She Noticed Me! She Noticed Me! Amy Walters Noticed Me!

 

I would like to personally congratulate Amy Walter for being named one of the Top 50 Journalists in Washingtonian Magazine! I just found out about this, I'm very excited for her.

For those of you who don't know who Amy Walter is, I should tell you that she is the Editor in Chief of "The Hotline" and has a weekly column in National Journal. She is part of a hoity-toity, non-partisan news organization that provides "Insight for Insiders" to members of Congress, Capitol Hill staffers, the White House, Executive Branch agencies, the media, think tanks, corporations, associations and lobbyists. This is the news that the stiffs in Washington are watching.

She has been a panelist and commentator on Face the Nation (CBS), Meet the Press (NBC), Washington Journal (C-SPAN), Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO), and The Early Show (CBS) and was a member of CNN's Emmy-award winning election night team in 2006. Ms. Walter also has her own YouTube show on Hotline TV. (You can read more about her awesome accomplishments at this link.)

She has been called a "force in political analysis", but we really shouldn't hold this against her. What is perhaps most distressing about Ms. Walter is that she actually seems to know what she is talking about.

Ms. Walter's greatest strength is that she is just very smart and clever, and her take on politics is enlightening and enjoyable to listen to. She is not yet another media-mill puppy farm 'blonde beauty pageant winner turned TV news anchor' added to give some TV 'news' program a manufactured, overly-scripted, sponsor-endorsed 'female perspective'. She is just very good at what she does.

(Ms. Walter is seen here basking in the sheer awesomeness of her journalistic prowess, with the aid of her faithful manservant Charlie Cook.)

Amy Walter on Hotline TV: "Sotomayor Is SCOTUS Pick!"
Amy Walter on Hotline TV: "VA GOV Ads: McAuliffe, Moran & McDonnell"
Amy Walter on Hotline TV: "Patriot Games! Who's In The NRCC's Patriot Program"
Amy Walter on Hotline TV: "On Your Mark, Get Set, Go! FL GOV & SEN Races"
Amy Walter on Hotline TV: "World Of The Senate! FL, KY, IA, LA, NH..."

As I have blogged about Ms. Walter in the past, I was pleasantly surprised to find that she is on Facebook. I was further delighted to find that she has actually seen my posts about her!

I was a bit miffed that the quote that she liked from another fan's email was actually lifted from one of my previous posts about her:

Am I the only nerd that has a crush on Amy Walter? When she says the word "gerrymander," it makes me want to appoint a special counsel to the UN. She can hold a special election in my district any day.

Zaius Nation 10/17/06

But then again, they say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. I am just happy that Ms. Walter noticed my posts about her. (She noticed me! She noticed me!)

There are some other clips of Ms. Walter on the internet, including her getting a word in edgewise on Real Time with Bill Maher (2:53). You can also watch Ms. Walter give this great speech where she explains the reason why 'bridezilla' Barack Obama did not get married to Hillary Clinton (or even let her become the maid of honor... Or something... I am not sure that I understood this part of the speech very well). She also discusses how John McCain could improve his image on camera if he was animated by Hanna-Barbera, and she even talks about the relative merits of the morning-time usage of a kazoo.

I think that Amy Walter should have her own TV show!

 

Amy Walter, Why Do You Vex Me So?

 

06/19/08: Obama Opts-Out: Is public financing dead?
06/18/08: Florida Flip-Flop
06/17/08: Gore, Obama & McCain: Endorsements & the Environment
06/16/08: Tim Russert, 1950 - 2008
06/13/08: HTV's Gossip Girl: Drrrty Gop Txt Msgs
06/12/08: Poll Watch: Mccain Closing The Gap???
06/11/08: Obama's Female V.P. Pick, Dirty Text Msgs & More Bandwagon
06/09/08: Obama & Mccain: The Battleground Battles Begin!
06/07/08: Farewell Hillary/Jen Linn 3.0
06/04/08: McCain & Obama, Head-to-Head
06/03/08: Barack & Hillary: The Final Countdown
06/02/08: WAR FOR CONGRESS: New Mexico/New Jersey Edition
05/28/08: Hillary=Katherine Harris? A DNC Rules Preview

Of all of the latest Hotline TV installments, My favorite episode was the one in which Amy Walter interviews HTV's Gossip Girl (Holly Noe) about all of the recent 'Drrrty' GOP text messages. (I was particulary taken with the Marvin Gaye soundtrack.)

Remember, Amy Walter is the Editor in Chief of "The Hotline" and has a weekly column in National Journal. She is part of a hoity-toity, non-partisan news organization that provides "Insight for Insiders" to members of Congress, Capitol Hill staffers, the White House, Executive Branch agencies, the media, think tanks, corporations, associations and lobbyists. This is the news that the stiffs in Washington are watching.

 

Amy Walter, Why Do You Vex Me So?

