OxBlog

# Posted 6:21 PM by Ariel David Adesnik

SUNDAY MORNING ROUND-UP: If you weren't watching, you didn't miss much. Barack Obama was on Meet the Press, followed by James Carville & Paul Begala, talking about their new book, with Mary Matalin thrown into the mix for balance. Joe Lieberman and Pat Roberts were on Face the Nation. John Kerry led off on ABC This Week, followed by Jane Harman and Peter Hoekstra of the House intelligence committee. Here are the grades:

Barack Obama: B+. Obama continues to take the high road. Beloved by his party, he can accomplish more by reaching out to the center with civility than by attacking Republicans. But does he have ideas of his own?

Carville & Begala: B-. They blast their own party for being too soft and for not having a message, but they don't seem to have one either. But they get the B- for Carville's spectacular assertion that Hillary's "plantation" remark did not have racial overtones.

Mary Matalin: B. Did the job, nothing memorable.

Pat Roberts & Joe Lieberman: B. In most instances, I would give separate grades to a senatorial duo from opposing parties. But they didn't disagree. Nor did they agree on anything all that interesting.

John Kerry: B+/A-. Yes, I'm flip-flopping on Kerry's grade. So sue me. He's up in the 'A' range because he still has the passion and force of a candidate. But without the media spotlight forcing him to stay in the ballpark, I think he's beginning to get a little kooky. I can really see him becoming another Ted Kennedy: passionate, forceful and seriously kooky.

Harman & Hoekstra: B+. They are both very well spoken. Yet by virtue of being the ranking member and chair of the intel committee, they can't be at all specific.

And now we rate the hosts:

Tim Russert: B-. Really had an off week. Instead of challenging Obama to get specific about Iraq, he asked him to comment on the latest bit of anti-American hatred being spouted by Harry Belafonte. Come on. Even Dennis Kucinich would strike a patriotic pose by condemning that garbage.

Bob Schieffer: B. For the same reason as always.

George Stephanopoulos: B-. Kerry just bowled him over. Stephanopoulos seemed genuinely surprised by Kerry's passion and couldn't muster any of his own.

I must admit I enjoy handing out grades. But I guess that means I'll eventually have to take it on the chin when someone starts grading this blog.

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