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

[Livvy]

No matter who you want to vote for the debate was awful. If this is what network tv plans to do in the general election this democracy is in trouble.

And for Hillary supporters who thought it was okay I doubt they would have responded the same way had we spent most of the debate asking about Penn, Nafta gotchas, "screw the little Southern guys", Bosnia sniping and he did not have sex with that woman.

The debates should be about issues. They should be by serious journalists who manage discourse at its finest level. It was disgraceful tabloid journalism.

[JavaCityGal]

It's true. The same type of questions turned out against Hillary would have looked like this:

"You say that you were always against free trade. But your White House records show that you advocated for it. Even in the present, your top strategist -- still working on your campaign, and your husband has been lobbying for Columbian free-trade. How do you explain this conflict of interest to the people of PA, who have lost 45,000 jobs due to free-trade that your husband signed into law"

"How did it feel to find out that your husband was having s*x with another woman in the Oval Office while you were home? Many strong women would like to know why you didn't leave him, since he was a serial adulter, don't you think that women deserve better than that? Do you think that by staying with serial adulter, you were being a good role model for Chelsea?"

"You tout yourself as being a strong advocate for children's rights. But when you were a defense attorney, you attacked a 12 year old rape victim on the stand, claiming that she's always liked older men. Due to your help, a child rapist received a lesser sentence. How do you reconcile that with your claims of children's rights"

[Oldbuck]

I have always thought ABC was a little shallow, now I am total convinced. The jerks could not ask about any thing with any substance, like the war, economy and health care,

[UpstateNYMom]

He tanked- she did well and everyone is making her out to be the bad guy- really do people hate strong woman so much. I'm afraid that when she is in White House the haters will blame her for
911 and the IRAQ war some how. Go Hillary- keep up the good fight Girl!!
Myself, My mom and My daughter are counting on you!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!

[neenj]

I know you are not delusional enough to think that the republicans are going to allow Billary back into that white house. They already have so much oppositional research on Billary and now Hillary is providing them with so much more. Hillary as president.­.pleeeeass­se-you must be dreaming!!!!

[Aleka]

How can you possibly be proud of her as a woman? I am a woman and she makes me -deeply- ashamed. She embodies every single negative stereotype there is for females. If you could think for yourself, you would realize that.

And if he was not as graceful as usual, it is because he was being interrogated, dummy. See how graceful YOU sound when people are interrupting you and badgering you and trying to get you to contradict yourself.

She was -more- graceful than usual, because they gave her first shot at the questions and just let her give little prepared speeches uninterrupted.

[Hotshortie]

That's how I feel too. I was excited when hillary started her run. A Woman President. Whoo hoo !!!
But know I just turn off the tv when she comes on. She makes me sad to think a good person could ever act the way she does without any remorse or feeling. She thinks it's fine to ruin a good man. She thinks destroying anothers reputation is a game. She is sickening!
Hillary has become a republican!

[Countess]

How you could be proud of such a lowlife is beyond belief.

[marymansour]

Did so well? She looked like a chimpmunk with those cheeks stuffed with her winter kill. This woman is hated by most of the people in the USA and abroad. Get a grip!!!!!!!

[JavaCityGal]

One -- Hillary will never be in the White House, you can lose that pipe dream now.

Two -- I'm from NY too -- explain to me exactly what Hillary has done for NY in the last 6 years. We're STILL waiting for those 200,000 jobs -- esp in upstate NY.

Three -- She isn't a strong woman. She's a whiny, playing the victim card, win at all cost, lying woman. This country IS ready for a woman president. But just not that one, EVER.

[Boulderperson]

When Ted Koppel left so did News at ABC.

[kathy]

I do believe the ABC News website has crashed due to negative comments from viewers of the debate last night. I agree with Shales," ABC was the clear loser!" It's apparent that Gibson & Stephanopoulos got their marching orders from Disney's CEO, Robert Iger, a staunch Hillary supporter.

[ErnestineBass]

Sigh.

Remember when "Night Line" did NEWS?