 

HTV 05/14/08: Bill O'Reilly On HTV! + Dems Win Mississippi Election & WV*
HTV 05/13/08: Hillary: Drop Out or Fight On? Amy & John Debate!
HTV 05/12/08: Obama: Who's His V.P. Pick?
HTV 05/09/08: WV: Will Hill Win by 30? So What? + Diageo-Hotline Poll!
HTV 05/08/08: Superdelegates: Balls of Kryptonite?
HTV 05/07/08: Is Hillary Toast? Headlines from The NY Post to The Hotline
HTV 05/05/08: Did Obama Seal the Deal on Meet the Press?
HTV 05/02/08: Beer Bong Scandal Rocks Congress??? HTV Bandwagon Friday
HTV 05/01/08: Hillary On O'Reilly: No Spin Zone, Or No Shame Zone?
HTV 04/30/08: Superdelegates! Plus Elizabeth Edwards calls in

In the latest episode, Amy Walter and John 'something-or-other' discuss the Democrats' big win in Mississippi's special election for the first congressional district, the third Democratic special congressional election win in a row. Also discussed is Hillary Clinton's big win in West Virgina, and the relative campaigns of Clinton, Obama and McCain.

Remember, Amy Walter is the Editor in Chief of "The Hotline" and has a weekly column in National Journal. She is part of a hoity-toity, non-partisan news organization that provides "Insight for Insiders" to members of Congress, Capitol Hill staffers, the White House, Executive Branch agencies, the media, think tanks, corporations, associations and lobbyists. This is the news that the stiffs in Washington are watching.

 

Amy Walter, Why Do you Vex Me So?

 

HTV 04/08/08: Iraq, Hillary, Obama & Mccain: The Petraeus Hearings
HTV 04/07/08: Hillary: Can Madonna, Leno & Ellen Rescue Her?
HTV 04/04/08: Polls: How '08 is Like Dumping Your Girl/Boyfriend
HTV 04/02/08: Is Howard Dean Screwing Obama/Hillary's Chances?
HTV 03/31/08: Obama V. McCain: Who Wins Independent Voters?

In the latest episode, Amy Walter and John 'something-or-other' seem to be overly kind to General Petraus during their dissection of the Petraeus-Crocker hearings and the "foreign policy creds" of the three presidential candidates. Ms. Walter even evokes Hayley Mills when she says that General Petraus is not too 'Pollyanna-ish'. (**sigh** I guess that any mention of Hayley Mills is a good thing.) Fortunately, they do seem to become a little more reality based in the last half of the clip.

Remember, Amy Walter is the Editor in Chief of "The Hotline" and has a weekly column in National Journal. She is part of a hoity-toity, non-partisan news organization that provides "Insight for Insiders" to members of Congress, Capitol Hill staffers, the White House, Executive Branch agencies, the media, think tanks, corporations, associations and lobbyists. This is the news that the stiffs in Washington are watching.

 

Amy Walter, Where Are You?

 

HTV 03/20/08: Virgins & Republicans: Dropping Like Flies
HTV 03/19/08: McCain's Senior Moment: & Other Tales from Spring Break
HTV 03/18/08: The Big Speech: Obama on Race, Religion & Rev. Wright
HTV 03/17/08: The Homer Simpson Vote: Will White Guys Decide the Election?
HTV 03/12/08: Obama/Ferraro: Ms. Progress '84 = Ms. Soft Racism '08

I'm very upset with Hotline TV. In four of the last nine episodes, Amy Walter was not even on the show! Instead they had some clown named Jon Mercurio and some young whippersnapper called 'blog boy'! What a twit! Mercurio says that Ms. Walter is "Touring Europe, promting her memoir about working with Charlie Cook (Of cookpolitical.com.) Those were the days..." Ack! Come back, Amy Walter! We miss you!

 

I Like My Coffee the Same Way That I Like My Women, Bitter and Murky

 

Amy Walter on the "Diet Coke Conspiracy."
Amy Walter clones herself to do battle with Stephen Colbert
"John and Amy talks about superdelegates, Florida, and Michigan."
"HIllary's Scary Phone Ad and ¡Hillary and Obama en Español!"
"CH-CH-CH-CHANGES: Trouble in Hillaryland?"

Something like 85% of my traffic is from Google, and I enjoy looking through my stats and finding out what people were looking for when they came to my site. It's not always pleasant, as Sleestak will attest. Sometimes the search terms are downright creepy.

One thing that I noticed that people are searching for lately is pictures of Amy Walter. I posted about Amy back in October and November of 2006. Now, she does not get as much traffic as Ann Coulter's boobs or Britney Spears' panties, but Ms. Walter is perhaps a notable figure that appeals to the more cultivated or refined political bloggers.

I can understand the frustration of these bloggers seeking pictures of Ms. Walter. If you search on Google you can only find a few pictures of her, and I can say with some degree of certainty that there are no pictures of her on the internet wearing a miniskirt and go go boots.

