Bias in picking which Letterman "Top Ten" items to showcase?

B) 2000

Bias in picking which Letterman "Top Ten" items to showcase? On FridayBs Today David Gregory highlighted how one of George BushBs "Top Ten Changes IBll Make in the Whiter House," included: "Give Oval Office one heck of a scrubbing." But CBSBs The Early Show didnBt play that anti-Clinton one and on ABCBs Good Morning America Antonio Mora referred to it well into the show, but Diane Sawyer scolded him for mentioning it.

A comparison of which entries ABC and CBS chose to highlight the mornings after the Gore and Bush appearances on Letterman found both shows showcased the most derogatory one about Bush while CBS played only positive ones about Gore and ABC ran a balanced selection from GoreBs list.

-- CBSBs The Early Show on Friday ran only a clip of Bush reading a single self-derogatory entry: "Make sure the White House library has lots of books with big print and pictures."

But the morning after GoreBs Letterman appearance, The Early Show played clips of Gore reading two self-promotional items from his "Top Ten Rejected Gore-Lieberman Campaign Slogans." Viewers saw Gore announce, "With Lieberman on the ticket you get all kinds of fun new days off" and "We know when the microphone is on." Bill Plante added on the September 15 show: "And number one, quote, he'd be twice as cool as that President guy on the West Wing."

-- ABCBs Good Morning America. Back in September GMA opened with GoreBs self-deprecating entry ("Remember, America: I Gave You The Internet, And I Can Take It Away. Think About It") and in a segment with George Stephanopoulos, played Gore announcing one unfavorable and two favorable to him: "Vote For Me Or I'll Come To Your Home And Explain My 191-Page Economic Plan To You In Excruciating Detail"; "With Lieberman on the Ticket, You Get All Kinds of Fun New Days Off" and "I'll Be Twice As Cool As That President Guy on 'The West Wing.B"

Five weeks later, however, GMA led at 7am, straight from the station ID, with Bush announcing the one about getting books with big pictures. GMA later showed Bush reading this one: "Will not get sick on Japanese leaders like other President Bushes I know."

At about 7:50am, after running some clips of Bush and Gore jokes at the Al Smith dinner, with some trepidation, news reader Antonio Mora raised the anti-Clinton item in BushBs Top Ten: "Bush did a Top Ten List yesterday on Letterman also, and my favorite, I donBt know if I can say this on morning television, itBs about what Top Ten things heBd do when he became President, and he said heBd give the Oval Office a very good scrubbing. Sorry, Diane, couldnBt resist." Jack Ford: "I donBt know if you can say that or not." Diane Sawyer, feigning outrage: "I never met these people. I just walked in this morning."

For the record, here are the complete lists from which networks producers had to select:

-- George BushBs October 19 "Top Ten Changes IBll Make in the White House."

10. To save taxpayer dollars, calls to winning sports teams will be collect 9. New rule at cabinet meetings -- you can't talk until you ride the mechanical bull 8. Goodbye boring presidential radio address -- hello "Dick Cheney Spins the Hits of the 80's, 90's and Today" 7. Make sure the White House library has lots of books with big print and pictures 6. Just for fun, issue executive order commanding my brother Jeb to wash my car 5. First day in office my mother's face goes up on Mount Rushmore 4. Look into hiring a security guard for our nuclear secrets 3. Will not get sick on Japanese leaders like other President Bushes I know 2. Give Oval Office one heck of a scrubbing 1. Tax relief for all Americans -- except smart aleck talk show hosts

-- Al GoreBs September 14 "Top Ten Rejected Gore-Lieberman Campaign Slogans."

10. "Vote For Me Or I'll Come To Your Home And Explain My 191-Page Economic Plan To You In Excruciating Detail" 9. "Remember, America: I Gave You The Internet, And I Can Take It Away. Think About It" 8. "Your Vote Automatically Enters You In Drawing For The 123 Billion-Dollar Budget Surplus" 7. "With Lieberman On The Ticket, You Get All Kinds Of Fun New Days Off" 6. "We Know When The Microphone Is On" 5. "Vote For Me, And I Will Take Whatever Steps Necessary To Outlaw The Term, 'Whazzzup!'" 4. "Gore/Lieberman -- You Don't Have To Worry About Pork Barrel Politics" 3. "You'll Thank Us In Four Years When The Escalator To The Moon Is Finished" 2. "If I Can Handle Letterman, I Can Handle Saddam Hussein" 1. "I'll Be Twice As Cool As That President Guy On 'The West Wing'"

For LettermanBs Top Ten archive, go to:

Top 10

To watch a RealPlayer clip of how David Letterman badgered Bush politically, something he did not do to Gore, go to the October 19 CyberAlert item about BushBs appearance where MRC Webmaster Andy Szul has added a video:

Video

-- Uncle Bob (unclb0b@aol.com), October 24, 2000