Super Tuesday
Broadcast Date: March 4, 2012
Tennesseans, along with voters in nine other states, go to the polls Tuesday to vote in a primary election.
There are a few competitive races locally, but most people are focusing on the top of the ticket and the GOP race for president.
Gene Patterson talks this week with representatives from three campaigns. Representing Mitt Romney is regional campaign chair Joe Bailey, from Rick Santorum's campaign is State Rep. Bill Dunn, and State Sen. Stacey Campfield is campaign co-chair for Newt Gingrich.
Later, the pundits panel joins Gene to continue the conversation about Super Tuesday. This week's panel is former candidate for State Senate and former Knoxville City Council member Marilyn Roddy, Cortney Piper of Piper Communication, and 6 News political analyst George Korda.
Comments
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Comments
#1 Ron Paul
Why was there an exclusion of Ron Paul representation in your forum on Sunday? If I were an uninformed voter who tuned into your show today to help make the very important decision on who would be the best President for the United States and only saw three choices, I would assume that Ron Paul had suspended his campaign like the other five candidates who have come before him. However, this is not the case is it? I have come to expect a more responsible and credible news source while watching WATE throughout the years, but after seeing this unjust bias against Dr Paul, I have suddenly lost respect and trust in your company. I will certainly spread the message to my family and friends whom I have on Facebook and Twitter. This is very unfair to the citizens in East Tennessee.
Michael
Powell, TN
#2 TTW Improvement Suggestions
I enjoy your show, and thank you for it, but I have two suggestions that I hope will make your show better. They are:
1. When Gene invites the viewing audience to visit the TTW website to make comments, it would be nice to see this week's show present on your site, not last week's. If I am going to take my time to make a comment, I don't want to make it on last week's site. This inability to get the latest show cued up looks unprofessional, and puts in doubt the worthwhileness of my leaving a comment.
2. On today's show (March 11) Lloyd Daugherty made the point that voting early often makes for voter remorse, because by the time the actual election occurs, several important events could have taken place which would have resulted in a person changing his vote.
So too it is with your taping TTW four days ahead of airing. By the time your panel tackles its issues, they have already been batted around for 4 days out in the political community and we have moved on to the newer issues, thus making the content of your show stale or perhaps even irrelevant.
You have a decent show here, but it could be distinctly improved. If you are so uncommitted to producing an excellent and relevant news opinion program, then keep your present, comfortable, and news-tardy format. But if you want a par excellence program with up to the minute punch, then get yourselves to the studio early Sunday and do the show.
#3 Tardiness
Mr. Donahoo:
We apologize for the delay in posting Sunday's program. It is rare that the show is not posted by the time the show airs. Normally it is posted the day before it airs. We experienced a production delay this time.
As for your complaint about the timeliness of the program itself, there is little that can be done here. Most weeks, the program is taped late Friday afternoon. It would be difficult for us to attract a diverse number of guests and pundits if we attempted to record the program any later than that or attempted to do it live on Sunday morning.
#4 Tardiness II
Thank you for your explanation.
As to attracting guests on Sunday morning, I think you underestimate your position. I believe only the most secure of invitees would turn you down for Sunday morning exposure, but even they could not help but appreciate that the new timeliness of your show would make their comments much more relevant and influential.
Tactically though, if you must adjust to accommodate an elite guest, you could always temporarily drop back to taping earlier in the week, as you do now.
As to the inflexibility of your panel, I think you underestimate their willingness to sacrifice a little time for the good of the public. Besides, if they were to refuse to move to the new time, well, good political thinkers are not in short supply, and your replacement of them would highlight your management team's executive ability to move quickly, decisively, and boldly.
Lastly, this scheduling readjustment would give the public up-to-the-minute,local news opinion , competing toe to toe with the most immediate of electronic news formats.
This change would allow TTW to stand distinctly above its competition its dedication to excellence.
Please reconsider making this change. Thanks.
Best regards,
Bayard Donahoo
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