MSNBC Iowa Straw Poll Coverage Plans

MSNBC just announced its Iowa Straw Poll coverage plans for this weekend. Yes, I know it’s too early for wall to wall and you know it’s too early for wall to wall but the networks are fighting to carve out their places for 2012 so no insignificant straw poll six months before the Iowa caucuses – an eternity in political campaigning – is going to be ignored.

PROGRAM NOTE: MSNBC’S ‘THE DAILY RUNDOWN’ AND ‘ANDREA MITCHELL REPORTS’ TO AIR LIVE FROM DES MOINES, IOWA

SPECIAL MSNBC COVERAGE OF THE AMES STRAW POLL

NEW YORK—August 10, 2011—MSNBC’s “The Daily Rundown” will have special live coverage of the Ames Straw Poll in Iowa on Thursday, Friday and Saturday of this week, hosted by NBC News Chief White House Correspondent and Political Director Chuck Todd. “The Daily Rundown” will broadcast live from Java Joe’s in Des Moines, Iowa, on Thursday, August 11 and Friday, August 12, at 9 a.m. ET. Guests on the Thursday show will include Iowa Governor Terry Branstad (R) and GOP Chairman Matt Strawn. On Friday, guests will include Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) among others.

MSNBC’s “Andrea Mitchell Reports” will broadcast live from Java Joe’s on Friday, August 12 at 1 p.m. ET. Guests of the show include Iowa pollster Ann Selzer, DNC Chairwoman Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.), Christie Vilsack, U.S. Congressional Candidate, MSNBC Political Analyst Charlie Cook, Politico’s Mike Allen, Time’s Mark Halperin, MSNBC Contributor Chris Cillizza and NBC News’ and MSNBC’s Chuck Todd.

On Saturday, August 13, MSNBC will significantly expand its dayside live news coverage to monitor the Ames Straw Poll, extending MSNBC Live until 6 p.m. ET. MSNBC Anchor Alex Witt will host MSNBC Live from 7 a.m. ET until 1 p.m. ET, when Chris Jansing will pick up coverage until 4 p.m. ET. Andrea Mitchell will host a special edition of “Andrea Mitchell Reports” from 4-6 p.m. ET. Chuck Todd will then report and analyze the results of the straw poll on a special Primetime edition of “The Daily Rundown” from 6-8 p.m. ET.

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