I have been following the career of Ms. Walter for some time. She writes for non-partisan periodicals, so I am not even sure if she is a Democrat or a Republican. I just know that she is smart, and when I watch her it's hard for me to concentrate on what she saying anyway. This is what I wrote about Ms. Walter back in October 2006:

Am I the only nerd that has a crush on Amy Walter? When she says the word "gerrymander," it makes me want to appoint a special counsel to the UN. She can hold a special election in my district any day. Zaius Nation

At this point you may be asking yourself, "Who the heck is Amy Walter?" She is the Editor in Chief of "The Hotline" [ 2 ] and she has a weekly column in National Journal [ 2, 3 ], "On The Trail". (The National Journal is a hoity toity weekly magazine that provides "Insight for Insiders" and is "read by members of Congress, Capitol Hill staffers, the White House, Executive Branch agencies, the media, think tanks, corporations, associations and lobbyists." [ wikipedia ] The annual subscription fee is about $1800.)

She is also one of the hosts of Hotline TV, which is a "subscriber-only morning round-up of the previous evening's late-night political jokes, 'Play of the Day,' and a video podcast/online television show, Hotline TV." [ 1 ] You can also watch episodes of Hotline TV at their website.

"Amy Walter is one of the nation's top political forecasters. She has been successfully handicapping U.S. House races since she received The Washington Post's Crystal Ball award for her spot-on predictions in 2000. As editor in chief of The Hotline, the National Journal Group's online briefing on politics and policies, Amy Walter is the publication's primary voice.

Amy Walter was dubbed one of the most powerful people in politics in George magazine for her insights into the mechanics that make the political machine run. She has served as a political analyst for CNN and as a panelist and commentator on CBS' Face the Nation, Meet the Press (NBC), Washington Journal (C-SPAN), The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer (PBS), and the CBS Early Show. Amy Walter provided election night commentary for CNN in 2002, 2004, and 2006. Walter is frequently quoted as a congressional election expert in newspapers such as The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post and The New York Times." [...] Her speaking fees range from $5,000 to $10,000. leadingauthorities.com

She was recently on HBO's Real Time With Bill Maher, where she could barely get a word in edgewise with the other panelists, scumbag Rep. Jack Kingston (R-GA) and delusional author David Frum. Here is the link to some of the comments about the show on the National Journal's blog.

When I first wrote about Ms. Walter, she was worked for Cook Political Report. Since that time she seems to have gained more respect among bloggers and journalists, as these two recent comments will attest:

Mar 04, 2008, IMT said: No you're not. Its the way she smiles with her eyes. You just know the gears are turning... and some of them are not on the subject at hand. Bright, approachable, an attentive listener, someone you'd very much like to have coffee with.

Her on-air style resonates with me. I like the unpolished demeanor she projects on-air. And let's not forget she looks very natural both on and off camera.

Amy is a great example of what a successful, intelligent, and thoughtful American women can be like. Contrast her to the shrill and dismissive talking head women so popular in the media today. What you'll see is an individual who is comfortable with who they are and what they do and do not know.

Personally, I'm thankful I get to watch and listen to Amy as often as I am.

Zaius Nation comment

And that, gentle readers, is what it's all about. There is nothing as exciting as a successful, intelligent, and thoughtful woman - a woman without pretense, who speaks here mind and knows what she is talking about. (Although a miniskirt and go go boots are definitely a plus...)

Feb 29, 2008, Anonymous said: I'm a 42 year old straight guy (sure, a geek), and I think Amy Walter is smokin hot. I just say her on Maher Real Time, and she is oozing with intelligent sexuality.

Zaius Nation comment

Well, I guess that intelligent sexuality does have a way of oozing, I suppose.

Ms. Walter is often quoted as saying, "Every politician is always looking for that perfect sweet spot, that place where you can find the perfect balance." Well Ms. Walter, I must say that I have a sweet spot for you right here, in my heart.

Oh, Ms. Walter - one day I will tame your wild and wanton ways...

 

Amy Walter on PBS

AMY WALTER: Well, it's really important that we put these generic ballot questions in context. There were two polls in particular that showed a significant tightening, but there were a number of other national polls that still show Democrats with a significant lead. If you average them all, it's about a Democratic lead of something like 11 points on the generic, still a very significant lead for any party.

Where this impacts certain races -- if, in fact, what we are seeing with the tightening is that Republican voters are coming home, so to speak, that those Republicans who were sort of sitting out there not sure what they were going to do in this election, hadn't committed to the Democrat but still hadn't committed to the Republican, those folks may go home.

So in some of the very Republican, Republican-heavy districts where Democrats have been playing, those seats might be tougher for Democrats tomorrow night, but in so many of these districts, especially in the Northeast and Midwest, where independents really reign, I think that still makes things very tough for Republicans. PBS

jimbotalk.net: Jim Bohannon Guest: Amy Walter

(I have no idea what that means.)

I like my coffee the same way that I like my women, bitter and murky.

Am I the only nerd that has a crush on Amy Walter? When she says the word "gerrymander," it makes me want to appoint a special counsel to the UN. She can hold a special election in my district any day.

Oh, Ms. Walter - one day I will tame your wild and wanton ways...
thinkexist.com: Amy Walter quotes
cookpolitical.com: Amy Walter Bio