Viva Chuck Todd Caption Contest

One of our fantastic readers suggested that we here at the Viva Chuck Todd offices should take a crack at slapping a caption on this chestnut of a photo from yesterday's Meet The Press. But being the good folk that we are, we could hardly deprive our readers the fun of taking a whack at a picture of The Chuck standing above Brokaw and jamming a finger in his face. Give us your best caption by midnight - Wednesday, July 2nd and you have a chance to win a free Chuck'08 mug (no limit to entries).

We have to recuse ourselves obviously now that we're judges, but anything that starts with, "Listen here Brokaw..." gets pushed to the top of the stack. Send your entries here.

photo credit David J. Swift, via Getty Images

New York Times reviews yesterday's Meet the Press

Alessandra Stanley of the New York Times reviews yesterday's program and comes away with what I believe we were all feeling; that it was a neutered hour that had one bright spot: The Chuck. She also caught the uncomfortable and hypocritical chiding Brokaw leveled at The Chuck. We like to think Ms. Stanley reads Viva Chuck Todd. Then again, we like to think a lot of things.

Hey look everybody!It's NBC News Deputy Political Director,Mark Murray!

His MSNBC bio says "NBC News Off-air Political Reporter" but after what we saw right before Hardball today, someone's going to have to get into that HTML and change "off-air" to "on-air". One of The Chuck's deputies hit the air with the cogent political analysis we've come to expect from The Chuck's office. Just how cool is Mark? The man has his own Viva Chuck Todd e-card. That's how cool.

Brokaw and The Chuck square off :The Chuck wins

The only place with more tension than Jackson Hole, Wyoming this morning was in Oprah's Spanx - pow zing!

The Chuck made his first post-Russert appearance on Meet the Press this morning mano y mano with Mr. Tom Brokaw. One had to keep a large dish towel under the television to sop up the excess testosterone oozing from the screen as these two conversed. The Chuck sat there relaxed with the Grand Tetons providing a breathtaking backdrop and Brokaw leaned forward in his chair, shoulders hunched looking like he was about to spring up to wag his finger in The Chuck's face for driving the family station wagon without his permission.

With that said, we're happy to say we've never seen The Chuck more at ease. He was authoritative and exuded a cool confidence that contrasted heavily with Brokaw's staccato delivery. About two minutes into the segment we asked each other, "Is Brokaw giving off some weird passive-aggressive vibe?" Then the most uncomfortable dead air occurred around two and a half minutes in when The Chuck finished up telling Tom about the battered Republican brand and then...crickets for the longest three seconds of your Sunday morning.



Then at about four and a half minutes in, The Chuck did what he's paid to do: prognosticate based on careful examination of current trends and data. Specifically, Obama not winning Montana and North Dakota. This set Tom off to quickly chide The Chuck in one might say, a condescending way: "Now be careful what you say at this stage about what he's going to win and what he's not going to win." The Chuck politely deferred to grandpa Tom's scolding and got back in the flow.



Now be careful? Be careful?! This is The Chuck we're talking about here. This ain't no Chris Matthews betting the house on Rudy Giuliani becoming the likely Republican nominee. This is The Chuck laying it out there based on he and his staff doing their homework. You say "Now be careful..." to a nine-year old when they're about to cross a street. You don't say it on-air to The Chuck!

Okay, we're calm now.

The Chuck can be found on the following media outlets this week:

Sunday, June 29th 2008 - Meet the Press political roundtable

Wednesday, July 2 from 3:30-4:30 PM ET
Newsvine Q&A: Chuck Todd on U.S. Politics, Part 5
Submit your questions here

Morning Joe Mug Scandal: Day Four- the denouement

We felt we had played all of our cards regarding the dust-up surrounding morning show mugs. Tuesday, Viva Chuck Todd pointed out that The Chuck drank from a bland Today Show mug. Joe Scarborough "borrowed" our schtick the very next day to crack wise with Chuck about not drinking from a Morning Joe mug. And since, a tense silence. In the ashes of this conflict it was as if the general public cried out for unity and The Chuck heard them, stepping in and calming the waters this morning.

