ABC Hosts Heckled After Debate: "The Crowd Is Turning On Me"

***Update***
Jeffrey Schneider, Vice President of ABC News told HuffPost that the audience wasn't heckling the hosts for their poor questions, but rather, "The audience in the debate auditorium reacted that we were going to a final commercial."

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Reflecting what seemed to be the main consensus of the night - that ABC botched this debate, big time - Charlie Gibson tells the crowd there will be one more, superfluous commercial break of the night and is subsequently jeered.

"OH..." he declares, hands raised in defense. "The crowd is turning on me, the crowd is turning on me."

Off camera, observers let out their frustrations. Watch it:

Visitors to ABC's site weren't much kinder. Here's a sampling on page 1:

...This is AWFUL. Thank goodness for Jon Stewart and Comedy Central. He does a better job of interviewing and asking relevant questions of his guests in 5 minutes than these 2 yahoos have in more than an hour. ABC should be ashamed. George should be ashamed. Charlie should be ashamed. This isn't a debate. This is a hit job.

...Asinine questions - abysmal debate. Fire these silly moderators NOW. They insult the intelligence of the American people.

...I haven't watched ABC "news" in a few years. I see I haven't been missing much! MORE THAN half the debate turned over to Bittergate, Rev Wright, the Weathermen, Tuzla, FLAG LAPEL PINS? Most of the televised debates I've seen this campaign season have been lame, but this one takes the prize. Either you guys are morons or you think that we are. Either way, I'm glad to have seen the last of you. Really, really bad.No winners in this debate, but a definite loser: ABC "NEWS"

...This is the WORST debate I have ever watched. Never in my life have I been more disenchanted with the news media as a whole, especially a news organization such as ABC that I believed to have some sense of purpose to bring substantive information and perspective to the American people. Americans are tired of the snipping between the candidates and the lack of discussion about what each candidate will do to help the country. ABC News should be ashamed for presenting such a failure of a debate.

...Are you kidding me? "We don't have much time left. Let's have a MINUTE to talk about gas?" Charlie and George, you need a crash course on the distinction between "issues" and an "agendas." Hint: The candidates have the former; you have the latter.

...ABC News . . you should be ashamed of this debate. Where did you get these questions?? Where are the ISSUES. We have heard enough about Rev Wright and what Hillary did or didn't do in Bosnia. Let's hear about issues that matter such as the cost of Health Care, the war in Iraq, the Energy Crisi, the Crisis in Our Schools, and THE ECONOMY, STUPID!!

...Geoirge and Charlie= narcissistic elite "journalists" trying to score a rating point, but asking questions that would yield a "F" in middle school journalism. This debate may be used for years in journalism classes, on how to not run a debate. Disney-who owns ABC- get better cartoon characters to run a debate. Elmer Fudd would do much better.

...Has ABC News noticed that your so called "debate" has been universally panned? Charles Gibson is a pandering person more fit for the National Enquirer than a responsible news program. Stephanopoulis is barely better. I am so disappointed but not surprised.

Read reactions and criticism from Huffington Post bloggers to ABC's Pennsylvania Democratic debate

Comments

[NickFuryII]

Well, let's face facts. If is over for Obama.

The debate showed without question the emperor had no cloths (and isn’t terribly well endowed).

Hillary, on the other hand with all here faults, is vetted and will not fold like a lawn chair under Republican heat.

Obama’s performance was pathetic. He is just not ready.

It is hard to let go. But if you don’t you are for all practical purposes voting Republican.

Obama the fantasy and Obama the real man are two very different things.

As democrat ducklings our duty is to follow the mother duck. Once you get over this juvenile Obama “crush” we expect you get in file.

[kknyc]

Oh please. Get real. If this means it's over for Obama, then it was over for Hillary long ago. And our "duty" is to educate ourselves and make a choice based on that and on whom we think would make the best candidate for our country. Our "duty" is not to get in file.

