Saturday, September 3, 2011

Piers Morgan Interviewing U.S. Politicians Is Like A Dog Walking On Its Hind Legs



Its not the matter of the dog doing that trick well it is rather that it can be done at all it is so unnatural. Morgan interviewing American politicians is like a person with a facile understanding of issues and facts, asking questions in, as he so modestly put it "I am being absolutely charming" manner.


It is annoying to see Morgan getting tough with  guests, especially Republicans whose economic position he obviously disagrees with when he does not have any understanding of the nuances of American life,especially, as I wrote previously, the political aspect.. It is of course impossible for a British person to have the in-depth understanding of the many cultures of a country massively larger than the U.K.


 I can name the left and right handed outstanding relief pitchers who were in the Cleveland Indians bullpen in 1954, and know that one was of Polish descent, and the other of Italian descent. By itself that would have no meaning in an interview, but as part of establishing a guests background e.g. their interests, it would not be immaterial-Morgan would not have a clue.


If an American was employed by the BBC to be a political interviewer and, after a few months in the U.K. was interviewing members of parliament from Salford about in-depth cultural and political matters, it would be ludicrous to expect the American to really understand what was being discussed, or to frame questions which were really relevant.To expect Morgan to understand the nuances of politics in e.g. Washington state is equally ludicrous.


Morgan, and his liberal guest Frank Rich, happily lampooned Rick Perry addressing a religious convention in Texas but he, Morgan, has no real understanding  that Perry was actually addressing the needs, concerns and deeply held spiritual beliefs of millions of Americans. Rich of course lampooned Perry as "Elmer Gantry" but that would be expected from a New York liberal-which expectation Morgan probably didn't understand.


For all his faults, and obvious leftist bias, Larry King at least understood America (and didn't keep trumpeting his religion like Morgan does his Catholicism)-Morgan is trying  to learn on the job. That is of course an impossible task as there is no substitute for having lived in a culture for the length of time that an American raised person would have been. 


Morgan needs to be replaced in the role he has at least for the duration of this presidential election season by someone who knows what they are talking about or at least isn't tarred with having been the editor of a now-defunct and dishonored scandal sheet in another culture.

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