In quite a superlative performance by The Chuck this morning on Morning Joe, The Chuck explained how the agricultural Mid-West is trending Obama and McCain's only real shot for some serious electoral votes is to win two out of the three Southwest states (Colorado, New Mexico and Nevada) and/or bring on Tom Ridge or Mitt Romney to make a play for the rust belt states of Michigan and Pennsylvania. Insightful, innovative political thought and what we've come to expect from the sharpest mind in politics.

During this segment though, The Chuck, once again took a sip from a Today Show mug in plain view. It was quick yet deliberate and oh so clever. After a Viva Chuck Todd staff meeting and consultation with two retired CIA operatives skilled in non-verbal communication, we were able to determine with great certainty that The Chuck was sending us a message.

The message was one of authority and compassion. After careful examination, we were able to interpret the body language and context. The following is the translated message: I hear you and I know you want me to drink out of a Viva Chuck Todd mug on-air but I cannot. But as a sign of solidarity to my fans, I will keep drinking out of this crucible of mediocrity {i.e Today Show mug} never giving Scarborough the satisfaction of using his damn Morning Joe mug - end message. And with a raised eyebrow, The Chuck set the Today Show mug down and went back to work. Genius.

We should have known better. We should have held fast to our faith and known that The Chuck had reasons beyond our grasp for what he does.

This story has an even happier ending. Shortly after The Chuck's communique, we received an email from an extremely reliable source to the effect that The Chuck uses Viva Chuck Todd mugs at home. Upon learning this, the editorial staff quietly wept tears of pride. A byproduct of this elation led us to immediately dispatch a half-dozen Viva Chuck Todd mugs of different styles to the offices of Morning Joe with our compliments.

There never was a prettier olive branch.

Morning Joe Mug Scandal: Day Two

So yesterday we took issue with The Chuck hoisting aloft a coffee mug emblazoned with The Today Show logo at the end of his Morning Joe segment (see previous post). We went so far as to castigate him for doing such a thing considering the damage a mug like that could do to one's cool factor and personal brand. Immediately after the televised offense we had our team dispatch Viva Chuck Todd and Chuck'08 mugs to The Chuck's office feeling that was the end of it. We could not have been so wrong.

This morning a certain Mr. Joe Scarborough brought up the fact that he couldn't help notice that the mug Chuck drank from the day before was not a Morning Joe mug. Now we will give the former congressman the benefit of the doubt in saying that he too has issue with The Chuck for not brandishing his show's logo while on air, but to do this the very next day after we raise this exact issue as well? Whadda' ya take us for Scarborough? Rubes? We know you're reading this blog and we commend you for that, you have excellent taste. But you could at least throw us a bone on the PR front and mention that Viva Chuck Todd raised the very same issue first.

We also noticed that Willie was conspicuously quiet during your mug schtick giving the impression that he knew Viva Chuck Todd readers were going to see this for what it was and call you on it. Well, being the web-savvy chap he is, he was right. Don't get us wrong, we love ya' Scarborough. We think you're the zaniest legislator on MSNBC since Zell Miller and you give The Chuck the respect he deserves so at the end of the day you're okay in our book.

We know you can sleep well at night knowing that.

THE CHUCK IS BACK:Looking chipper but mug challenged

On Morning Joe, The Chuck was back and just about up to his old convivial sorts. Smiling and joshing with Mika and Willie as well as Ol' man Barnicle and Giggly Buchanan. He brought his game when discussing Clinton's money woes and Obama's Muslim voter "trip-wire" issue of staying away from mosques. It was all pretty cut and dry and reminiscent of times past and then we were jarred in the final seconds of the segment as The Chuck pierced our hearts with a casual sip of beverage from his mug. We know the camera caught him unexpectedly and it was something we weren't supposed to see; but then isn't that how most people get hurt in acts of, dare we say, infidelity?

