Did Today show act stupidly by focusing on president's comments about Harvard arrest before his health care speech?

President Obama took an hour of prime time Wednesday to try explaining one of the most complex notions in government today -- why America needs to substantially change and expand its national health care system.

So why did the Today show -- by far TV's most-watched morning show -- spend its first segment this morning discussing what the president said about the arrest of a black scholar in Cambridge, Mass.?

The president, after admitting he didn't know all the facts in the case, said police "acted stupidly" in arresting Henry Louis Gates, one of the country's best-known African-American scholars and a personal friend. Gates was arrested in his home after an officer arrived to investigate a mistaken burglary call and, apparently, didn't like the way the professor reacted during their conversation.

I'll get to what they said about Gates in a minute. But I found it astonishing that the show, which still claims to be an arm of NBC News, would put bloviating about race issues raised by an offhand answer late in a press conference above a debate about health care that affects all Americans. Today's rival, Good Morning America, seems to have made the same choice.

It reminded me of something President Obama said during an interview last Friday, where he noted that press coverage of his speech to the NAACP highlighted his talk about black people taking responsibility over his words about the government taking responsibility for its role in black America's issues.

The press seems to be playing a game of gotcha with Obama on issues of race, cherry-picking statements he makes that will make the biggest splash, regardless of what his actual speeches are focused on.

Back to Gates and the Today show. The discussion started with a recap of the professor's arrest (including an odd camera move where they emphasized a black officer standing near the handcuffed scholar), moving into an argument between black pundit Michael Eric Dyson and white pundit Michael Smerconish.

Both men's takes were predictable, with Dyson connecting the arrest to larger issues of race and Smerconish accepting the arresting officer's account of how the incident began.

But neither man noted a couple of important issues: Cambridge police have dropped charges against Gates, calling the arrest "regrettable and unfortunate." And police have not really explained why they felt the need to arrest a man they knew was not guilty of a crime, simply because he was yelling at them.

Of course, each side has their own story now. The police report says Gates instantly made race an issue after the officer identified himself and asked the professor to step outside his home. Gates told CNN the officer didn't immediately identify himself and seemed angry even after the professor provided his driver's license and Harvard identification, which insulted him.

It seems obvious to me there were two missteps here. Gates probably could have found a calmer way of expressing his displeasure with the police, and the officers overreacted by arresting a guy they knew wasn't a criminal and wasn't a threat to them, simply because they didn't like what he was saying and how he was saying it.

Now media outlets like the Today show have pulled the president into it, further obscuring the real issues at hand just to spark an exciting TV segment.

If you ask me, the Cambridge police aren't the only people involved who may have acted stupidly.

*

Comments

[dave]

Thanks for speaking for the growing number of viewers that are fed up with the tabloid trash smothering legitimate television journalism.

I don't waste time on ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, etc. anymore. The only place I find serious news is PBS. Jim Lehrer and World Focus are OK.

[Jeannette]

Truly Professor Gates is too impressed with himself. I Thank God every day for our public Safety Members, Military Personnel and their families. They work in a dangerous environment every day and night to protect us and our homes. I believe that Professor Gates should have provided his identification - immediately and respected the officer. What if it had been a thief? What if the officer had not asked for identification - then what? How could he justify his actions, if in fact it had been a prowler?

If you recall the Jeffrey Dahmer incident where a naked Asian man had escaped his captor - the officer called to the scene was informed by Dahmer that it was a "lovers spat" and the officer released the non-English speaking man to Dahmer and to his death! Although dramatic - had the officer called to the scene investigated what was truly happening the Asian Man most likely would not have died. Officer Crowley has been put into this debacle for doing his job and I wonder if the officer had been black - would we even be discussing this? I believe that when the tape recordings of this incident are made public -- we will know who is owed an apology.

[Cathy]

'Oh, I'm black, oh poor me, I broke the law but I am black so I can cry FOUL'. I said it before, I am so over the whole 'I am black, poor me' thing. It is such crap.

[Carey]

Obama supporters will defend ANYTHING the man no matter what. That is so sad. That is the problem with voting by party rather than by a candidate. If this had been Bush the same people defending Obama's actions would be condemning them.

