Scott Hyland
Morning Joke
By Scott Hyland
On Tuesday, February 21, 2012, Franklin Graham was invited as a guest on MSNBC's Morning Joe. Graham claims that he was invited on the show to discuss "the Newsweek article about the murder and killing of Christians around the world...." Willie Geist, the host, set the theme for the segment within the first minute by asking Graham, "Do you believe that President Obama is a Christian?"
Imagine being invited on a program to discuss one issue only to be ambushed by another issue. This unprofessional display of journalism is an offense that must not be overlooked. Consider also the fact that Graham had to respond to questions from, not one, but five different people. Michael Steele was the only person on the entire program whose question held any merit at all.
Through pursed lips, Willie Geist contemptuously asked one question after another. The entire interview plays like a carefully planned interrogation designed to coerce Graham to discredit himself. Graham suffered one indignity after another, and most of his answers were met with further inquiries, smug expressions, disapproving tones, and even snickering that was audible to the viewing audience.
The intentional neglect of the primary topic was clear in the following statement by Mike Barnicle: "I just don't get it, Reverend; I don't mean to, like, harp on this because we have other things to talk about, but why can't you just say, 'Yeah, I believe he's a Christian.'?" Graham answers once again and then Geist asks, "Do you believe that there's a chance President Obama is a Muslim?" Graham answers this question. Geist presses the matter a second time by asking Graham, "But you do not believe he's a Muslim?" Graham answers firmly, "No."
Geist presses the matter a third time by asking, "Categorically not a Muslim?" As Graham answers the question, he introduces the matter for which he was invited on the program. "Christian minorities throughout the entire Arab world are under attack. In a Newsweek magazine last week, cover story was the massacre of the Christians in the Islamic world from Europe all the way through the Middle East...Muslims are killing Christians." Geist does not even acknowledge the fact that Christians are being murdered.
Directly following Graham's comment, Geist asks the question "Is there one candidate who shares your beliefs more than another?" Graham answers Santorum. At this point, Mike Barnicle takes a brief courtesy recess by stating, "Before we let you go, how's your father?" A friendly photo of President Obama and Billy Graham displays across the screen, and Geist makes what seems to be a concluding remark, "Please give him our best. I do want to ask you one more question before we go; do you believe that Rick Santorum is a Christian?"
Graham answers, "I think so because his values are so clear on moral issues...." John Heilemann interjects at this point, "That is an amazing double standard that you just applied. Your reaction as Willie set that up — your reaction to the difference, the question about Rick Santorum and President Obama, I think, just exposes an incredible double standard you're applying to those two people; they're exactly the same situation." Heilemann then laughs right in the face of Franklin Graham as he attempts to qualify his answer.
Heilemann's word choice in response to Graham's comment sums the entire interview — "as Willie set that up." Willie Geist's final remark to Franklin Graham, of all people, was "Well, we hope you'll respect people of all faiths" punctuated with a conspicuous "tsk." Franklin Graham is President of what Forbes.com listed as one of the top 200 largest charities in the U.S., Samaritan's Purse, which annually donates into the hundreds of millions of dollars in aid to other people in other countries of other faiths. Graham may be one of the most respectful guests of other faiths that Willie Geist and his crew have ever had the privilege of interviewing on the set of Morning Joe.
Ironically, Franklin Graham found himself being persecuted on the very program that invited him to talk about the persecution of Christians around the world. He was the subject of no less than twenty insults, ten of which came in the last five minutes of the program, and he was the one who issued an apology Wednesday, February 29th. Watch the program and then ask yourself at the end of the day, "Who would you prefer to sit down and enjoy a cup of coffee with?"
© Scott Hyland
March 7, 2012
On Tuesday, February 21, 2012, Franklin Graham was invited as a guest on MSNBC's Morning Joe. Graham claims that he was invited on the show to discuss "the Newsweek article about the murder and killing of Christians around the world...." Willie Geist, the host, set the theme for the segment within the first minute by asking Graham, "Do you believe that President Obama is a Christian?"
Imagine being invited on a program to discuss one issue only to be ambushed by another issue. This unprofessional display of journalism is an offense that must not be overlooked. Consider also the fact that Graham had to respond to questions from, not one, but five different people. Michael Steele was the only person on the entire program whose question held any merit at all.
Through pursed lips, Willie Geist contemptuously asked one question after another. The entire interview plays like a carefully planned interrogation designed to coerce Graham to discredit himself. Graham suffered one indignity after another, and most of his answers were met with further inquiries, smug expressions, disapproving tones, and even snickering that was audible to the viewing audience.
The intentional neglect of the primary topic was clear in the following statement by Mike Barnicle: "I just don't get it, Reverend; I don't mean to, like, harp on this because we have other things to talk about, but why can't you just say, 'Yeah, I believe he's a Christian.'?" Graham answers once again and then Geist asks, "Do you believe that there's a chance President Obama is a Muslim?" Graham answers this question. Geist presses the matter a second time by asking Graham, "But you do not believe he's a Muslim?" Graham answers firmly, "No."
Geist presses the matter a third time by asking, "Categorically not a Muslim?" As Graham answers the question, he introduces the matter for which he was invited on the program. "Christian minorities throughout the entire Arab world are under attack. In a Newsweek magazine last week, cover story was the massacre of the Christians in the Islamic world from Europe all the way through the Middle East...Muslims are killing Christians." Geist does not even acknowledge the fact that Christians are being murdered.
Directly following Graham's comment, Geist asks the question "Is there one candidate who shares your beliefs more than another?" Graham answers Santorum. At this point, Mike Barnicle takes a brief courtesy recess by stating, "Before we let you go, how's your father?" A friendly photo of President Obama and Billy Graham displays across the screen, and Geist makes what seems to be a concluding remark, "Please give him our best. I do want to ask you one more question before we go; do you believe that Rick Santorum is a Christian?"
Graham answers, "I think so because his values are so clear on moral issues...." John Heilemann interjects at this point, "That is an amazing double standard that you just applied. Your reaction as Willie set that up — your reaction to the difference, the question about Rick Santorum and President Obama, I think, just exposes an incredible double standard you're applying to those two people; they're exactly the same situation." Heilemann then laughs right in the face of Franklin Graham as he attempts to qualify his answer.
Heilemann's word choice in response to Graham's comment sums the entire interview — "as Willie set that up." Willie Geist's final remark to Franklin Graham, of all people, was "Well, we hope you'll respect people of all faiths" punctuated with a conspicuous "tsk." Franklin Graham is President of what Forbes.com listed as one of the top 200 largest charities in the U.S., Samaritan's Purse, which annually donates into the hundreds of millions of dollars in aid to other people in other countries of other faiths. Graham may be one of the most respectful guests of other faiths that Willie Geist and his crew have ever had the privilege of interviewing on the set of Morning Joe.
Ironically, Franklin Graham found himself being persecuted on the very program that invited him to talk about the persecution of Christians around the world. He was the subject of no less than twenty insults, ten of which came in the last five minutes of the program, and he was the one who issued an apology Wednesday, February 29th. Watch the program and then ask yourself at the end of the day, "Who would you prefer to sit down and enjoy a cup of coffee with?"
© Scott Hyland
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