A Today Show mug. That's all it was. A damned Today Show mug. A Conan mug or a 30 Rock mug would have been great, in fact slightly puckish, but a Today Show mug. The same kind of mug associated with Al Roker and Friday Billy Ray Cyrus concerts? Why drink from such a mug when your own colossally successful fansite's online store (plug: Viva Chuck Todd) offers six different styles in two different sizes? Can Lauer or Viera boast such a thing? We think not.


Now we'll grant you that busting your balls over what you're drinking out of on a Tuesday morning might be taking it a bit too far, but this is more of an intervention. A sort of diving-to-take-the-bullet-kind-of thing to protect your personal brand and coolness factor (i.e. Today Show mugs are like mullets - Today Show t-shirts are like leg warmers). With that said, you know how to find us. Just let us know which ones you want, where to send'em and they go out via FedEx tomorrow.

CHUCKTODD08.com Launches:Numbers rule and so should Chuck

Many of our readers have been lamenting the understandable absence of The Chuck. It has been cruel summer so far, but we think we found the right place to lift a Chuckolyte's spirits: Chucktodd08.com. A page with links to all you need to know about the ultimate political candidate of the season. There are new e-cards, polls, Chuck08 merchandise in which all proceeds go to Tim Russert charities and links to other supporters of this fine endeavor.

Let us know what you think about Chucktodd08.com. If we hear from enough of you we may actually get him to run.

Top Ten Signs of Chuck Todd Withdrawlby Amy Martin

With primary season over, Chuckolytes are seeing a lot less of the Chuckster on the TeeVee these days. Therefore, fans of Chuckie T may find themselves experiencing symptoms of Chuck Todd Withdrawl.

How do you know if you’re experiencing Chuck Todd Withdrawl? Check to see if you are suffering from any of the symptoms below and if so, please set your web browser home page to Viva Chuck Todd immediately.

The Top Ten Signs of Chuck Todd Withdrawl are:

1. You find yourself staring wistfully at maps of the United States.
2. You find yourself signing documents with a big red dry-erase marker.
3. You find yourself thinking about growing a goatee (men) or wishing you could (women).
4. You start taking sick days from work so you can watch MSNBC from Morning Joe until Verdict, hoping for just the briefest glimpse of The Chuck.
5. You see Chuck Norris and yell “Chuck Todd!” and then say “Oh…wait…never mind…”
6. You set MSNBC’s “First Read” as your web browser’s default home page and refresh every ten seconds.
7. You find yourself missing Chris Matthews calling Chuck the Spock to his Kirk.
8. You find yourself saying “You got it” whenever your friends thank you for something.
9. You find yourself applying “delegate math” to everything (”My checkbook will balance once crucial counties around Philadelphia have reported.”)
10. And the Number One sign of Chuck Todd Withdrawl:
    You find yourself watching Pat Buchanan and thinking “You know, maybe this guy’s okay after all.”

More Amy Martin can be found at her own blog, The Aimster Blog

Montana Can Wait:Tom Brokaw gets the MTP chair through 2008 election

A decision like this makes the past week's speculation seem juvenile and vulgar. Of course Brokaw was going to moderate Meet The Press; what were we thinking? The voice, the Beltway gravitas and the friendship between him and Russert almost vaults this into something of a Greek tragedy: The other warrior king emerges from retirement to carry on the fight with the eventual denouement being a proper laying down of his comrade's shield who fell in the midst of battle.

Our best wishes to Mr. Brokaw and the MTP team - Go get'em.