[RagsTTiger]

Let's toss into the mix the journalistically disgraceful Harry Smith's interview with Prof Gates's daughter on the CBS Morning Show. Softball questions, devoid of any insight, with an obvious point of view to promote. I am sure their affiliate in Boston, WBZ, appreciated having their community besmirched.

[Joe (Port Richey)]

Mr so-called President Obama is a screw up. He is the worst thing this country has ever had. he is a racist, he is a traitor to the USA and of course he wants al and jesse to get their face time so race becomes an issue as directed by the President. It is the first step of many which will be the start of defeating this country from the inside out as B in Laden said he would

[Ben from Odessa]

PS:

I did forget to address this part...All who weigh in on this as being a case or not concerning racial profiling are just as much out of the loop as Obama and the gasbags of the pundit press...YOU were not there EITHER, so your personal opinions and or experiences shed little light on this incident. Also remember, at least Obama knew the professor, so he is 6% closer then the rest of the opinions that fly.

I am guessing that those actually involved in the incident are not even completely sure what went down...It would be good if in fact they do get together over a beer and seek some kind of mutual understanding...my guess (opinion) is that this will turn out to be more of an ego clash, and errors were created by both parties...but the Legal bottom line, (not to mention per the local D.A. tossing this) is that you should not be arrested in your own home for verbal abuse on a police officer...especially because it is your domain.

[Ben from Odessa]

"the big question is why did obama even bring this up?" - Rob

Good question...because he did not bring it up, it was the FIRST question asked by the moronic press core at the end of a press conference held about the health care bill. Next, Obama was probably prepped on the possibility of a question concerning this issue...we do not know if he stuck to script or left the farm, either way it was a misstep ( I will say I can not believe some of the advice he gets, but it is very hard to ferret out the details so far down stream).

The difference with Obama and the idiot child that preceded him, is that Obama is wise enough to recognize his errors and humble enough to correct them in public. Whereas Bush would dig his heels in like a five year old child and never budge or admit error on anything.

Certainly Obama may have an opinion on the importance of this issue, but that was the wrong approach and format, a simple avoidance of delving into unknown detail would have been sufficient. Just look at the time that was lost on the immediate important issues that are currently in play (health care etc.) the media and separate political opponents used this Gates thing as just another distraction, it has almost reached circus proportions.

I do believe racial profiling is a very pertinent issue, has been and will continue to be, and certainly should be in the stable of public dialog, but Obama did it and his other important issues a disservice, and now is in the process of correction...wow, what a change, a major politician that is man enough to admit he is not perfect and willing to do something about it...(that is what you conservatives call 'accountability' ).

Ben

Odessa

[Rob]

the big question is why did obama even bring this up????? i think he did it to take pressure off his ridiculous health campaign that's quickly losing favor. i believe he thought it would help things by showing what is wrong with america, but in reality he's what's wrong with america because he didn't know the facts before he spoke. sort of like his presidency so far. are we going to have a presidential news message every time a black person gets arrested? pretty ridiculous

[John]

Eric Deggans,

According to MA law,
A disorderly person is defined as one who:

* with purpose to cause public inconvenience, annoyance or alarm, or
* recklessly creates a risk thereof
* engages in fighting or threatening, violent or tumultuous behavior, or
* creates a hazard or physically offensive condition by any act which serves no legitimate purpose.

Conviction for Disorderly conduct in MA can be punishable by imprisonment for up to 6 months.

http://www.mass.gov/legis/laws/mgl/gl-272-toc.htm

[John]

Obama stupidly made it the leading story.

Today show was correct as journalist to cover the news.

[Laurine]

The police were doing their jobs and this idiot professor decided to act like a spoiled child instead of a calm, rational adult.

The officers were simply doing their jobs and came up against a professor with a huge chip on his shoulder. Professor Gates did not have to go out and throw a temper tantrum.

Professor Gates' actions were inappropriate. Both Professor Gates and the President were out of line and both owe an apology to the police. It seems like both to make a race issue where there was none.

