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Arts & Entertainment

An Insider's View of Washington

Political analyst Chuck Todd provides insights about the Republican primary, 2012 Presidential Election and the role of the media.

Chuck Tood's unofficial report on 'the state of the union,' delivered to a packed auditorium at 's Monday night, was pretty much as dismal as one might expect. “It doesn't feel like we're getting out of this economic malaise quickly,” Todd stated.

Kicking off the university's 2011-2012 Open Visions Forum, Todd repeatedly noted, “We're in an unpredictable time.”

Todd should know. As Chief White House Correspondent for NBC News and co-host of The Daily Rundown on msnbc, Todd has his finger on the pulse of the nation's political systems.

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Philip Eliasoph, Ph.D., founder of the Open Visions Forum and professor of visual and performing arts, said that Todd's appearance is indicative of the Open Visions Forum's mission to encourage a conversation between the community and global media specialists, writers and celebrated personalities. “This is our town meeting,” Eliasoph said. “That's the special touch that takes place here onstage. So often we're watching these celebrities at a distance.”

In introducing Todd, James Simon, professor and chair of Fairfield University’s English Department and Director of the Journalism program, described him as "the hardest working man in the political journalism business." Simon also pointed out that, during Todd's career, he garnered a reputation for using his platform more to inform the public rather than elicit controversy by inflammatory remarks made by some politicos over the airwaves and in print. Simon said, “He refuses to pander to the far right and the far left.”

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Todd candidly discussed his opinions about the economy, upcoming 2012 Presidential Election and what he described as the “vitriol” between the nation's Republican and Democratic parties. Citing the soon-to-expire Bush tax cuts, Todd said, “They're going to have to deal with this, but the atmosphere is so poisonous, I don't know how they're going to do it. We've gotten into this paralysis where there is a fear of losing, a fear of looking like you're weak, a fear of looking like you lost, and of looking like you caved in.”

Moreover, pragmatism and compromise are frowned upon.

Referring to Todd's take on the political situation as “sobering,” Eliasoph said, “Unquestionably, from his perch and with his highly privileged insider's access to West Wing confidential sources and in the administration’s public posturing, I got a great sense of America being at crossroads.”

Todd admitted that the presidential elections are “unpredictable.” In an environment where many Americans don't feel like they have any control over their finance in this shaky economy, there's been a double digit drop in consumer confidence, he added. Constituents are looking for someone to blame and politicians — especially those who are up for re-election — are looking for ways to make sure that it's not their given political party.

About the Republican primary, Todd feels that the window for candidates signing on has closed and that both leaders for the Republican presidential nomination — Mitt Romney and Rick Perry — come with their own set of challenges.

An audience member asked Todd what advice he would offer President Obama to ensure his re-election. Todd replied that “unscripted” dialogues with some less politically correct rhetoric would go a long way in winning back former supporters who have grown wary of his cool exterior. Todd commented, “He's dispassionate by nature. As a professor of law, I think you have to be. However, he's got to figure out how to channel this populous anger at Washington. The public is desperate for authenticity, and they always reward it.”

Todd feels that though President Obama was elected to “change things,” the public was surprised that he immediately began to “work within the system.” Todd also contends that Americans heard “what they wanted to hear” during the 2008 election campaign. “I listened during the debates, and even everything in his background said that he was going to be conciliatory,” Todd said. “He said he was going to be a pragmatist. At any given time, you never felt like he was going to say to Congress, 'My way or the highway.'”

In the upcoming months, Todd wouldn't be surprised to see a “third entity” enter the race. “That's the wild card,” he said. With “double digit drops in consumer confidence,” the American people could possibly decide to throw out the party in power and start anew, he said. Historically, this has been the case during economic upheaval. Todd cited a 28-year span, between Andrew Jackson and Abraham Lincoln's presidential tenures, when the American people looked for answers in different administrations and opted to elect presidents for single terms only.

In the audience, a man whispered, “What about Sarah Palin?” Todd didn't mention the former governor of Alaska during the 90-minute program, though.

Weston resident Meta Shroeter, a subscriber to the Open Visions Forum for “at least six or seven years,” enjoyed listening to Todd's commentary. “These programs are wonderful,” she said. “Every one is different.”

On Monday, Oct. 3 at 8 p.m., Lara Logan will discuss “Apartheid to Afghanistan: Reporting from the Front Lines.” For more information, go to www.quickcenter.com.  

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