TOM BROKAW TO SERVE AS MODERATOR OF “MEET THE PRESS” THROUGH 2008 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

(New York) – June 22, 2008 – Beginning on Sunday, June 29, NBC News’ Tom Brokaw will serve as moderator of “Meet the Press” through the 2008 presidential election. The broadcast will continue to originate from the NBC News Bureau in Washington D.C. The announcement was made today by NBC News President Steve Capus.

http://thepage.time.com/nbc-release-on-brokaw-and-meet-the-press/

A first-person experience from one of our readers - Tim Russert's Memorial Service

Greetings to the keepers of VivaChuckTodd,

I am not certain if any of you are local to the DC area and didn't want to post this at large to the site, but I attended the wake this afternoon for Tim Russert along with easily 1,000 other people and actually spoke to Chuck. He truly appeared to be like a man who lost his father. I was amazed by who was there (given they are holding a private memorial) I saw at least half the NBC crew there along with many from other networks and most astonishingly - Tim Russert's son and wife were there greeting mourners who had come to pay their respects. It was unbelievably moving and horribly sad, both were tremendously brave. When I spoke to Chuck he was still obviously distraught and having a hard time with the idea moving forward. He was overwhelmed by the outpouring for Tim and to all of them at the Washington bureau. I said to him in wishing my condolences that the best way we honor Tim is to ensure we get people out and voting on November 4th. He concurred and I told him I could only imagine how hard is was for him this week but that we were going to be looking to him to gain that understanding of what was happening in the election because I believe that is what Tim would have wanted. He appeared very touched by the outpouring of tributes and there were many fans of the blog standing in line with me (I discovered this as we started to share stories).

Dalissa
(MovieMom)

Our deepest thanks to Dalissa for sending us this note
You can read more of MovieMom at her blog
Not Ready for Prime Time

Ask Chuck's G:What sparked the politics bug?

Ask Chuck's G is a Q&A format column published weekly
where Chuck Todd's Grandmother will answer readers questions.
send your questions here
Be inquisitive, funny and courteous - it is Chuck's G after all.

Sunday is going to come whether we like it or not

You've heard it, we've heard it - The macabre murmur of necessary speculation on who will fill Tim Russert's chair. Politico.com and National Review Online have already weighed in on the potential heirs as have multiple blogs with insightful, albeit biased, yet consistently respectful opinions on the next chapter of Meet The Press.

The reason that we've decided to chime in on this uncomfortable subject is because at last count by our editorial staff, Chuck is at the top of most lists. As you read their observations, you understand that Chuck is the visceral choice. He emulates the qualities that Russert did; a warm humility, disarming intelligence and a voracious appetite for all things sport and politic. On the flipside, the logical choice is David Gregory. Logical in the sense that he's a known quantity by having been a guest-moderator several times before and is a fixture of the NBC News Political team. But what echoes constantly when Gregory's name is brought up is his elite arrogance and cozy relationships he shares with key political figures sometimes skewing his objectivity.

Andrea Mitchell, Gwen Ifill and Chris Matthews (I know) have been suggested as well. Even Tom Brokaw is making the lists. The new talent such as Keith Olbermann (not new per se, but new to this level of serious consideration for political coverage) and David Shuster have been hinted at with the all usual right-wing pot shots reserved for Olbermann.

Many people have pointed out the similar backgrounds both Chuck and Russert shared. The humble roots, strong family ties and respect for the golden rule. Some of the more heart-wrenching moments on Friday were when people like Andrea Mitchell and Keith Olbermann introduced Chuck as essentially one of the best things that happened to the NBC news team in a long time and each one emphatically praised Russert for being the one responsible for bringing Chuck on.

Let's just put it out there and freely admit that this is hardly the repository for objective analysis on Chuck Todd and the NBC News Division. We all want the best for Chuck and Meet The Press. What we don't want is a hasty solution in the midst of this historic election that causes a truncated epilogue to the tragedy that was Friday.

That's why we want to hear from you. Knowing that the vast majority of us would want nothing more than to see Chuck ascend to this role - we also know that there will be some decisions made on grounds antithetical to emotion. With that said, vote in the poll below and leave comments on why Chuck should get the job or why he shouldn't. Perhaps the right people who have influence read Viva Chuck Todd. We certainly like to think Tim Russert did.