[pay attention]

It looks like the professor is screaming in the photo on this page. He has handcuffs on.

Maybe it's my upbringing, but common sense says to cooperate with and respect the law at all times. Especially if you are the one being apprehended.

[Bob]

Eric, on this we agree! Having seen excerpts from the President's remarks to the NAACP they should have received far more attention than what they did. They were an important message that this President is uniquily positioned to deliver. I also agree that the press is trying to "stir the pot" to create news and the president made a big mistake by not simply deferring from responding based on his lack of knowledge of the facts and the more substantive national issues he is confronted with such as health care, wars, the economy etc.

[please]

It is obvious the professor was wrong. Obama should not even be involved.

[Eric Deggans]

because they didn't.

Just because Professor Gates made the mistake of getting angry, that didn't make it okay for police to arrest him for essentially no reason.

Remember: they didn't say he was physically threatening the officers. Just that he was yelling at them.

Should that really be the only reason somebody gets arrested. For yelling?

[Laurine]

It is obvious the professor was wrong. Based on the interviews I heard and the police report. Eric - why not admit that in this case the police did the right thing?

[Harvey]

good question, Rags - where the heck ARE Jesse and Al?

Intimidated by Gates?

[Karl]

The Media giveth and the Media taketh away.

[RagsTTiger]

This is one case where playing the race card will get the accuser trumped. Surely Jesse Jackson and Big Al Sharpton will arrive to get face time and stir the pot. Ah, life in today's United States.

Looks like Obama pulled a Bieden, with hoof in mouth.

[Raymond]

Sounds like the President is getting involved in hear-say, and showing his racist overtones! Let the police professionals do their job! And it sounds like this Officer knew his, with his background and years of experience, not some rookie, never involved in this sort of incident!

[pch]

"Now media outlets like the Today show have pulled the president into it"

That's absurd. The president consciously decided to blow-up this issue. His comment was "made-to-order" for The Today Show's trash programming.

In retrospect, President Obama probably knew his bed buddies in Congress were about to wave the "slow down" flag when he opted to take that final, planted question. Simple stunt to shift attention away. This, friends, is how "news" is created Today.

[bulletinizer]

The story placement struck me as odd too but Obama's presser did nothing to help his socialist healthcare reform plan. NBC is in the business of spinning everything boss Obama is selling and nobody could spin that blah-blah-blah. And when Obama acts stupidly that's news too.

[Deb]

Just another example of Obama acting stupidly....Man, is this guy an idiot.

[Harvey]

Cop a racist? Nope.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) - The white police sergeant criticized by President Barack Obama for arresting black scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. in his Massachusetts home is a police academy expert on racial profiling.

Cambridge Sgt. James Crowley has taught a class on racial profiling for five years at the Lowell Police Academy after being hand-picked for the job by former police Commissioner Ronny Watson, who is black, said Academy Director Thomas Fleming.

"I have nothing but the highest respect for him as a police officer. He is very professional and he is a good role model for the young recruits in the police academy," Fleming told The Associated Press on Thursday.

The course, called "Racial Profiling," teaches about different cultures that officers could encounter in their community "and how you don't want to single people out because of their ethnic background or the culture they come from," Fleming said.

[Liz]

Read the police report.

Gates showed his ID, and the officer was satisfied, and the whole deal was over. And then Gates went outside, and started freaking out and screaming and getting the whole neighborhood involved. That's when, and why, Gates was arrested.

The cop wasn't a racist. He was doing his job, checking out a break-in.

No, the cop probably shouldn't have arrested Gates at that point. But he was probably within his rights to do so - as Gates was screaming and cursing and calling the cop a racist, generally causing a huge neighborhood disturbance.

White or black, if you curse out a cop and vilify him (or her) in front of others, then there's a good chance you're going to wind up in the back of a police car.

[Lin Young]

Kara: He did show the officer his ID, both his Harvard ID and his driver's license showing his address, proving he lived there.

