Tuned In+Television | 7 days ago

Election Watch: Romney Wins, Loses Trump Primary

By James Poniewozik

Mitt Romney gets the reality star's endorsement. But can he gain bona fides with The Donald's supporters without picking up his political baggage?

Tuned In
Tuned In+News Media | 16 days ago

State of the Union: A Call for Unity, in a Political Package

By James Poniewozik

A lengthy, listy speech appealed to Americans’ common goals, but was always conscious of political opponents in the room—and at least one Presidential rival outside the room.

Tuned In
Tuned In+News Media | 17 days ago

The Morning After: Come Back, Loud Debate Audiences! All Is Forgiven!

By James Poniewozik

Without the hoots and hollers from a partisan crowd, last night’s Republican candidates in Tampa were like sitcom actors looking for their laugh track.

Tuned In
Tuned In+Television | 21 days ago

Colbert and Cain Do the Charleston: Which One’s the Comedian?

By James Poniewozik

I’ve never been to Charleston, S.C., but I’m pretty sure that, for this afternoon at least, Randolph Hall at the College of Charleston was located at the intersection of Reality and Satire. There it was that Stephen Colbert and Herman Cain, unlikely ballotfellows, held a funny, serious and seriously funny rally to promote Colbert’s bid [...]

Tuned In
Tuned In+News Media | 22 days ago

Dead Tree Alert: Truth Vigilantes, Attack!

By James Poniewozik

Last week, New York Times public editor (the equivalent of an ombudsman) Arthur Brisbane wrote a blog post asking whether, in covering the campaign, reporters should challenge in the body of their straight-news stories statements by candidates that are dubious, distorted or outright false. Or as he put it—in a headline that generated unsurprising outrage [...]

Tuned In
Tuned In+News Media | 22 days ago

Romney Didn’t Win Iowa After All. Is It Too Late To Change the Story?

By James Poniewozik
Win McNamee / Getty Images

For over two weeks Romney got the benefit of being described as the “winner” of a caucus that journalists should have called a tie. And the difference it made may have been a hell of a lot more than a few votes.

Tuned In
Tuned In+News Media | 24 days ago

Not Allowed to Vote for Stephen Colbert? Oh Yes You Cain!

By James Poniewozik

Colbert is urging his supporters to show their support for him by voting for Herman Cain, the GOP now-non-candidate who is still on the ballot in the Palmetto State.

Tuned In
Tuned In+Television | 28 days ago

PAC Man Colbert “Gives” the Money and Runs, for President

By James Poniewozik

With the announcement of a second run, Colbert will hand over the money from his Super PAC to Jon Stewart and give up control of the war chest. Wink, wink.

Tuned In
Tuned In+News Media | 30 days ago

Hunting for Drama After a Quick Romney Call

By James Poniewozik

With the New Hampshire primary result called at 8 p.m., what was left to talk about? Expectations, Ron Paul, and scenarios of a theoretical future voter “jihad.”

Tuned In
Tuned In+Television | 31 days ago

Gingrich’s Super-PAC Attack on Romney: Good Lord, Is This Ad Negative

By James Poniewozik

In campaign ads, the Republican race has moved from the “contrast” phase to the “negative” phase to the “from Hell’s heart, I stab at thee” phase.

Tuned In
Tuned In+Tuned In | 36 days ago

TCA Roundup: Critics Migrate Back to Pasadena, Romney Battles Big Bird

By James Poniewozik

The Television Critics Association press tour got under way in Pasadena yesterday, kicking off nearly two weeks of presentations from broadcast and cable networks about their upcoming midseason shows. I’m not going this year—what? and leave Brooklyn in January?—but I’ll be reblogging highlights from the coverage of my various TV-reporter brethren who are suffering the [...]

Tuned In
Tuned In+Television | 59 days ago

Donald Trump Fires Self As Debate Moderator, May “Consider” Independent Run

By James Poniewozik

Trump cancels because he may yet run for President as an independent candidate. Maybe he should have consulted with himself before announcing the debate!

Tuned In
Tuned In+Television | 60 days ago

All-American Muslim Meets an Un-American Advertising Pullout

By James Poniewozik
TLC

Hardware big-box store Lowe’s pulled its advertising from All-American Muslim under pressure, proving the show’s own point about discrimination.

Tuned In
Tuned In+News Media | 64 days ago

Dead Tree Alert: The Trump Primary

By James Poniewozik
Illustration by Mickey Duzyj for TIME

To the list of absolutely crucial wedge issues distinguishing the Republican primary candidates, this week added a new one: What is your position on Donald Trump? In my latest TIME column (subscription required), I look at the latest step in the reality-TV-ification of the Republican primary—Trump’s plan to moderate a GOP debate later this month—and [...]

Tuned In
Tuned In+Television | 91 days ago

Rick Perry Excuses Himself on David Letterman

By James Poniewozik

Fresh off his freeze-tastic performance in the GOP Presidential debate Wednesday night, Rick Perry showed up on Late Show with David Letterman to try to turn embarrassment into embarrassment-ade, reading a list of top 10 excuses for his onstage forgetfulness. Did Perry help himself out? The minimum standard for an appearance like this is that [...]

Tuned In
Tuned In+News Media | 92 days ago

Three… Uh… Uh… Maybe Two Things About Rick Perry’s Debate Gaffe

By James Poniewozik

For 53 thrilling, excruciating seconds, Rick Perry’s brain fell out of his head on live television. Fair or not, this is why it mattered.

Tuned In
Tuned In+Television | 114 days ago

The Morning After: X, Men

By James Poniewozik

With Tuned In having been folded into TIME Entertainment, I’ve been trying to decide which of the old blog features do and don’t work in the new format—among them, The Morning After open-discussion posts for last night’s TV. But because I like having that option—and don’t have the time right now to post at more [...]

Tuned In
Tuned In+News Media | 116 days ago

Is the Media Ready to Take Herman Cain Seriously? Is Herman Cain?

By James Poniewozik

Sunday morning, David Gregory introduced former pizza executive Herman Cain to Meet the Press as the frontrunner in NBC’s latest GOP poll and as “the man of the moment.” Taken together, you can translate those two statements thus: political reporters pretty much have no choice but to cover Cain given his rise in the polls, [...]

Tuned In
Tuned In+News Media | 150 days ago

The Morning After: CNN Throws a Raucous Tea Party

By James Poniewozik

Last night, the Republican field met for another debate, this one organized by CNN and a Tea Party group, and held in Florida. Michael Scherer at Swampland has a play-by-play, but in short we learned that (1) the GOP contenders want to make sure that Rick Perry does not pull away from the field; (2) [...]

Tuned In
Tuned In+News Media | 155 days ago

The Morning After: Perry Shoots from the Hip, Wears Bullseye at His First GOP Debate

By James Poniewozik

The positioning of the candidates at last night’s NBC News / Politico debate at the Reagan library told you all you needed to know: squarely in the center were Mitt Romney, the longtime varsity letterman in the GOP primary race, and Rick Perry, the hotshot new quarterback just transferred to the school who suddenly has [...]