Viva Chuck Todd Online Emporium:all new product and an all new purpose

The Viva Chuck Todd Online Store has received a makeover and a new purpose.

We've added dozens of new products and two new designs, including the wildly popular e-card design "In a Perfect World, Chuck Todd is King and Rachel Maddow is Queen...". But what we're most proud to announce is that all proceeds from the store will go to Tim Russert's favorite charities: Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Catholic Charities USA.

As fans of Chuck Todd know, Tim Russert was his mentor, friend and the man who put him on television to let the world see what he saw in Chuck.

The fans of The Chuck thank you for that Mr. Russert.

Disbelief owns the night: Tim Russert 1950-2008

Keith Olbermann does what he does best for a figure lost from our daily routines.

Tim Russert was a man that demanded that we all pause. Pause what we were doing because his word and his alone validated the days events on all things political. His declaration of Senator Barack Obama as the Democratic nominee after the Indiana primary was the unofficial whistle that ended the Democratic Primary season. His statement to that effect, lit up Blackberries across the beltway and people listened. He had power. Power earned from respect, intellect and experience. Power that had a countervailing humility and warmth that no other journalist could match.

You will be missed, mourned and remembered Mr. Russert. And forever conjured by fans who will remark, "I wonder what Russert would think of that?"

A glass will be raised to you on election night. For it will be a little less enjoyable because you wont be there to enjoy it with us.

Our thoughts and prayers to you, your family and your friends.

IN MEMORIAM: Tim Russert

If it wasn't for this man, this site wouldn't exist.

Our deepest sympathies to both the Russert and NBC families.

Sundays are forever changed.

Classic Chuck:Analyzing Hillary's Pros & Cons 1/20/07

Here is a HotlineTV clip from roughly a year and a half ago of The Chuck and John Mercurio analyzing the pros and cons of former presidential candidate, Senator Hillary Clinton snagging the presidency. The Chuck is prescient, on-point and swimming in earth tones.

Newsvine Q&A: The Chuck finds us "flattering", "bizarre" and "puzzling"

The Chuck once again handled his fanbase like a pro. Check out the entire chat by clicking here.
According to The Chuck, this is going to be a weekly thing so we will do our part by providing links and notable excerpts from all his Newsvine events. Especially if random Chuckolytes keep name-dropping Viva Chuck Todd like kalelsd did as evidenced above - nice going.

Big Viva Chuck Todd gracias
to Elaine B for tipping us off on this one

Ask Chuck's G:How far back do The Chuck's gifts of recall go?

Ask Chuck's G is a Q&A format column published weekly
where Chuck Todd's Grandmother will answer readers questions.
send your questions here
Be inquisitive, funny and courteous - it is Chuck's G after all.

Fozzy Bear our Ass!

Far be it from the Viva Chuck Todd editorial staff to take umbrage with The Chuck, but a particular fast and loose discussion on Morning Joe has led us to do such a thing.

This morning on Morning Joe, curmudgeons Mike Barnacle and Pat Buchanan were bookending The Chuck and muttering about god knows what (perhaps their peas were cold or some kid was on their lawn), when Mika Brzezinski brought up the very appropriate appellation of "Muppets" for the pair of codgers; referring to The Muppet Show characters, Statler and Waldorf who would heckle from the balcony. We here at Viva Chuck Todd prefer The Sunshine Boys for those of you who get that reference, but Statler and Waldorf will certainly do nicely.

Once The Chuck caught the Muppet reference (and this is where we take umbrage), he replied "Well, I guess I'm Fozzie Bear." Point of order Sir. You certainly are not the oafish ursine puppet playing jester to a felt frog. You Sir are a grizzly bear. You are the apex predator in the electoral ecosystem. A Grizzly Chuck if you will.

Mika quickly got in on the act and asked "What am I?" and nobody was going to touch that sucker with a 10-foot pole knowing that "Miss Piggy" was who she was directly referring to. Chuck was noticeably uncomfortable in inadvertently helping draw that parallel.

