Diamonds And Pearls Are A Girl's Best Friend (But Maybe Not Her Question Of Choice)

Everyone is pretty much in agreement that last night's "Diamonds or Pearls?" query to Hillary Clinton at the CNN Democratic Debate in Las Vegas was a total clunker. Now from The Atlantic's Marc Ambinder comes word that the UNLV student who asked the question, Maria Luisa, had not, in fact, expected to ask that question, but had rather prepared a question about the proposed Yucca Mountain site for nuclear waste. Ambinder tracked the story to Luisa's MySpace page, which he excerpted as follows:

"Every single question asked during the debate by the audience had to be approved by CNN...I was asked to submit questions including "lighthearted/fun" questions. I submitted more than five questions on issues important to me. I did a policy memo on Yucca Mountain a year ago and was the finalist for the Truman Scholarship. For sure, I thought I would get to ask the Yucca question that was APPROVED by CNN days in advance. CNN ran out of time and used me to "close" the debate with the pearls/diamonds question."

Oh, ouch — it's almost worse knowing that someone actually gave the thumbs-up to "diamonds or pearls?" in advance. Here's the CNN response (also pillaged from Ambinder):

Sam Feist, the executive producer of the debate, said that the student was asked to choose another question because the candidates had already spent about ten minutes discussing Yucca Mountain.

"When her Yucca mountain question was asked, she was given the opportunity to ask another question, and my understand is that the [diamond v. pearls] questions was her other question," Feist said. "She probably was disappointed, but we spent a lot of time with a bunch of different candidates on Yucca Mountain, and we were at the end of the debate."

Our take: Luisa doesn't deny submitting the "diamonds or pearls" question, and could have refused in horror...though that's a pretty high standard for a kid to meet in the heat of the moment with a mike in your face and the chance to address the presidential candidates on national TV. It sucks that Luisa is taking heat right now (it's an obit-leader) but it sucks more that anyone at CNN actually THOUGHT THAT WOULD BE A GOOD QUESTION TO ASK, EVER. Sheesh.

Meanwhile, Ambinder also notes that there are rumblings that the debate audience had a "pro-Clinton tilt"; as we (and others) have noted, CNN's postgame panel featured both James Carville (former Bill Clinton advisor and current Hillary Clinton supporter) and David Gergen, also a Clinton White House advisor (but, to be fair, also for Nixon, Ford, Reagan and Bush I. Even so, as a counselor to Clinton, it ought to have been noted — particularly when paired with the no-ifs-ands-or-buts-about-it Clintonite Carville). Our take: Did anyone see that postgame wrap-up? Urk. If comments like, "Hillary Clinton was rested and ready" were supposed to help his candidate, then Gergen's not all that much help. The other campaigns ought to be glad they weren't part of it.

"Diamond v. Pearl" Student Blasts CNN [The Atlantic]

Related:
Diamonds & Pearls [Prince]

Comments

[jlxn]

Yawn. The media making much about nothing...­yes, I'm talking to you Huffington Post.

[ripples]

A whining, post menopauseal, paranoid drama queen who is married to a philandering sex addict is not what America needs.

[LDJeff]

The most painful part of the CNN Nevada debate was not the answers democrats struggled to give but the questioning by CNN. Biggest loser in the debate, CNN!

[Lucia]

Let's see:

The student is brave enough to ask a question but not brave enough to say, "I'm not asking this silly question"?

The candidates did a great job in this ridiculous format.

And why is CNN deciding what questions people in the audience ask? That's the bigger issue. CNN should just have their news readers ask the questions.

I can't remember did Blitzer say, "CNN has prescreened all the questions and CNN is allowing these"?

