Critic: ABC "Clear Loser" Of Pennsylvania Debate

Washington Post:

When Barack Obama met Hillary Clinton for another televised Democratic candidates' debate last night, it was more than a step forward in the 2008 presidential election. It was another step downward for network news -- in particular ABC News, which hosted the debate from Philadelphia and whose usually dependable anchors, Charlie Gibson and George Stephanopoulos, turned in shoddy, despicable performances.

For the first 52 minutes of the two-hour, commercial-crammed show, Gibson and Stephanopoulos dwelled entirely on specious and gossipy trivia that already has been hashed and rehashed, in the hope of getting the candidates to claw at one another over disputes that are no longer news. Some were barely news to begin with.

Read the whole story: Washington Post

Comments

[wildgeeseNC]

I've often said, as a dinner party joke, that we should run presidential elections like eliminations on reality tv shows. Contestants must perform humiliating feats, judges skewer their performance, and the public votes them off one by one.

I think that ABC stole my idea. This was the kind of "debate" that Simon Cowell might have spawned.

[bighair]

I was thinking kind of the same thing....I think a fresh, new format is just what we need.

Here is the format we need for the next debate moderated by George & Chuck

1. Candidates have 30 sec.'s to pin on as many flag pins as they can. Whoever gets more pinned is crowned the more patriotic candidate.

2. With a blindfold on each candidate will have to recognize by voice alone people they had conversations with from 1990 - 2000 who have made reprehensible comments or done reprehensible things. If they can't recognize the voice they will be deemed to have a secret plan to take down the country because they are terrorist sympathisizers

3. Target practice with a rail of empty bottles. 10 shots each. Whoever breaks more bottles is obviously who the hunters will crown their choice

4. Beer Pong with a group of college students. Whoever chugs without spilling beer on their lapel pin wins and gets the youth vote.

5. Quickfire latte making challenge will reveal the elitist from the pack. If you make the best latte you will be labeled the elitist who is out of touch with America.

I think this format will really allow George, Chuck, & ABC to shine plus we will get all the real questions asked and answered.

[rmreddicks]

It was supposed to be a night of info-tainment (although seemingly with one of the rubes being handled a bit more roughly) but Charlie & George just ain't that funny. No Laurel & Hardy. No Abbott & Costello. No Amos & Andy.

It isn't the audience that's "turning on you", Charlie. It's the nation.

I pledge to never again wake up at 9 a.m. on Sunday mornings just to laugh at George Will. I will wake up at 9:50 a.m. so I can learn how many more service members were sacrificed so that this malignant buffoonery might continue.

[Pharos]

Agree with him or not, George Will is intelligent. I find him useful because he articulates the enemy position very succinctly.

[kiraalex]

This media sham is deplorable­...and Mr. Shale hit the nail on the head with undeniable clarity.

As a Democrat, and more importantly an American, who loves the ebb and flow of our unique political process I find myself appalled at the behavior of these two ABCHRC "moderators" last night!!

We are at one of THE MOST important crossroads in our nation's history and I could give a damn about a FLAGPIN??!! or what the h*ll Chelsea looks like reacting to her mother's voice??!!

OBAMA 08

[lookingAhead]

Remember this is the same media that tried to place blame on 9-11 to Bill Clinton. They overlook that memos of Osama to strike U.S during the Bush administra­tion.. They gave us the same crap last night. Apparently ABC wants another four years of this administration by trying to give the presidency to McCrazy. This was the worst debate I have ever seen. Both of the moderators should be fired they were worst then any tabloid magazine could have done.

[Nonamnesiac]

I think Clinton and Obama partisans should look objectively at what happened at the debate. The media, through Gibson and Steph, showed they were going to support McCain in the slimiest way they can. Both Gibson and Steph focused on gaffes and irrelevant issues long after any legitimate questions about those gaffes had been answered by the candidates. Gibson and Steph ignored substance and did all they could to continue the cat fight. They were despicable and made every effort to demean both Obama and Clinton.