We think we'll let Willie deal with that "third rail" tomorrow.

The Chuck brings a gun to a knife fight

Allen, Cowan, Gregory, Mitchell and O'Donnell. The whole lot of them brought opinions to the Meet The Press table this morning. The Chuck, he brought numbers.

Check it:

CHUCK POLL RESULTS:Chuck Todd Facial Hair - Yea or Nea

Apparently the world loves The Chuck's goatee.

Out of 500 votes, an overwhelming 57% demanded that Chuck never let his hirsute chin see the light of day. The editors of Viva Chuck Todd could not agree more.

Check out the new poll: When Chuck gets his own show, who should be his "wingman"?

Viva Chuck Todd's Debut on MSNBC's Morning Joe: Viva Willie Geist!

There is one person that we all need to thank for making Viva Chuck Todd the site that it is today. That person is MSNBC's Morning Joe Co-Host, Willie Geist.

We say that because the editors here at Viva Chuck Todd never saw Morning Joe from May 28th and really did not have any idea with how much good humor and enthusiasm Geist introduced Viva Chuck Todd to the country. Well, thanks to Viva Chuck Todd Field Media Consultant, Debra A. who shot us a DVD of said show via priority mail; we finally got to see what so many had told us about. That was the day that Willie broadsided The Chuck on-air live with a printout and screenshots of Viva Chuck Todd. Where he read to him the first Chuck Poll, gave results, threw out the URL and even got Mika (and begrudgingly, ol' man Barnacle) in on the act.

Then, as if it couldn't get better. At the end of the show, during the "What I learned today" segment. He declared that Viva Chuck Todd would be his new home page and signed off chanting, freaking chanting people! chanting our name.

And to that we say: A huge Viva Chuck Todd Gracias to you Willie Geist!

I urge our readers to fill the comment section with kind words for Willie, urging him to join us here on Viva Chuck Todd and thanking him for bringing us all together.

Thanks again Willie

p.s. Oh, and sorry about the "man-boy" crack in that earlier post

Chuck Todd Wisdom: On Age

As it's been said in an earlier post, The Chuck has pretty much called the election or at the very least summarized the electoral college map as it will stand come October, barring some candidate pooch-screw moment. His abilities of portent allow us all to enjoy the summer and leave the speculation to those not informed about the powers of The Chuck.

On tonight's Countdown with Keith Olbermann, The Chuck laid out that some key swing states Obama over-performed in (GA, MI, LA, NC, IA and MO) would likely end up in his column come the general election. He also stated that McCain might have a shot at fewer states and Oregon might be one of them. I single out Oregon because The Chuck referred to it as "Quirky". We have since taken Portland out of the running for the 2009 Viva Chuck Todd-Fest locale because Oregonians do not like being referred to as "quirky". We all know they're batsh*t up there, just don't call'em on it.

When the topic of McCain's age crept into the conversation, The Chuck did not rely on bromidic formulae (like Peggy Noonan reads this blog), but instead dispensed with profundity becoming genius. "Age doesn't work if you don't show'em that you're old", The Chuck intoned. So John McCain take note of The Chuck's wisdom, we expect to see you shopping at Hollister tomorrow, playing Grand Theft Auto IV on your bus and hosting the MTV Video Music Awards in the Fall.

Ask Chuck's G:How did she vote on The Chuck's facial hair?yea or nea?

Ask Chuck's G is a Q&A format column published weekly
where Chuck Todd's Grandmother will answer readers questions.
send your questions here
Be inquisitive, funny and courteous - it is Chuck's G after all.

Viva Chuck Todd 2.0After The Primaries

Mixed with the effervescent triumph of Obama making history was a tinge of sadness. No, not from watching McCain yet again try to read a teleprompter and emote, but from the idea that the end credits were rolling on the primary season and we were being asked to leave the theater.