[Kara]

Why couldn't the professor simply showed his id as proof he lived there? Why did he suddenly get an attitude? He did not act like an intelligent man. Think of it this way - had it been someone else who had broken in the house and the cops simply left people would saw the cops were wrong for not questioning more. This is not a race issue. The professor decided to make it one. He knew he would get publicity out of this and is milking it for all it is worth.

[Lin Young]

Dr. Doom: I was very angry, I didn't feel safe, the prowler was still out there. Yeah, I think my attitude and behavior could have also been described as belligerent. And that was only one time that I took issue with a police officer.

As a white, middle-class, Midwesterner, the community I was raised in, including my family, taught me that police were there to serve and protect. So any time I think an officer deviated from that standard I have felt free to take issue with that officer. However, when I began having black friends I learned that they couldn't do that. It would have been dangerous - both decades ago and, all too frequently, even now - for a black person, especially a man, to behave as I, and many other white people, often behave with police we think are not doing their job properly.

[DoctorDoom]

Lin,

I agree that arresting Prof Gates was probably out of line, but I was not there. I did see another neighbor (he's white so probably a racist anyway) describe the Professor's behavior as "belligerent."

Would anyone have described your behavior as belligerent? Or just angry?

[FLNewsCenter.com]

Pardon me Tim...Chicago Sun-Tim...

It was a good question, but I don't think at that time. That one little question has destroyed any talk about healthcare. That's all we've heard about all day long...healthcare is gone for a while...and that's a shame. We are finally getting to the point in this country where people are starting to consider this as reality. The reporter was trying to "go for gold," instead of keeping things on topic. That's what I'm talking about. Wrong place - wrong time.

[Lin Young]

Grief. Can't the president answer a question honestly without getting jumped on. He's entitled to his opinion and he gave it. He was asked what he thought about the situation. And I didn't think he was out of line to give his opinion. If he weren't living in the White House that could have been him handcuffed. It could be any black man, that's the whole point. As Obama pointed out, there is a long history of disparate treatment of blacks and Latinas by police officers in this country.

Those things don't happen to white people. I have yelled at cops and they might not have liked it, but they didn't arrest me. As someone else said on another Website, it's not against the law to tell a police officer what you think of what he's doing and it's not against the law to yell at a police officer you disagree with.

Professor Gates had just gotten home from a trip to China. He was probably tired. The police officer didn't do a very good job of explaining why he was there and should have just left as soon as Gates showed ID proving he lived there. I can understand Gates asking the officer for his name and badge number and becoming upset when the officer wouldn't give it.

I called the police once to check out a prowler in my back yard who had tried to open a window. I had no yard light and the police officer, who was alone, kept asking me questions instead of going into my back yard to look for the suspect. In fact, he eventually left without looking. I got pretty upset, and even more so because he wouldn't give me his name and badge number. I was finally yelling at him, but he didn't arrest me. He just left without doing his job and without giving me his name or badge number so I could complain about him. The officer kept putting one hand over his name tag so I couldn't even see that, which made me even madder. However, the officer didn't arrest me for yelling at him in my own home. And if I remember correctly, I think I followed him out to his car yelling at him.

So I can understand Gates getting mad at that officer. And I still say the officer was wrong to arrest him.

[Chuck]

SocceRef - So you're saying that the reporter who asked the question about Gates and/or the "Today" show staff who chose to lead with the Gates story, are "Republicans" trying to get us off target?

Not hardly. Try again.

[SocceRef]

The first Star Wars (Episode 4) has a famous scene where the Death Star is under attack by the Rebels...

"Stay on target... Stay on target... Stay on target," says the commander.

The Rebublicans will constantantly try to get us OFF target...

Please read "Carry Me Home" by Diane McWhorter... the Rebub's all want status quo... just like them' Mountain Brook "Big Mules" folks did in the Civil Rights Movement... it's the same today. Very sad.

[Ron]

Only someone who has not seen the Today show in many years would be surprised about this. It, along with virtually all of the other morning programs, are nothing more than celebrity gossip and promo's for other network shows. Sadly, this is what most of the media has turned into. For some strange reason, America has become a celebrity-worshipping culture.

