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First Read is an analysis of the day's political news, from the NBC News political unit. First Read is updated throughout the day, so check back often.

Chuck Todd, NBC Political Director

Mark Murray, NBC Deputy Political Director

Domenico Montanaro, NBC Political Researcher



The Big Mo'

Posted: Tuesday, December 11, 2007 4:28 PM by Domenico Montanaro

From NBC’s Domenico Montanaro
Giuliani’s Florida to Feb. 5 firewall strategy is contingent upon a mix of name ID and media attention. Giuliani strategists told reporters in a conference call last month that Giuliani’s leads in many Feb. 5 states is “momentum proof.” He has the name ID, but the media attention may be dwindling, according to a rival campaign’s paid research, tracking local media stories. Media attention is one of the contributing factors to momentum that candidates usually get after victories in early states. Are his leads then, “momentum-proof”?

Here are the numbers:

Obama

Dec 2 – Dec 8  

4,258 clips

Nov 25 – Dec 1

2,892 clips

Nov 18 – Nov 24

2,395 clips

Nov 11 – Nov 17

2,806 clips

Clinton

Dec 2 – Dec 8  

5,850 clips

Nov 25 – Dec 1

6,967 clips

Nov 18 – Nov 24

3,206 clips

Nov 11 – Nov 17

5,818 clips

Romney

Dec 2 – Dec 8  

5,713 clips

Nov 25 – Dec 1

3,313 clips

Nov 18 – Nov 24

1,892 clips

Nov 11 – Nov 17

1,785 clips

Huckabee

Dec 2 – Dec 8  

3,550 clips

Nov 25 – Dec 1

1,496 clips

Nov 18 – Nov 24

1,046 clips

Nov 11 – Nov 17

453 clips

Giuliani 

Dec 2 – Dec 8  

1,716 clips

Nov 25 – Dec 1

2,980 clips

Nov 18 – Nov 24

1,268 clips

Nov 11 – Nov 17

1,744 clips

EXPLANATION: Each “clip” represents 30-seconds of airtime when a candidate’s name was mentioned.  It often, but not always, corresponds with an individual story.  In other words, on local TV, if they did a 26-second story on Huckabee, that would count as one clip.  But if that story was 60 seconds, and his name was mentioned in both the first and second 30-second segments, it would count as two clips. So it’s not an exact representation of the number of individual stories (although it’s pretty close) as much as it is a tool to show total mentions/airtime. 

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Comments

Look at Clinton vs. Obama ...  I'm not going to complain about clip number, that's just stupid.  But don't go whining about media bias against Clinton, when it is largely manufactured in your head!


Giuliani is the single most worst candidate for President now, and I write that as a moderate.  He will never have my support.
Why do speak ill of Rudy?  Why not point out that Mitt got much more airtime than Huck or Rudy... both in terms of total coverage and increased coverage?  Or might that inadvertently look bad for Huckabee?
Huckabee is basically tied with Giuliani nationally and is well ahead in the biggest 2 early states.  Somehow I doubt Giuliani's "lead" is momentum proof.
The Big Mo'!!

Barack has it!

Hillary doesn't!
You're right.  Hillary has been mentioned a lot. All negatively.  Chris Matthews and Tucker are hour long shows bashing Hillary.  MSNBC should be known as the Obama - Huckabee Network. Those are the candidates that get the favorable mention.
Before you decide to cast your vote for Rudy,you need to read the Vanity Fair expose on him and his crooked business ties.If you think Bush has sold us out to the Saudies you ain't read nothing yet.This little squinting guy has made so much money off of 9-11 that he makes Mitt-flop look like a pauper.No wonder the police,fireman and 9-11 families despise him-----
I get the impression that the media are supporting Hillary and have long declared her the winner. It bothers me that they have bought into her demand that she is the inevitable candidate.
Look at Clinton vs. Obama ...  I'm not going to complain about clip number, that's just stupid.  But don't go whining about media bias against Clinton, when it is largely manufactured in your head!