[Gotcha2008]

Unfortunately, this debate showed Obama's character under fire.... and he failed miserably. Sure, he's able to speak to a crowd - the guy was lecturer at the University. But when pointedly questioned about irritating subjects, like last night, or the Tony Rezko connection, he gets irked and even angry. It wasn't pretty, but the moderators did our country a service. We needed to see him under fire, with unpleasant questions. And, today, he made it worse by brushing off his shoulder the terrible job he did last night, as if those people that considered the issues character issues were so many gnats in his way, like the elitist he will be portrayed as come the General Election. I'm afraid we just lost the election, regardless of the nominee.

[fearwig]

"If is over"... "the emperor had no cloths"...

Is this one-handed typing? Because it sure seems masturbatory.

[Redrover666]

oooh! you said "masturbatory"

Bet NickFuryII sure feels humiliated by your wit.

[ElPerro]

If you want to "face facts" then face this one: Hillary can't win. It's over for her. All she can do is help to insure a McCain victory, which she is intent on doing with gusto.

Not only can't the bitch win now, but her campain has been so bad that I expect the voters of New York to make her pay for it the next time she runs.

[JavaCityGal]

LOL -- sure, live in your delusions if it makes you feel better. Too funny.

[jennbeez]

With George Stephanopolous in the central role for that debate, what are the odds she had the questions given to her beforehand? Pretty close to 100%, I'd say.

[pupbayer]

I don't know what you all were watching or what you don't understand.

The crowd was booing the commercial break not the moderators. That is VERY clear.

This was a debate...one of many. This is prime time, folks. If he can't cut it, then he needs to get out. Was it intellectual? No. Was it informative? Not necessarily. Was it politics in the U.S.? Absolutely. This is the way it is. Live with it or don't but stop the ridiculously naive and immature whining and complaining.

It's politics for crying out loud and Clinton and Obama are POLITICIANS.

[kknyc]

When we stop expecting ANYTHING of our politicians and our media, that's exactly what we get. Your excuse is "this is prime time"? Can you say "jaded"?

[fearwig]

It's all you can expect if you're too goddamned stupid to expect and ask for more.

Obama didn't take any real hits here. People aren't upset about that. They're upset about the absolute lack of professionalism displayed by the moderators, and they have a hell of a right to be.

"Immature whining and complaining" is the totalitarian equivalent of what we like to call "speaking out", here in America. So "live with it", as you say.

[JavaCityGal]

"The crowd was booing the commercial break not the moderators. That is VERY clear."

Hey puppy -- I've got a bridge for you, will sell it you to real cheap.

[dragonrose]

My question is, why didn't anyone ask why Hillary wasn't wearing a flag pin. Patriotisim as a fashion statement. Please give the flag pin a rest. Charlie and George weren't wearing one either... does that make them rotten stinking commies? Enough. The flag pin comment was a perfect symbol of how assinine the whole "debate" was. The Republican's might as well wrote the script for the debate. Or the equally insane Anne Coulter

[Gotcha2008]

Yes, but by ignoring the importance that many hold the flag pin symbol to mean, you are giving that issue to the Republicans. it isn't their flag, it's America's flag. And, if it means nothing to you, if it is such a small issue, then why not wear one and dismiss the issue as a campaign ploy. That way Democrats can compete with the Republicans on even ground. By giving the issue to the Republicans, you simply make their job of beating us easier in the fall. You're right, what's the big deal? So wear the pin and the issue will go away like that! By fighting it, it stays in media. At least the Presidential candidates should do so, both Hillary and Barack.

[barbie37]

Ridiulous! I know why I don't watch ABC news anymore. I expected more from the moderators. What a shame this debate could not have been about the issues instead of about flag pins and Rev. Wright.

[HumeSkeptic]

This hit job on Obama as a wake-up call, an opportunity.

If any of his supporters think that corporations would just let this happen, think again. If you think it is anything less than extraordinary that a candidate of the people has survived and is standing tall at this point of the election cycle, you are naïve. And Obama knows that. And he has said that.

