Chuck Todd Uses Low CPAC Panel Attendance to Claim GOP Doesn't Care About Minorities
On MSNBC's Daily Rundown on Friday, NBC political director and
host Chuck Todd used low attendance at a Conservative Political Action
Conference panel discussion to take a cheap shot at Republicans:
"For a party struggling to change its demographic destiny, this picture
taken by a Brookings Institution fellow of an almost empty ballroom at a
panel on Republican outreach into minority communities, should be a bit
of a warning. You don't want to play into your party's stereotypes
there." [Listen to the audio]
On Thursday, Brookings fellow John Hudak tweeted
during the 2 p.m. ET event: "Big problem for GOP. Most important
#CPAC2014 panel. Topic: minority outreach. View: largely empty room." He
included the picture Todd referenced, a shot from the back of the large
main ballroom at CPAC showing rows of empty chairs.
In an article
posted on the Brookings Institution FixGov blog later that afternoon
entitled "Live from CPAC: The Most Important Panel Everyone Missed,"
Hudak ranted: "If the attendance pictured above reflects the party's
future approach to diversity outreach, it is probably safe to say that
for some the given future, the White House will be a solid hue of deep
blue."
Hudak and Todd failed to mention what attendance was like for every
other CPAC panel discussion. Generally the big-name speakers at CPAC get
the large crowds and the panel events conducted in between – in the
same huge ballroom – tend to get lower attendance.
With that context missing, it gave the impression that CPAC attendees
specifically avoided a discussion on minority outreach rather than
simply favoring the most prominent speakers over lesser-known panelists,
no matter what the topic happened to be.
Here is a transcript of Todd's March 7 remarks on Daily Rundown:
9:09 AM ET
(...)
CHUCK TODD: One more thing, for a party struggling to change its demographic destiny, this picture taken by a Brookings Institution fellow of an almost empty ballroom at a panel on Republican outreach into minority communities, should be a bit of a warning. You don't want to play into your party's stereotypes there. And though CPAC's panel on immigration was well-informed, respectful, and representative of diverse views, it was also attended by just about 50 people.
(...)
— Kyle Drennen is Senior News Analyst at the Media Research Center. Follow Kyle Drennen on Twitter.
