Dear Viewers,
Last night's show - Tuesday - was an audio nightmare. In the end, all went well, but most of the commercial breaks were spent trying to identify problems.
I lost count of how many remote guests I could not hear. The problems usually arose when I would go to our reporters who were positioned around the interior of Madison Square Garden (search). I would hear the beginning of their reports but then would lose them. I could tell it was time to thank them and move onto the next guest when I would see on the TV monitors that their lips stopped moving.
At one point I had tossed to David Lee Miller and, after losing his audio, I turned to Michael Barone and Ceci Connolly sitting on the set with me and said, "Can you hear him?" They both nodded yes. I said, "Well, I hope you enjoy it. Do tell me what he says after the show" and they both laughed.
My first guest after the first round with the reporters was Rush Limbaugh (search). As he was answering my first question, my producer said in my ear, "go to Senator Hutchison, we have audio problems."
I thought it was a terribly odd direction since I was having NO problem hearing Rush Limbaugh. Apparently you, the viewer, had audio problems and could not hear Rush but this is the one guest that I did NOT have problems hearing.
I ignored the first direction from my producer since I assumed that I heard wrong with all the ambient noise or that she was terribly mistaken. She said it again and I did stop and go to my guest sitting next to me on the set - Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison.
As usual, we did get through the night with the problems not being terribly obvious to the viewer.
By the way, you really might want to check out Pat Buchanan's new book "Where the Right Went Wrong." (search) Even if you do not agree with Pat's thesis about the right, you will find his history of foreign policy and presidents very interesting.
One other interesting note: did you know that Mrs. Cheney, Pat Buchanan and I worked together at one time? We all worked at another news network and used to "cross paths" in the make up room.
Some of the pics today I “found” on my camera and can't take credit for them. I leave my camera around and people help me by snapping some. Obviously the ones I am in, I did not take.
Finally, a viewer asked how we select guests. The short answer is that we are trying on our hour to duplicate the interviews we did in Boston. Likewise I am trying to conduct the same kind of interview - meaning I draw out the facts and opinions and you decide.
Both these conventions are in many ways just celebrations by the participants of their political party. Just like Boston, you hear only one voice or viewpoint from the stage — and that is in support of the nominee.
I would urge you to watch the presidential debates which start in a few weeks since that is where you will hear issues debated by the nominees.
Greta
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