hockey players. We shouldn’t call politicians anything other than what they are – politicians.”
The stock market has been on suicide watch. Energy prices are bi-polar. “John Q. Plummer” is worried about taxes, healthcare , investment income, education, retirement and the overall economy. So for the candidates who aspire to be president, is it a case of “be careful what you ask for?”
“A senior Obama adviser told me at the second presidential debate that ‘whomever wins is buying low.’ I think that sums it up,” Garrett said.
That’s an interesting comment considering that presidential campaigns this year have set consecutive records for fundraising and advertising firepower. Hmmm … how’s that for economic savvy?
There was another interesting development today, when Major Garrett came under fire, and also was applauded for setting the record straight. Reportedly his network claimed they have not had access to candidate Obama, and Garrett pointed out to all that he has done five interviews with the presidential contender.
I never thought I would link a Major Garrett piece to The Huffington Post, a left-leaning blog, but here it goes. Previously the Huff also reported that FOX demanded that Garrett’s voice be pulled from a McCain For President ad … but anyway:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/11/03/fox-news-major-garrett-de_n_140503.html
Regardless of the outcome on Tuesday, everyone agrees the next president will have his hands full. One vice president hopeful even speculated that the next president could have immediate terrorist issues with which he must contend. How have we gotten to this point? Where will history put the blame?
“Bush’s presidency will never be forgotten as the one that responded to 9-11 in myriad ways,” Garrett said, perhaps bucking what sensationalist journalists tend to report. “Over time, the absence of a second terrorist attack will emerge as a singular accomplishment.”
Amen!
“The Iraq war will take another 10 years to sort out,” he predicted. “The failure to manage the peace will horrify historians 50 years from now even more than it does voters today. The (Bush) presidency will also be marked down for inattentiveness to governing and hyper-attentiveness to political maneuvering (faith-based initiatives, editing scientific statements, firing U.S. Attorneys).”
Garrett has covered the war in Iraq, broken several stories on homeland security, and once worked at news rival CNN. In addition to his regular reports on FOX, Garrett has written three books, most recently The Enduring Revolution, which examined the GOP congressional victory in 1994, its roots and policy consequences.
So, as the “man who would be president” winds down a grueling campaign schedule – one lucky candidate soon will be diving headfirst into the workload, stress, power and perks of a lifetime. What’s on tap for Major Garrett?
“A long vacation, followed by more television live shots and blogging,” he said, although he confesses he doesn’t really like blogging. But, he’s pretty good at it. See the blog at:
http://bourbonroom.blogs.foxnews.com/
“Connectivity is the salvation and curse of my life,” he said. “I’m much more productive than ever before. But that makes the desire for my production nearly inexhaustible. Unfortunately, I am not.”
Garrett does credit blogs and the Internet with transforming politics, just as radio did in its heyday, followed by TV, cable TV etc. He joked that perhaps the election in 2012 will be the first Twitter election, and that perhaps he and other traditional journalists will be “selling shoes.”
Like his fellow newsman Schieffer, Garrett was vocal about Internet news coverage – the quantity and quality.
“The internet has made journalism a flatter space … Fewer hierarchies,” he said. “Oddly, it’s made room for more opinion and substance at the same time. Meanwhile, TV has made more room for the former and less for the latter.
He pointed out that the Internet has given everyone more of a voice in politics, but that it could be all lip service, without action to turn good ideas into reality.
“… Which is good for the mind, but doesn’t do anything to get your garbage picked up – somewhere a ward healer or bureaucrat has to step in. Translation: it’s changed journalism but the intersection of voters and policy is still government and the people in it.”
My last question to Garrett no longer is fair or relevant, because football polls and Heisman candidate popularity seems to be much more unpredictable than the current race to be Commander-in-Chief. Because he is a respected graduate of Missouri (arguably one of, if not the best journalism school(s) in the country) I had to ask Garrett about his alma mater’s quarterback and Heisman hopeful.
“Chase Daniel made Mizzou a household name in college football. To millions of long-suffering Tiger fans, that’s enough.”
Excellent, positive feedback. I concur … the Tigers have had an excellent run, and Daniel continues to amaze … But this weekend, the tide has turned as my own favorite and journalism alma mater Graham Harrell/ Texas Tech have shot up in the polls with their #2 national ranking and bid for the Heismancy.
No coincidence … have you seen the ads for Texas Tech’s two candidates for the Heisman trophy? It is a Graham Harrell/Michael Crabtree ticket. The Texas Tech marketers mimicked the campaign graphics of the McCain/Palin ticket. Could this have implications? Time will tell.
