Webb and Tester Meet the Press - Does Russert Treat Newcomer's Differently?
Interesting. This week on Meet the Press, Tim Russert welcomed Jon Tester and Jim Webb, the two freshman Democrats whose elections took the longest to call but who together delivered the Senate to the Democrats. Analyzing this week's debate from an argumentation perspective, we see that Russert's treatment of the two is decidedly less aggressive than his treatment of McCain and Lieberman a week ago. Two possible explanations for this lighter treatment exist: 1. Russert is biased in favor of the Democratic takeover and the basic approach of Democrats to the war in Iraq, the economy, and corruption, OR 2. Russert treats newcomers differently than the experienced insiders who frequently visit his show. I will puzzle out that question a bit at the end, but let's begin this analysis by clearly illustrating the softness in Russert's approach.