Both Gibson and Steph acted as conscious agents of McCain.

[2351]

They should be fired.

[protagonia]

Those commentators will have to endure the humiliation of this the rest of their lives.

May they live for years and years.

[Pippilangstrumpf]

Those two revolting puffs are too arrogant to ever admit to doing anything wrong.

Hillary and Obama should have joined forces and just walked off the stage.

[mitch4822]

A Media lynching of Barac Obama - Insulting and demeaning one of our best and brightest.­..No respect for those running for office....­George and Charlie..a­pologise to the American people NOW!!!

Obama 72%to Hillary 28% after the debates. (MSNBC). How about that, folks!!! The media talking heads imediately started saying: "oh, Obama, had a rough night, his worst performanc­e.... people need to know about these affiliations, oh, yea, really...w­atch the polls!

George, Charlie again, I say, apologise to the American people NOW!!!!...­.

Scum bags. (So Bill and Hillary have finally had their debts paid. .

Again, Obama 72%, Hillary 28%... I will now go to the Obama website and make another large donation!!!!! - my 6th. Its the media like George and Charlie, and Tim Russet, and Shawn Hannity and Bill Orilley, Russ Limbagh, Bob cunningham - neo-con nazis that are doing their level best to mess
up the minds of the American people....­..

The worst Obama hit job I am ever seen. It was a media lynching pure and simple, both charlie and George both came to do him in.....but thank God, he held his ground; he was presidential

Barac was most gracious with Hillary, but she betrayed him and joined in attacking with hitmen George and Charlie. She is mean and ungracious. Barac sved her skin a couple of times when both seem to be getting at her, and he tried his best to give her the benefit of the doubt..

I

[rmreddicks]

calm down

[kittyma]

this is not a partisan issue rmreddicks, this has been an insult to the American people who have a right to expect adherence to basic principles such as intelligent journalism, fair journalism, respect for the viewers, decency etc.

I could not believe it when gibson insisted that when capital gains tax goes up receipts go down. This is factually not true. I also could not believe it when George said to Hillary after asking a question about Bill Richardson "I know you don't want to talk about this" and moved on another question. I guess he knew that Senator Obama wanted to speak about flag pins, Rev. Wright, bittergate and Ayers and that Senator Clinton wanted to talk about bosnia!

[cnick]

I'm with you, I'm broke from paying (I mean trying) to pay for gas, however, I will ALSO donate to Obama again today, we have to change this hopeless road to nowhere that is going on now in America. Three awful people against one who is trying to make things better. It's a great day to decide to no longer watch ABC's snarky shows, Good Morning America, The View with the intolerable Elizabeth, and mainly, the condescending, narcissistic Charlie (looking down on you from the glasses on the end of my nose) Gibson.

[itsme23]

One word to you..AMEN!­!!

[itsme23]

God Bless you for your post SERIOUSLY.­..however.­..word to the wise...and I know you meant NOTHING by it....I would RECONSIDER calling it a Media LYNCHING when referring to an African American Candidate.­....no offense to you....bec­ause I feel what you are saying...T­OTALLY!!!! I would just think about that if I were you! And just like you.....I'­m gonna hit the website and then hit the donation button again! What a staged farce this was!

[apoyo]

I agree it was not a media lynching, it was a political lynching.

[ohsaydidyousee]

Geat job ABC. Thanks for the tabloid version of a primary debate. As Mr. Shaw so eloquently explained there is no doubt that ABC lost this debate. Unfortunately the biggest loser in this debate are the undecided.

[verlaine]

Gibson and Stephenopolous should be sued journalistic malpractice. They succeeded in channeling their inner Fox News Channel fair and balanced meme.

Last night is one more example of the fact that broadcast journalism has descended into a fetid, rancid cesspool.

