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Alex Wagner’s NOW Debuts With Question On Obama’s Leadership On Supercommittee

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by Tommy Christopher | 2:20 pm, November 14th, 2011

» 18 comments

At noon eastern time today, the Alex Wagner era at MSNBC began with the debut of the former Politics Daily White House correspondent’s newshour, NOW. Joined by a whip-smart panel that included HDNet‘s Dan Rather, Politico‘s Maggie Haberman, and New York Magazine‘s John Heilemann, Wagner kicked off the show with an examination of how President Obama‘s handling of the debt supercommittee is playing with voters.

President Obama, as Wagner puts it, “has gotten out of dodge,” traveling to Hawaii for the APEC conference, then on to an Asian swing that will keep him out of the country until days before the looming “Supercommittee” deadline. In Hawaii, the President urged the committee, charged with reaching a debt and deficit deal to avoid painful automatic cuts, to “go ahead and bite the bullet,” and as Alex notes, the White House has taken pains to draw a contrast between its own actions on job creation, and the Republicans’ (and a few Democrats) inaction.

After playing a clip of White House Press Secretary Jay Carney placing the onus for a deal squarely on Congress, Wagner observed, “This is, I feel, the most aggressive they have been in terms of pitting the White House versus the do-nothing Congress,” then asked, “Is it going to work, Maggie?”

Despite some positive movement in the polls since September, Politico’s Maggie Haberman wasn’t so optimistic. “I don’t think it’s going to work,” she said. “This gets harder for the President, especially the closer we get to the election. I think people want to say the President is leading, regardless of the fact this is Congress,” concluding that people want a president who can “corral Congress.”

NY Mag‘s John Heilemann said that it would be nice if President Obama could show “strong leadership” and “corral Congress,” but “when he tries to do that, he has failed on almost every occasion.”

Dan Rather correctly challenged the notion that the Republicans’ obstructionism is somehow the President’s failing, but that even given their obstructionism, the President’s apparent disengagement might not play so well with voters.

At least during this first episode, the panel stayed together throughout most of the show, giving NOW a similar brunching-with-smart-friends vibe to the network’s Up with Chris Hayes, and perhaps continuing a trend of news shows named for monosyllabic adverbs. Later in the show, Wagner introduced several of the branded segments (“the Bullpen,” for example) that have become staples on the cable news menu. She was confident throughout, but not overly slick, and the production on this first episode was seamless.

Alex Wagner had already proven herself an appealing TV presence in her role as MSNBC contributor, and her journalistic chops figure to serve her well in this format, not only with the skill she can bring to bear as host, but in securing sharp, insightful panelists.

Here’s the clip of Alex Wagner’s inaugural NOW segment, from MSNBC:

alex wagner, barack obama, Dan Rather, John Heilemann, Maggie Haberman, Politico, supercommittee, Up with Chris Hayes

Anonymous

Zero leadership, as usual . Barry is sightseeing with the family again.

But, no worries, he can demagogue from anywhere.
Anonymous

What leadership?
Jason

what the hell does “do nothing congress” mean?

Zero had a “do everything” congress for two years and they proceeded to bankrupt the country and take a flawed H.C. system and make it worse.

Republicans weren’t elected to go along with Obama. They were elected to put a foot on his throat, and so far they’re doing a piss poor job of it.
TPRTR

Obama is not a leader. He is a little boy that like to fly around in AF1 and make speeches. We need to put an adult in the white house. MSNBC has their head so far up Obama’s ass!
Pablo

A “do-nothing” Congress is one that doesn’t do Obama’s bidding. Unless we’re talking about the Senate, because they don’t get squat done.
Pablo

Bubba had a Republican Congress and managed to get in there and make things happen. Obama is no Bill Clinton.
Anonymous

Ok so we have a new show on MSNBC.It comes across as bipartisan but it’s early.I don’t know Alex Wagner so we’re all getting to know her I suppose.

Then we have Tommy who incorporates spin in the piece on a new show on MSNBC to work in a smack to the right.He couldn’t do but so much of that,this time,because Alex Wagner kept it balanced and Obama only came out sort of ok.

I didn’t see the show but I sense it’s likely Rather’s comment about republicans wasn’t a counter to the suggestion that their obstructionism is Obama’s fault.What is his fault ,however,is to get his own party behind him.So far he has had enough wander off to stop his proposals.

His own party members running for office are distancing themselves from him,correctly so huh Tommy,and the American people think basically he stinks at economic policy.
bohratom

Tommy is just loving it, another lefty takes a host job at MSNBC.
Anonymous

MSNBC has a show about the National Organization for Women?
Anonymous

Alex Wagner is a liberal. Simple as that. Nothing to learn. She’s been on MSNBC programming before. Her show won’t increase their viewership. That’s fo sho.
Www

Dan Rather is one of the dumbest men in America. “Whip smart?”
Queen for a day

Liberal friends join hands: a hardcore liberal network, MSNBC, debuts a new liberal news show with a liberal host and four liberals guests debating their liberal hero, Obama, reviewed by liberal media analysis reporter Mr. Christopher. Gosh, wonder if he’ll it. Also, since when is a presidential job approval rate from real clear politics daily average of 42 percent approval for Sept. And Oct., to 43 percent for Nov. a jump in the poll numbers. Guess you got to spin the positive and far as possible when you advocate as a reporter.
ATHF

She’s just another bias reporter from the ThinkProgress.org.
Same goes for all these little kids Chris Hayes and Erza Klein ( the kid behind JourNoList).

So everything she says and or reports is correct and anything a conservative says is a lie and is a racist.
DBo18

Unlike Chris Hayes, Rachel Maddow, Lawrence O’Donnell and Rev. Al, I don’t recall Alex Wagner ever guest-hosting for anyone on MSNBC before getting her own show. What’s up with that?
Daisyg

I like your show but if you allow your guests to continue to try to out shout each other, then you will lose me as a viewer. Your listeners are goimg to find it difficult to listen to more than 1 speaker at a time. I also feel that a certain level of civility is mandatory in a television show, especially a news show.
Anonymous

Good point. However, the week before she got the show , she was a panelist and commentator on every MSNBC program from morning joe to the evening. I guess she earned her stripes that way. At the time I was wondering why she was on every program.
Anonymous

jealousy is as cruel as the grave…..(from the Bible) you are draped and trenched in it…..PRESIDENT OBAMA IS GOING TO GO DOWN IN HISTORY AS ONE OF OUR BEST PRESIDENTS……..that is the truth….he has accomplished a lot……that is the truth and you or you haters can take away from him….but carry on with your untruths……
Anonymous

i started watching her….i love Alex!!!! she is great and intelligent and funny too…..now how u like that!?