And there The Chuck stood at minutes past midnight EST. At the con. The virtual dais of all things electoral where he in so many words unapologetically explained to everyone that 200 electoral votes were already in the bag for both candidates. Four key states could decide it for each and this is the strategy for the next five months, now go to bed people, it's late.

We know Chuck will grace the sets of Hardball, Countdown, The Today Show and Meet The Press. But with what frequency? Who knows? The man certainly does need a vacation. But what about us? His loyal fans, the Chuckolytes if you will. Well, That's where Viva Chuck Todd comes in. We've got some plans to help all of us make it through till the conventions and the general election.

Ask Chuck's G
Starting this week will be our new weekly feature "Ask Chuck's G". It's an opportunity for you to send us questions you would like us to ask Chuck Todd's Grandmother. That's right Chuck's G will be personally answering your questions in her own words. We're even going to just post an actual screenshot of the email answered so you can get the full effect. So start sending in your questions - be inquisitive, funny and courteous - it is Chuck's G after all.

Viva Chuck Todd on Facebook
Along with our presence here, we now have a community-focused presence on Facebook enabling you an opportunity to meet other Chuckolytes. Trust me, once all you kids start meeting each other, you'll see that you're a pretty smart and smart-ass group. Who knows what might come of such a gathering? Hell, in two days you all came up with a drinking game that plowed most of you under by 6pm.

The VivaChuckTodd Online Store
If you haven't noticed, our little online store has grown to include artwork submitted by fellow Chuck Todd fans, the guys from over at MSNBCdeeznuts. This is going to be the norm. If anyone is so inspired to send us some Chuck Todd pop-art, we'll post it first in the Viva Chuck Todd Gallery collection and get feedback from the masses. Then if people love it and we think if we slapped it on some swag it would sell, then we have new merchandise. And most importantly, ALL proceeds from the store will go to a new charity each month. This month, all proceeds will benefit the American Red Cross.

Viva Chuck Todd e-cards
If ever there was a reason for the Internet, it was to have Chuck Todd e-cards. First off, they're free. No registration, malware or any other crap you have to deal with at other e-card sites. Secondly, they're hilarious and getting rave reviews. Send a whole bunch to friends who have no idea about The Chuck and spread the Chuck gospel.

Okay, we think that's enough for now. And of course if you have any writing (tips, anecdotes and links are needed too), art or video submissions, send them our way. And we can guarantee, that if it's good enough, we'll put it up and The Chuck will see it. Makes you grab that asthma inhaler from excitement, doesn't it?

If MSNBC won't do it - Allow Us Roger

"When Barack Obama goes over the top, I think there should be a balloon drop on Chuck Todd's head to mark the moment."

suggestion by Roger Simon from Politico.com
on today's Hardball with Chris Matthews

We couldn't agree with you more Roger.

The Chuck Todd-Y Drinking Gamethe official rules

GROUND RULES - the arbiter
Prior to beginning the game, the group must pick an official arbiter who will make all official decisions. Their word is law.

DRINKING CUES

• Every time Chuck appears on screen for the first time for a new segment, every one in the room must yell out “Chuck Todd!” as loud as possible and take a drink. The last one to yell out “Chuck Todd!” has to finish whatever’s in their glass, bottle, can, etc. Consult arbiter for who yelled out “Chuck Todd!” last.
  
  
• Any time someone refers to him as “Chucky T” everyone drinks.
  
  
• Any time Matthews makes a stupid analogy like “you’re like Spock to my Kirk,” everyone drinks. Arbiter will have final say as to what qualifies as a stupid analogy, though not a hard call to make.
  
  
• Every time Chuck says, “you got it” everyone drinks.
  
  
• Every time Chuck goes to the map, everyone takes a drink. When he circles a county, everyone drinks twice, when he circles a state, everyone does a shot.
  
  
• Every time the “Viva Chuck Todd” web site is mentioned, everyone does a shot. And if by chance they mention the drinking game, everyone does two shots.