But the attacks will come not just from the corporations and corporatists, they will come from the entire military industrial complex, from all their lobbyists, and all their stooges in the media, TV and radio, who would fan the flames of bigotry and racism and hatred, hoping that the flames would engulf him and burn him down before he even gets the chance to confront McCain in the general election.

And, right now, those forces have an ally in the mighty Clinton political machinery.

If you want a candidate of the people to win, if you want your country back, it is not going to come easily. You are going to have to fight for it. You will have to support Obama like you have never supported a candidate before – with money, by fund raising, by educating neighbors, by organizing support groups.

This is an opportunity of a lifetime. You miss it this time, who knows when you would ever come this close.

It is not about Obama the man. It is about taking our country back. Let’s go do it.

[richardsgirl]

I agree 100% with your post. Senator Obama is up against the entire establishment - the machines of both political parties, corporate America, the military industry, and all that represents the status quo, business and politics as usual. This is an unprecedented challenge for any candidate, past or present. They fear Senator Obama as they have never feared any candidate before, and as much as if not more than they fear the threat to our country by terrorists. Their fear is that he will in fact help us to reclaim our country and reclaim the democracy that our forefathers envisioned. This will never do, because it will turn their world upside down! But as you say, this is our challenge too, and there are many things that we must overcome within ourselves before we can even begin to meet this challenge. This is truly a phenomenal time in our history, and how the story will someday be told is up to each of us.

[HumeSkeptic]

You have it right. It is really up to us to make this happen. We have come this far, we must get energized now to face the real onslaught. They are getting nervous, and the attacks will just intensify with time.

[heal57]

I totally agree with you. I have donated to Senator Obama. You are right. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to take our country back. Big business and those corporatists' puppets in the White House should be freaking out cause Obama is going to win and will will have our great country back, fianlly.

[GhostDogWarrior]

The whole evening was an abomination but the only reason it happened is because we encouraged it to happen. The only reason these dopes are on TV is because we watch them. The only reason we have these dolts in office is because we allow them to get in. The next time one of my fellow lazy, whiny, entitled Americans gets a punch in the face and ask "who did that" they need to look no farther then there own hand. Quit your complaining and do something about it for once and maybe somoene will listen.

GDW

[heal57]

I mean 'we will have our country back, finally'...typed too quickly!

[kart0624]

I can't really believe that Stephenpolous actually got his question from the most vile right-wing personality, SEAN HANNITY. This has been happening from 2000, starting with the election then, afterwards every single network got the cue from Fox News, wrapping themselves with several doses of nationalism( which they claim to be patriotism), and this "fluttering flag" in almost most of the primt time shows. Very said indeed, but at one level, I think McCain should win, at that point when America's power is reduced around the world, because inevitably McCain would involve the US in Iran. I guess that is the only way probably American foreign policy would change, actually forced to change because of the reality of reduced American power.

[realpolitic]

I hope that the press gets to the bottom of flag pin-gate. Obama did not wear an American flag lapel pin before and now he does. Was he working for the enemy before or is he now? If bin Laden does his next broadcast with an American flag pin on it may be a signal that Obama is not serious about capturing al-Qaida. Well, I hope ABC news will folllow up on this serious issue.

[nazirmo]

I don't understand all the critics of the moderators. The issues have been debated already in many previous debates and someone had to ask tough questions that touched on the leadership qualities and where the candidates have erred - such as Hillary with Bosnia and Obama with his not wearing the flag pin and his pastor. Both candidates were grilled equally and in between the questions it did not stop the candidates from talking about any issues. I am glad the debate was somewhat different.
So with Hillary being questioned about her Bosnia misspoke why is that many are writing that ABC did a hit job on Obama. My question is why didn't Obama give a direct answer to the question on his not wearing the flag pin. His answer was weak.

[Aleka]

I think you were watching a different debate than the rest of us.

