The filterers

Ann Althouse does a beautiful job of dissecting this morning's Meet the Press with Chuck Todd talking to Doris Kearns Goodwin.

CHUCK TODD: "Doris, we've seen versions of Donald Trump over the years. And I just don't mean versions of this Donald Trump, but I mean, you know, a George Wallace and things like this. This does happen. And they do strike a chord."

DORIS KEARNS GOODWIN: "I think the important thing is not to understand the chord he's striking."

The important thing is not to understand the chord he's striking! Wow. We paused and rewound. She said "not" — the important thing is not to understand? Not to understand the chord.

Now, let's be clear what is meant by the chord. The chord is the people. We the people have something in us that resonates when struck a certain way, and Trump does strike it. Why shouldn't we want to understand that? It sounds like one of the most important things about American political life, and yet Doris Kearns Goodwin says no! Don't look at that, look at this:

"But we, as journalists, have a responsibility to question: Is this the kind of person who could truly be a leader, a person so quick to anger, a person who yells at other people, a person who bullies, person who's loose with the facts, saying lots of things that aren't true, person who has conspiracy theories about whether Obama was born here, about vaccines, about climate change is a hoax?"

So her point is, don't try to figure out what the people are looking for that Trump is appealing to, just fixate on Trump, the man. Keep saying — it's our responsibility to keep saying — that Trump is a nasty, contemptible lout.

"I think it's too much to give him the credit that he's entertaining, and that we like what he's saying but it's interesting. We, as journalists, have a responsibility to figure out which candidates are likely to be our leaders."

There's that word "responsibility" again. The journalists must perform a filtering process for the people and exclude those who must not be taken seriously. We know in the end Trump can't win, she says. He may be at the top of the polls, but nevertheless, the journalists know he's a nasty, contemptible lout and they must pursue their lofty calling and keep the people from looking at this awful man.

"I remember talking with Tim Russert about this. Rather than who's got the most money, who's saying the most outrageous thing, who has the highest polls, who is likely to be a leader? They've shown qualities already. This guy has shown qualities I cannot imagine him as a presidential leader."

CHUCK TODD: "No, I don't think anybody can."

And by "anybody," he means anybody he knows. Or anybody that matters. By definition.