Chuck Todd
Chuck Todd
Charles David "Chuck" Toddis an American television journalist who is the 12th moderator of Meet the Press, and host of Meet the Press Daily on MSNBC. He also serves as the Political Director for NBC News. Prior to taking the helm of Meet the Press, Todd was Chief White House correspondent for the network and host of The Daily Rundown on MSNBC. He became political director in March 2007. He also serves as NBC News' on-air political analyst for NBC...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionJournalist
Date of Birth8 April 1972
CityMiami, FL
CountryUnited States of America
The question is, does he have the stamina?
We may like to think politics is a battle of ideas and that the best idea wins out. But that's not true in most elections. Most elections are about the worst ideas losing, not the best ideas winning.
With the likely nominations of Barack Obama by the Democrats and John McCain by the Republicans, one of these two parties is headed for a 2009 crack-up that could prove as messy as any party civil war in recent history.
One could argue the GOP made no progress on limiting government in their four years of total control from 2002 to 2006. If anything, government expanded like never before.
Arlen Specter left the GOP because it is a lot easier to win in Pennsylvania as a Democrat than as a Republican. It is that simple. For folks on the Right to brush this off as some sort of 'good purge' is extremely naive.
One must remember that in the '70s, Democrats still grasping for Camelot were desperately pinning their hopes on Teddy while Republicans were doing everything they could politically to turn him into a punch line post-Chappaquiddick. And the idea of Ted Kennedy - rather than the actual man - dominated his political legacy through the early '90s.
Barack Obama's official nomination as the Democratic Party's standard-bearer was a very poignant moment for millions of Americans. As the first non-white major party nominee, Obama is carrying a big load on his shoulders. He's holding the hopes and dreams of a lot of folks who thought the presidency was only reserved for white men.
The hardest thing to do in politics is campaign as someone you aren't. People can spot an imposter from a mile away.
The unknown has undone many a president, and no matter the popularity of an Oval Office occupant, any and all presidents are vulnerable. Of course, one thing that seems to set Obama part from his recent predecessors is his ability to keep an inner calm about tough issues.
I played French horn, and I certainly do miss it. I miss it. I wish I had the time to keep up with it. It's like exercising: You have to keep it up, especially the muscles in your lips to deal with the French horn.
One of the more bizarre games I played as a kid was something called 'kill the man.' It was a cross between football and rugby, which found the person carrying the ball a target of some hungry tacklers. I still don't know why we enjoyed the game because it was impossible to win.
The most successful politicians are the ones who embrace their best traits while turning their liabilities into loveable attributes. And yet, many a candidate tries to run as something they aren't simply because the strategy dictates it.
McCain needs Hillary to run because that's what keeps the Republican coalition together. She helps unite the Republican base.
Presidential money is almost like the housing bubble. It's growing at such an astronomical rate, you think it can't get any bigger.