Hillary got the bosnia thing, that's IT. No NAFTA CAFTA, no false firing of Penn, no "did the 800k bill got to promote the Columbia free trade deal go in the joint account, and isn't that a conflict of interest.." Nothin. Note, please, that ALL of that has to do with ISSUES. But instead they focussed on gotcha stupidity.

You realize, that you are the target audience right? That percentage of Americans so easily led that they would actually beleive asking if his pastor is patriotic and asking about lapel pins - when people are dying every day in Iraq - is even remotely important or relevant.

Congrats - your "Happy and Obedient Sheeple" pin is in the mail.

[butterfly218]

Where was Mrs Clintons pin?Where is Bills pin

[GhostDogWarrior]

I think their pin is attached just above their shoulders

[dandman]

Obviously YOU DON"T UNDERSTAND is the operative phrase here. The salient point here is what is clear to anyone with a brain. The questions ABC's so called moderators asked, and the entire direction of this "debate" had absolutely nothing to do with our economy, the occupation in Iraq, Osama Bin laden, Gas prices, the housing crisis, the assault on our constitution, torture, jobs, nuclear proliferation, global warming, dependance on foreign enregy, the crimes of the Bush administration, the corporate takeover of our media airwaves, disenfranchised voters, homeless veterans, national security, wiretapping, outing of CIA covert agents, politicization of the Justice Department, our national dept, our standing in the world, a broken education system. You idiots have had your chance....Now get the f**k outa the way.

[Gotcha2008]

Unfortunately, it is you who does not understand what happened last night. The debates have covered most of the ground you mention more than once, had you been paying attention. These questions arose from the long spell between debates and primaries. No one had the chance to pin Barack Obama down on some very touchy, and he appeared to feel , irritating questions. Many people do care what he has said, who he associates with,, and what he believes in. They go right to showing the character of the man, and it wasn't pleasant, but it would have been done sometime. Words do matter, and he did not defend his own words well last night. He did not show well, and did not look Presidential. He looked like Papa Bush did looking at his watch in 1992. This could be the killer moment that is the begining of the end of Obama.

[LightningJoe]

Note to Obama and Clinton:

When idiots ask you stupid questions that don't equal the wind to blow them away, it's okay to simply ignore them, and take your comments someplace that matters. You should come to any mainstream media debate knowing what people really want to hear about, and ready to shift gears on the fly.

The moderator asks you about having known someone when you were eight years old, who later knew someone else who got into some trouble? Blow it off without acknowledgment , like the flotsam it is, and talk about Condi Rice's lies to Congress, after she explicitly sikked the CIA to torture detainees.

Believe me, we out here in issues-land are paying attention, both to what matters, and to the tricks the tame media tries to use on us, and on you. Someone told the moderators that this debate didn't matter, just get through it, for the advertisers. They were wrong, and now the advertisers are paying too, because I will NEVER, repeat NEVER buy or use any of the products advertised on that so-called debate.

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Shoot tv. Shoot it with a big gun.

[butterfly218]

You are right. . Stop supporting their sponsers and they go away. The " DOLLAR IS THE POWER "Don"t buy their over priced STUFF.If you do this they will hear you all the way to Wall street. We are not getting our moneys worth. The Republicans call the Democrats stupid because we pay their pay check. We support their TV shows, we support drugie LIM -BRAT. Throw the ''TEA " in the water. The TV and radio stations don"t like them either. Its all about your dollars at the store. Don"t sponser what you don"t like.
/ Remember the minuteman. Now go and control the ratings. B218

[nurseattorney]

Its really not that simple. I had a long discussion with a relative who is an ABC radio station manager. His radio station carries Rush Limbaugh, and I told him I was writing all of the sponsers on Limbaugh and complaining to them about certain statements Limbaugh had made. My relative told me its a waste of time to do that, that sponsers don't select a particular program to sponser. They buy a certain amount of time during a certain time period of the day - certain hours cost more than others bec. there are more listeners, and then the station sticks the sponsers ad in where they want to. In most cases, sponsers don't even KNOW that their ads are on during Limbaugh's show. I'm pretty sure its the same on TV. You would have to boycott and write a LOT of sponsers to have any effect at all on how they spend their advertising dollar.
Local stations that carry local advertisers would be more susceptible to a boycott, but the large networks probably aren't.