Nicholas-

I can't say for sure that things haven't begun to even up a bit but here is the research that indicated a heavy media bias against Clinton;

THE INVISIBLE PRIMARY—INVISIBLE NO LONGER
A First Look at Coverage of the 2008 Presidential Campaign
October 29, 2007

A study by the Project for Excellence in Journalism and the Joan Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy

In the early months of the 2008 presidential campaign, the media had already winnowed the race to mostly five candidates and offered Americans relatively little information about their records or what they would do if elected, according to a comprehensive new study of the election coverage across the media.
The press also gave some candidates measurably more favorable coverage than others. Democrat Barack Obama, the junior Senator from Illinois, enjoyed by far the most positive treatment of the major candidates during the first five months of the year—followed closely by Fred Thompson, the actor who at the time was only considering running. Arizona Senator John McCain received the most negative coverage—much worse than his main GOP rivals."

http://www.journalism.org/node/8187


Like I said, maybe things are evening up, but they would have to...


Van
Matthews blasts Hillary even if they are discussing the weather.He must have a lot of pent up frustration because he fell so hard for Bushies manliness,loved a few other republican guys but always returns to Hillary--------hmmmmm.Tucker just dislikes all the Democrats and liberals so why bother watching him.Hear he is headed for the chopping blovck anyway.Abrams getting better every night.Overman just the best.Must be hard for him to keep his job with the Bushies trying to destroy all those that speak the truth.
The Big Mo'!!

Barack has it!

Hillary doesn't!

Nemis (Sent Tuesday, December 11, 2007 5:20 PM)"

Update:

The Democratic race nationally continues to feature Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) far ahead of Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) and the rest of the field. But a highly competitive campaign in Iowa pitting Clinton, Obama and former senator John Edwards (N.C.), along with signs of a tightening contest in New Hampshire, suggests that the Democratic race is also far from settled.

The Democratic race has changed little nationally, according to the new poll, with Clinton now enjoying the support of 53 percent of likely Democratic voters to 23 percent for Obama. Edwards remains in third with 10 percent. New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, Sen. Joseph Biden Jr. (Del.), Rep. Dennis Kucinich (Ohio) and Sen. Christopher J. Dodd (Conn.) registered in the low single digits."

Clinton-53
Obama-23( but with LOTS of momentum)

I'll take that any day.


Van
I just can't wait to see Biden trash them all in a debate again, even if it's for the last time ever.  Biden owns these dogs on the Democrat ticket, flat out owns them.  Too bad the media doesn't talk about it much.
So, Van, the two candidates according to your research who have had the toughest press were the initial frontrunners who have both slipped, not fallen.  And your article states the 1st 5 months of the year, which was a long time ago.  Could it be that they were the frontrunners, because they were and are still the best known, so that is why the focus is on them?  Ode to be the inevitable candidate?  And if F. Thompson has gotten such good press, it clearly hasn't helped him too much.

As I said, going into Labor Day, September, Hillary really was getting a lot of positive press.  I just don't think that the press switched gears in November and decided to take her down, I think it's more in line with the general direction her campaign has recently taken.  I would have advised her campaign to be more media friendly from the get-go to get her side out.  She needs to utilize them, not just manipulate (and by that, I mean her spin team has been successful at controlling the debate and talking points) them, and it does not look favorable to blame somebody else for your problems--even if the media is not highly thought of.  Also, I feel like even still, she is still the candidate getting the closest focus.

Good point, though, and I knew it would come.  Even if she gets more press, it's not necessarily good.
One of the biggest questions I have is why does it seem like Ron Paul has been dropping back out of the spotlight, despite his big money making and strong independent backing?
No wonder our nation is so pathetic...so many appear willing to vote or change a vote based upon something called 'mo' or whats in a poll...do any of you work or live in the real world?
When the other states get closer to their primaries the voters will begin to pay more attention and Hillary will see her lead decrease as it has in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina.  
'THE BIG MO' Rudys new girlfriend, gotta protect her from danger, terrorists willllll do anything to bring The Rude Boy Down.
It will be Mitt and the Money.


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