If you'd like to print out a handy official Chuck Toddy-y Drinking Game reference card click here. Please keep us all apprised of your condition as the night goes on by commenting at this post freely and often. Best of luck, celebrate responsibly and make sure that the only person who has a better night than you is Obama.

CHUCK COUTURE:Stripes are back and then some, bravo!

As Mr. Todd's star rises, so do his ensembles in their sophistication and presentation.

This evening during his appearance on Countdown with Keith Olbermann (another fellow who certainly knows his way around your better Gotham haberdasheries), Mr. Todd graced us with a bold and some might say provocative pinstripe suit. The actual pinstripe pattern departed from the norm by being variegated in width. The pattern was brought to heel by the rich midnight blue of the suit. Letting the suit pattern take the lead, the shirt choice was smart and safe in that is was a simple solid Reykjavik-frost blue silk dress shirt with a wide spread 3" points collar.

It was unfortunate that Mr. Todd chose to go with a standard four-in-hand knot and not the classic Windsor knot. The gorge was rendered anemic by this choice and brought too much notice to the albeit sumptuous yet ever so slightly distracting sheen of his shirt. We would've also preferred French cuffs and sterling cuff links for Mr. Todd which would have taken advantage of the camera angles that involved both he and Mr. Olbermann. We were rendered aghast by shoulder puckering that we can only hope has led to the dismissal of the tailor responsible.

All in all, it was one more successful step in the ascension of Mr. Todd's fashion journey from disheveled wonk to sleek professorial media star.

A big "gracias" to VivaChuckTodd.tv
field fashion correspondent, Devon O'Toole

“This is Barack Obama’s party now.”by Viva Chuck Todd Field Correspondent -Amy Martin

If it’s Barack Obama’s party, then I vote Chuck Todd for Keymaster. You remember the Keymaster, right? Next to the host, the Keymaster is the most important person at the party because he/she is the person who collects everyone’s keys when they arrive and then gets to decide who’s too drunk to get their keys back when they try to leave. The host may set the party up and keep it going, but the Keymaster controls who leaves the party and how.

Even without his big red marker and fifty-state map, Chuck Todd still managed to be responsible for the most exciting moments of MSNBC’s coverage of the Rules and Bylaws Committee meeting (because anything with the word “committee” in the title is guaranteed to be a snooze-fest). Not only did he damn near single-handedly bring the committee back from the World’s Longest Lunch (I mean, how awesome was it that he was in the middle of reporting intel that he was receiving about the Michigan and Florida deals and then, suddenly, the committee starts filing back into the room as if he conjured them up), but then he later pronounced emphatically “This is Barack Obama’s party now.”



Did everyone hear that? The Keymaster has spoken, and if he deems you sober enough to leave, it’s time for you to go home. And if you’re too drunk, he’ll find you a ride. Give the man a red marker and a dry erase board, and he’ll organize the whole thing. Harold Ickes? No way you’re getting your keys back, Dude—somebody obviously spiked your Haterade during that twelve-hour lunch because you seem a little cranky. Anyone want to give Harold a ride? Anyone? How about one of you Clinton supporters? Wait…bad idea, because most of you seem like you’ve had a little too much as well. Norah O’Donnell—wanna give these folks a ride? You’re obviously sober, being about fifteen months pregnant and all (and, seriously, I want to know what kind of deal Norah O’Donnell has with the devil that even at 9:30 in the morning and pregnant she still gets to look like she just stepped off the set of Sex and the City. Not. fair.). Andrea Mitchell—you get to take everyone who won’t fit in Norah’s car. Sorry, but that’s what you get for that jab about protecting The Chuck from the screaming Clinton supporters.

The Chuck does not need your protection.

The Chuck is The Keymaster.

Hope your car has a big back seat.

More writings of VivaCuckTodd.tv field correspondent Amy Martin
can be found at her own blog, The Aimster Blog