When you watch a show like The West Wing or The Newsroom, at some point there will be a politician or reporter who gives a boilerplate, party line comment about some current event. This person will be on the side not favorable to the writer, and you can tell what side the writer is on because a character central to the show will give an impassioned, empathetic and fiery response to the comment. It is exactly what a lot of people would like to think we would do in the same situation.

More likely than not, we won't give the same speech because many of us aren't in a position to say what we feel; to answer truthfully and compassionately. Right now I'm watching Governor from Massachusetts Deval Patrick and Senator from New Hampshire Kelly Ayotte on Meet the Press. They have been on for 20 minutes and each has been very good at giving their talking points. Questions aren't answered by either one. It's annoying and insulting to listen to them disregard questions just so they can make sure to repeat the same mantra that has been said on the campaign trail for months. I get it that not everyone is going to be glued to politics like political junkies like myself but shouldn't the moderator call them on it? Shouldn't there be a Newsroom moment where the moderator hits the surrogates or the candidates with hard hitting and relevant questions and demand they answer?

Unfortunately that's not going to happen and here's why, in my humble opinion. Right after Patrick and Ayotte were let go, the very next segment opened up with a cut from a Saturday Night Live skit. When Gregory introduced the people for the next segment, every single person talking was either a commentator for NBC, like Joe Scarborough, or they were consultants for organizations who work the Sunday morning talking head shows. Everyone in the room had an interest in keeping things the way they are, talk show wise, because they needed access to the show or to candidates running for office. In that environment, there isn't a way where someone is going to tell the truth to the American public nor are they going to hold candidates or surrogates responsible for answering questions honestly.