[hollywoody5000]

WHO THE HELL CARES??? WHY IS SUCH A STUPID SIMPLE MATTER SUCH AN ISSUE WHEN THERE ARE SO MANY IMPORTANT CONCERNS TO BE ADDRESSED AND KING GEORGE HAS CONDUCTED AN ENTIRELY SCRIPTED PRESIDENCY COMPLETE WITH PHONY AUDIENCES, PLANTED SUBJECTS AND QUESTIONS WITH SCRIPTED ANSWERS. GIVE US A BREAK AND GET ON WITH SUBJECTS AND MATTERS THAT ARE MEANINGFUL TO THIS PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION AND TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.

[Madampotential]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sq-1RPIYfo

this clip tells you everything you need to know about CNN.... "CNN vs FOX News"... CNN is soooo bad that even Faux News comes out on top!

[themodernleader]

Our controlled information assures our people by feeding only controversial tenth level questions. The primary questions of ownership, concentrated wealth, fraudulent business practics, destructive trade and the most stupendous swindle in the history of human kind: such questions are only whispered by our kept rulers in their inner circles. The common people must not know that they have been sacrificed for the benefit of speculation and greed and avarice any sooner than necessary. For many Americans that day has already arrived.

[Superfelo]

It is true that 911 took a veil off; but it was the veil of the ability to lie with a straight face. And that moderator so biased and with his stupid questions of "worst case scenarios and what ifs"; and "yes" and "no" answers to complex questions. Who hires these people? Bernard Shaw seemed like a genius, until he asked his stupid career ending question of Dukakis,"What if your wife was raped". They go for effect not substance.

Mr. Moderator, CNN, you cannot get away with the stupid shenanigans of the sixties...­the sleeping giant has awakened.

You saw Hillary coming in being so friendly, and asking everybody how they were. It reminded me of debate candidate George Bush, saying hello, and at one point winking at no one in particular, with a simpering smile, just to show that he was in

control. And then a pro-Clinton hand-picked audience..­....like the Republicrats do. Why she thinks she is already the president?

No wonder they call her "Bush-lite".

But you know she is "Bush-heavy". Plants questions; handpicks audiences, says hello

trying to show how nice she is; and that you could have a beer with her; and that she is so adept in the kitchen that she will bake you cookies; but she is no "Tammy Winnette",

of "Stand by your man'. She also has her own version of Karl Rove...The public relation man

to the pick of the litter of all heinous organizations: "Blackwater".

Hillary the more I know you the less I like you.

Barack is the man. Barack is real.

Barack Obama for President. Now.

[Centauri]

Obviously almost every one here thinks that Obama and Edwards blew the debate otherwise there is no reason for these folks to offer al kinds of excuses. Like dog ate my homework. They sound like fans after loosing a game.

[MRb1000]

I will not watch CNN for any news. They are the Clinton News Network. Wolf Blizer and James Carvel set this up very nice for Hillary. CNN you just lost. You are no better than FOX. You are sorry along with your friends the Hill Billys from New York. Your credibility is shot. Everyone can see the scripted boos, cheers, hand gestures, scripted speeches, how he got her boys the help her out. Place on the street with regular people she would not last 2 minutes.

[Lisette]

Oh come on lets tell the truth today!
The Media stunk
Hillary stunk

All the rest were stars!

Obama Biden Edwards Dodd Richardson Kucinich Any one of them would be great a President!

Hillary is soooooo outclassed by these MEN.
If she has any sense of healthy shame or pride, she would be embarrassed for making a complete ass of herself!

[theistus]

Bill Richardson for the win!

[chronic]

When these idiots are given a question "planted" for them to ask the candidates why do they ask that question?


I mean, how dumb can one get?

[kellygrrrl]

the most telling info to come from this story is the sidenote re: David Gergen, described as "also a Clinton White House advisor (but, to be fair, also for Nixon, Ford, Reagan and Bush I.)"

For me, it is quite disturbing that a backer of Clinton was also a backer of Nixon Ford Regan and Bush 1.

That says A LOT -- and none of it is good.

[jwws007]

last night's debate was pathetic. if the dems think they can out debate the republicans when they are trained by these feel good shows, they've got a problem