Keller @ Large: Be Careful What You Say On National TV
BOSTON (CBS) - I hope our local political celebrities are listening, because I have an important tip for them as they pursue their apparently inevitable journey toward their destiny of prominent national office: when you go on national TV, be careful what you tell those gullible out-of-town interviewers and audiences.
We locals can pull in those national broadcasts too, and someone who knows better might call you out on your bogus spin.
For example, Gov. Deval Patrick was on "Meet the Press" Sunday, and the air was thick with make-believe.
In the process of sidestepping the perfectly valid suggestion that Martha Coakley's defeat in the governor's race was in part an expression of dismay with the final years of the Patrick administration, the governor attributed her loss to being "outspent nine or ten to one," a gross exaggeration of the Republican air-war advantage. Of course, when Patrick beat Charlie Baker four years ago with a large TV-ad edge, the result was an affirmation of the human spirit, not big PAC money.
And then there was his bizarre explanation for President Obama's slumping popularity, that the president has a great success story to tell, but "he doesn't tell that story very well or very regularly."
Really.
The most interviewed, social-media savvy, perpetually-campaigning president ever just hasn't spoken up enough?
Perhaps Chuck Todd is just a master of the poker face, but it's hard not to laugh at this sort of nonsense. I imagine there was some snickering across the country.
I can assure you there was plenty here at home.
Other local pols on the make, take note.
Listen to Jon's commentary:
You can listen to Keller At Large on WBZ News Radio every weekday at 7:55 a.m. You can also watch Jon on WBZ-TV News.
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