Once upon a time, we had informative and insightful reporting, commentary, analysis from Walter Cronkite, Eric Severeid, Howard K. Smith, John Chancellor, Edwin Newman, Marvin Kalb, Sander Vanocur, and Roger Mudd.

Now we have jingoistic chest thumping, hysterical fear mongering, drive by gotcha innuendo, and lies, and distractions from snarling, bullying, knuckle dragging neanderthals like Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannitty, Joe Scarborough, Chris Matthews, Lou Dobbs, and Gleen Beck.

[itsme23]

Why do we need network news anymore anyway? We have local news and cable news and of course the periodical­s...I say let go of that dinosaur once and for all.....th­e days of guys like Tom Brocaw and Peter Jennings left with them apparently­....Charli­e and Stephie...­..trying to do their best Russert and Matthews impression­s....but were UNIMPRESSIVE!!!! I am FLOORED...­that this is what passes for Journalism­...from DISNEY...W­HOM I AM OBLIGATED TO UNTIL MY CHILD REACHES GOD ONLY KNOWS HOW OLD....DIS­GUSTING...­.if Disney is gonna sell out to the tune of FOX NEWS...the­n I will take my child to Bush Gardens and Six Flags instead!!! Maybe it would do something if all the parents started a protest of Disney GOODS and Vacations.­..MAYBE THAT WOULD GET THEIR ATTENTION.­......What does everyone else think? I think both Barak and Hillary supporters and potential supporters deserved so much better....­we should all refuse their channel..a­nd merch.....­.hit em where they live!!!!

[apoyo]

Peter Jennings must be turning over in his grave.

[JavaCityGal]

They should have done a live internet debate produced and moderated by Huffington Post. Show them we don't need the old-school media anymore.

[TotobiAyokoh23]

I request nothing less than a full CONGRESSIONAL investigation of the circumstances of the debate. It was very appalling and demeaning to our national security interest.

[armadillious2002]

I don't know for sure what George Clintonopoulus was up to last night but according to the polls, if he was trying to garner support for Obama - he succeeded.

[Giordano Bruno]

This was so pathetic and blatant that it will have a huge impact on the outcome of the Pennsylvania primary. I predict (and mind you I picked Kansas to win the field of 64 in my personal brackets), that BHO will be the recipient of a sympathy vote because of the dog piling gang bang spectacle hosted by ABC.
Even though it may have exposed potential weaknesses in the guilt by association category, it was way too orchestrated. Sounds like Hillary and Georgie (Stephanapolous) boy have made up. What a crock.
ABC just handed BHO the Pennsylvania election.

Giordy

[trubski]

God, I miss Peter Jennings.

[cnick]

How true, Charlie Gibson, like Katie Couric, should go back to AM TV where he belongs (barely).

[willo]

Peter Jenning's did utter a truth on the morning of 9/11/2001 while watchings the WTC building's implode.
"As anyone knows, you have to get at the under infrastructure of these type of buildings to bring them down" Peter Jennings

[Ariadne]

This was not a debate it was a snarkfest. I couldn't care less if anyone wears a flag pin or a flag for a cape. I care about who will bring this illegitimate war to an end, who will do something about alternative energy development, education, out-of-control pharmeceutical companies, health care, and all the issues that the American peope really need to know about.

I thnk that America is beyond ready for a new style of poliitics. When will the MSM (and Hillary) catch on?

[cnick]

Why would they choose this woman's question (re flag pin) over all the important issues in this country??? ABC = bad and stupid.

[cindysundancer]

It wasn't a debate. It was an ugly mugging. I'm a journalism school grad and former TV reporter and anchor. Broadcast journalism has really gone in the toilet since we lost the Fairness Doctrine. Thanks Reagen and Repubs.

[Horst]

This is not a partisan issue (by the way the man was Reagan), it is a question of journalistic standards. Most Americans are more interested in American Idol than in the Iraq War. People like Gibson, O"Reilly, Couric are not journalists. They are bubble heads who read copy off a teleprompter.