As to the question itself, it is not out of line to ask, but the President blew the response. He started off right by acknowledging that he didn't know all of the facts, but then blew it by denigrating the police department anyway. If he had been on his game, he would have said something like: "Not knowing all of the facts, I don't feel it's right to comment at this time. Besides, we're here to discuss health care reform."

[Harvey]

Donna:
If you were in his shoes, would you have chosen to inflame the situation by saying the police "acted stupidly"?

You really think "no comment" was the only alternative?

Why didn't he just say he needed more information, and that Gates was his friend and a great man and a great scholar (or whatever) and move on?

That would have defused it, and that's what a politically savvy pres would have done. But, hey, maybe the teleprompter wasn't ready and all.

[Donna]

Harvey:
Should the president have said, "I will not comment on that?" I'm just asking. Not sure what I would say in his shoes.

[Donna]

Is this why we have been unable to fix health care in America because we cannot stick to the subject at hand? Couldn't the question of the professor's arrest wait for another time? Seems the Today show is more interested in the irony of a professor, famous for studying racial profiling, being arrested, than the fact that the USA needs to fix health care before more of us die or all of us go broke paying insurance companies to stand between us & our doctors.

[Tim]

FLNewsCenter,

You couldn't be more wrong with everything in your post. Everything. A reporter asks a question regarding a national race-related story to America's first black President, and it's inappropriate? Huh? That's good journalism. Also, did you even watch the press conference? Lynn Sweet is from the Chicago Sun-Times.

Go back to your amateur site.

[RagsTTiger]

Interesting to note Dr Gates has signed a contract with PBS to do a documentary on racial profiling.

This appears to be yet another Obama planted question. If I am recalling properly, the President said "last question". He called on one person and another stood up and started a question. The President, then said OK two questions, with the last question be totally unrelated to the topic. He only took 11 questions in an hour. A great speaker who says nothing yet some continue to fawn over him.

The president should get out of the campaign mode. To interrupt the networks continually for basically non-events is not appreciated. The networks are NOT pleased with the loss of revenue. Let cable news and PBS stations cover it. That way if you want to see these orchestrated events, you have a choice, both cable and over the air.

[DoctorDoom]

Eric,

The problem is Eric, unlike Prof Gates, I did not act like a child. I did not get beligerant. Why would I? Why would he?

And to answer your question, no I don't think he or I should have been arrested in that situation - but the whole incident, especially Gates' reaction makes no sense.

However, if I thought the only reason the police officer was asking me for identification was because I was a white man and he was a black man, I would have gotten beligerant as well. But, I, a reasonable person, understood they were investigating the report of a crime. I found no reason to raise my voice.

And, if the witness reports are correct, what is the point of Gates following the officer outside to yell that he is a racist?

The delicate man from the Ivory Tower met and officer who was not obsequious enough for his liking and that ticked him off. Maybe it was just jeg lag - we'll give him the benefit of the doubt but if he files a lawsuit, he should be ridiculed.

[Harvey]

Sorry, FL News Center, but if the press had not asked that question, then many media observers would be berating the press for not doing so.

Gates could have defused the situation by not (apparently) having a meltdown, and Pres Obama could have kept the story from exploding by making a very brief response.

Reporters should be able to ask any question that they want to. Whether the story explodes into something too large is partly a function of how any given question is answered. In this case, Obama gave an answer that added fuel to the fire.

[FLNewsCenter.com]

The LA Times reporter should have never asked about that story in the first place. That one question, at the end of a 45min q/a on healthcare has taken over all of the attention from the important topic at hand to focus it on something that the president wasn't even involved in. The story was outrageous and shouldn't have happened, but the question was completely inappropriate. She should be ashamed of herself for taking attention away from such an important topic.

[Eric Deggans]

if you saw the story, Bill, you would remember that the shot of Gates under arrest started out centered on the black officer in the foreground and then widened out to show the true dimensions of the photo.

I thought when I saw it that it was an odd camera move. Why wouldn't you start the shot focused on the famous guy who is under arrest?

Unless you want to make the point that a black officer was involved in the arrest.

[Bill]

"odd camera move"?