[rosal]

Two clowns fit for a circus. ABC fit for a merger with Fox, or Ringling Brothers. Integrity in journalism is gone. Its all a soap opera, worthy of a trashy novel. All garbage, nothing more.
Want to get informed? Read foreign neswspapers. They still are not as corrupt. And read bloggers. they all have a lot more to offer than the corrupt MSM.
As for Hillary, she is beyond help.

[GhostDogWarrior]

The entire evening was completely ridiculous but its really suprising that it doesnt happen more often, because the only reason these dopes are on TV is because we watch them. The only reason we have idiots in office is because we vote them in. Its about time we took responsibility for being a bunch of lazy, overly entitled, whiny Americans and the next time you get a punch in the face dont be suprised when someone points out that it came from your own hand.

GDW

[4Rhetoric]

Whatever happened to "One Nation Under God"? I watch and I read, with great sadness, the great divide that politics fosters. The debating . . . the campaigning . . . the debating about the campaiging . . . the debating about the campaiging about the debating. This country needs prayer and it needs healing, fast. The Democrat Party has done an admirable job in proving America as a house divided against itself: race, religion, gender, economics. The Democratic Party, and it's followers, has done little more than to prove itself as a neurotic carpetbagger, pandering race and religion for votes. Masquerading as liberals it appears they've done nothing more than incinerate their own house. Meanwhile the Republican Party has gone on to deal with the real issues at hand, the politic's of how to get this country in order. Being an Indepenent, it's nauseating to see the Democratic Party yet again waste an opportunity to provide the American voters with a viable choice, a viable party. At a time when we the people need salient political leadership the most, the Democratic Party is able to do little more than the least. Perhaps the Democrats, along with the rest of the country, need to go back to the basics, "One Nation Under God". Oh that's right I forgot, there is no more "Pledge of Allegiance" . . . is there any wonder.

[JustMyWords]

"One Nation Under God" is a made-up premise created during the Cold War, and with no more substance than the idiotic flag pin nonsense.

The Pledge of Allegiance existed long before 'one nation' was added. The phrase didn't add a thing to it. Removing it doesn't subtract a thing from it.

[haleywins]

What stupidity! All the trivial questions that failed to address the real issues on policies Americans are concerned about.

And to have the "little one" doing the questioning with his history with Senator Clinton was absolutely out of line. ABC sucks.

[THEDEVILSBOSS]

William Ayers and his wife Bernadette are true American heroes. Thank "god" for those two. While most people in the late 60s were either futilely waving silly banners and doing things that had no impact - these two took the fight to the heart of the death machine. So what if a couple ROTC offices got bombed. That is nothing compared to what the Army did to the 10's of thousands of unwilling dupes who got enslaved into being pawns in an unwinnable "war" - a dirty war that all involved knew was a total waste of time.
It is too bad that there aren't any more heroes today like Ayers & Co. who have the balls to stand up to the history that is being repeated - instead we have a dumbed down nation of idiots who just believe the propaganda that gets spoon-fed to them nightly by the same jerks who ran that circus show of a "debate" in PA last night.

[ellenolenska]

I agree with you thedevilsboss wholehardedly. What happened to democracy. If our elected officlals are not representing us properly, sometimes the only way is to resort to violence. People need to read their history, American history and world history to know that these kinds of acts are nothing new and sometimes very effective. Sometimes it's the only way. I believe the real problem is the mainstream media....they've become tabloid. They're not focusing on the issues. They are the real elitists.

[zardthebard]

Heh, the anti-war war fighters, how ironic.

[Crumbs]

ABC's debate was just like ABC nightly news...You can watch it tonight to catch last week's news..

Hillary, ABC News and saturday night live all went out in the 90's..Pretty obvious why.