Romm: Do as I Say, Not as I Do
UPDATE: Big mistake on my part, for reading past the part in Romm’s post where he says he recently debated Morano. The perils of speed reading. Good lesson I have just learned. Still, my larger point holds: Romm was curiously moved to write his post after he debated Morano. Why? It’s not like Morano’s history is any news to him.
Let me get this straight: Joe Romm tells reporters that they should ignore Marc Morano becaue he is “unquotable” and “uncitable”–shortly after Romm himself debates Morano on TV. (Watch here and here.)
I’m not sure which bothers me more–Romm’s hypocrisy or the fact that, in his “memo to media” post, he conveniently omits any mention of the recent Roll Call studio debate between himself and Morano.
My impression of the debate (substance aside): Morano’s constant interruptions and off-camera laughing was beyond annoying; Romm’s unrelentingly dour facial expression was beyond depressing.
Best pot-calling-the-kettle sound bite: Joe Romm on Morano: “He tries to demonize people.”
Demonization is as demonization does.
Joe did say that his participation was as a last-minute substitute for a friend. He’s made it clear that he thinks such debates are a bad idea, so it’s doubtful he would have scheduled it on his own.
Yes, I read that part as well–about two minutes after I hit the publish button. If Romm’s posts weren’t so damn long, I wouldn’t have gotten into the bad habit of skimming them.
Anyway, everything else I wrote I stand by. Favor or no favor, if he felt that strongly about Morano pre-debate, he should have acted in a way he advised after the debate. It’s fishy to me that he declared a no-Morano zone after the debate.
BTW, you watched the debate, I presume? Morano, on numerous occasions, used Romm’s unhinged attacks against Revkin as a cudgel. Remember how I’ve said before that such spitfire posts by Romm only undermines his cause? Morano didn’t need me or anyone else to figure that out. And it doesn’t matter if Romm’s’s media attacks constitute only two out every ten posts, or whatever. His exaggerated tone and rhetoric stand out in such a way that people take notice.
No, I didn’t watch and I probably won’t.