The black officer was in the picture, meaning that he was on the scene at the time of, or just after the time of, the confrontation and the arrest. The picture was shown on TV.

Would it have been better to edit out - censor - the picture?

[Paul]

I could not agree with you any more on every count here. I found the "odd camera move where they emphasized a black officer standing near the handcuffed scholar" really strange - if not deeply problematic - as well. That move stands as great evidence for your keen point that all they wanted to do was "spark an exciting TV segment" and acted quite stupidly here as well.

[beltwaybandit]

There is no doubt that the media in this country have a highly questionable track record when it comes to evaluating their choice of what leads in news presentations.

But in this case, the logic of Eric's argument is highly flawed.

Whether the guy should have been arrested is a matter of opinion, interpretation, etc.

Whether President Obama should comment on or even be involved in the issue is not.

The President of the United States is not elected by the people of the country, paid $400K annually in salary, provided a really cool prviate jet to fly in, security second to none and the largest corporate housing scheme in the country to be spending time calling police officers "stupid" when he himself admits he doesn't even know everything that is going on.

Obama has exhibited highly questionable judgement by uttering the words he did about the police in this matter while admitting he doesn't even know what he is talking about.

It raises legitimate questions...which hopefully the media will get around to focusing on...as to how Obama deals with actual important issues and if he exhibits the same type of behavior then as he did this time.

Ironically, Obama's actions in this matter are strangely similar to something I would have expected from George W. Bush.

Eric is entitled to his opinion. But he knows as little about this as Obama and the rest of us. So the validity of that opinion is the same as Obama's.

[Eric Deggans]

Doom --

When you produced your ID and the address matched you didn't get arrested, did you?

If you had gotten angry about the way the officers treated you and raised your voice, do you think you would have deserved to be arrested?

As I said in the my earlier post, I think Gates and the police made mistakes here. But it bothers me that cops, who are supposed to be experts at handling volatile situations, arrested a guy for yelling at them.

And I find it interesting that folks who have accused Obama of not being transparent, being dishonest and not answering questions, are now critizing him for answering a question.

If we don't want politicians to stick to scripted messages, why are we blaming the politician for giving an honest answer which is then inflated to drown out the real issue at hand?

We're talking about fixing a trillion dollar health care system which still leaves 40 million uninsured.

Why are we tolerating the way some media outlets have decided to ignore that to focus on the arrest of one man?

[Barry]

"Media outlets ... have pulled the president into it"? Huh? That's an astonishing misreading of what happened.

President Obama put himself into it by responding the way he did, and then the news shows did what they do, and reported it.

A wiser politician would have simply said something like, "I'd like to know more about the case" and mentioned his friendship with Gates, and then moved on.

Sorry, but Obama has only himself, not Bush or anyone else, to blame for getting the Oval Office embroiled in this "controversy."

[DoctorDoom]

Eric,

Once I locked myself out of my house. I happened to have a sliding glass door at the time. I lifted it off the tracks and entered my home.

Soon there was a knock on my door and two large African American gentleman in blue uniforms with shiny badges were there. One of them had his pistol out of his holster - still pointing at the ground but drawn nevertheless.

They very gruffly asked me who the hell I was and if I had ID. When I tried to explain the situation they cut me off and asked again for identification - not very politely. I produced my identification and the addresses matched. They explained they had received a call someone was breaking in and they needed to check it out.

Then they left. No apology. I do not even recall their names - you know why - because it did not matter. They did their job and left.

I do not even think Professor Gates' getting arrrested was race. I think it was a big case of "don't you know who I am?" "You, lowly police officer, must treat me differently because I am well known."

I think the charge of racism is a little hard to believe about the man who gave mouth to mouth resuscitation to Reggie Lewis in a sweaty gym at Brandeis University. Maybe he just likes the Celtics enough to overcome his "hatred of successful black men."

And, if the President does not know all the facts, maybe he shouldn't comment.

And for you, self-proclaimed media and race relations expert, to think that the morning news shows would not lead with this, you are a greater fool than I believed. BTW, the clip of that answer was on American Morning on CNN as well.