Now it looks more like "Inside Edition". Pure pap.

[WHATISTHIS]

THE DEBATE

THE DEBATE

THIS LINK BELOW WILL EXPLAIN THE SADNESS!!!!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SsMTK7IFkw

[Beka13]

It was an attempted Lynching..­.How can anyone prepare for that?

[UpstateNYMom]

Lynching- I am sick of people bringing up race when it suits them- that term makes me puke.
He may have sweat a litle but a lynching come on- this is nothing compared to the "water boarding" he'll get from the right in the general election. Time to take the rose color glasses off all you Obamanites---please for the good of the party- before it is too late.

[Ariadne]

You should be happy and grateful that Hillary will continue to be your Senator...­maybe. Even that could be gone after her negatives reach 60 percent or so. She's well on her way. Or maybe she could move back to Illinois and run for Obama's seat.

[peacehappens]

Stop using what you predict "the right" will do as an excuse for Clinton's bad behavior.

McCain has already shown that he intends to handle his campaign differently. McCain has himself said that he doesn't believe that Obama should be held accountable for what Rev. Wright said while preaching and a McCain aid that was pushing the issue was fired. McCain, when asked if he thought that Obama was elitist answered, "No, but his comments were." making an important distinction and he did not take the low road with Clinton.

What about when, in 1992, Clinton said, "I suppose I could have stayed home and baked cookies and had teas, but what I decided to do was to fulfill my profession which I entered before my husband was in public life. " Never mind that Clinton went on to say feminism means the right to choose work, or home, or both; the damage had been done. She'd been tagged an elitist and an ultra - feminist and was viewed by some as a liability in her husband's campaign. The question of whether Bill was electable because of her was asked.

She has become one of those disgusting people, doing now what was done to her. We don't have to be concerned about what the "right" will do and it is time that Clinton act instead of react.

[brwnizofmine]

it was a LYNCHING!

[Aleka]

What do -you- call it when multiple people gang up on someone and try to tear him limb from limb?

A tea party?

[Countess]

ABC has outdone Fox News and have lowered themselves to the level of Hillary Clinton.

[Mollye]

Wow, I really disagree with this assessment. Charles Gibson and George Stephanopoulus did an outstanding job. Kudos to ABC!

[bobdevo]

Please get back on your meds, Mollye.

[nevergiveup]

Mollye's drinking the Corporate American Media koolaid and she LOVES it.

Another Rethug who hates her/his country and loves has the Corporate American Media is helping to destroy democracy. Mollye's also 12 and has three My Space pages.

[MyUserName]

Uhhh...
Have you forgot?
It is Obama and Michelle who hate the country..s­heesh
Rev. Wright knows this well

[batgirlevi]

You aren't very bright, are you?

[Countess]

George and Charlie were trying their best to dumb the debate down so Hillary Clinton's supporters could understand something.

[JavaCityGal]

The lobotomy was successful I see.

[cramos]

The clear loser in last night debate was OBAMA..... and the clear winners were the people of PA.

[chronic]

People with your mentality wouldnt know a winner if they slapped you on the face.

[NoMoFearNoMoHate]

Then the people of PA like a debate loser? *confused* as more Pennsylvanians have come to support Obama since the debacle, I mean, debate.

[VOTER]

After the debate:

Charlie: " Well have you finally paid your debt to the Clintons, George?"

George: "I sure hope so. Bill will let me know later."

Charlie: "Do you think viewers noticed things were OFF?"

George: "Cool it , Charlie. Hannity is the only one we need to worry about."

Charlie: " I feel badly but I was under such pressure to do as told."

George: "STOP IT! EVERYTHING WILL BE FINE!!!!"

ABC Staffer: "The boos were nothing compared to the internet blogs. You, guys
are in for a rough couple of days."

ABC/DISNEY is scheduled to hold a telephone conference call with advertisers.
Charlie is at Disney World.
George's Location is unknown...­........

CABLE AND PRINTED MSM ARE IN A FLUX. THE INTERNET WILL NOT STOP!