Stephanopoulos Once Criticized The Tactics He Put To Use In Debate

ABC News' George Stephanopoulos can continue to defend his decision to lead off his debate with an hour's worth of questions that mined the electoral sideshow (Lapel Pins, Tuzla, Weather Underground) for material at the expense of informative questions that cut to the needs of real Americans, but the facts are these: Back when the shoe was on the other foot, and Stephanopoulos' job was that of a campaign insider, he insisted that the media hold itself to a higher standard, as this clip from The War Room demonstrates.

[WATCH.]

STEPHANOPOULOS: What he's going to do in this campaign is focus on what's important to the American people, on the jobs and the education. That's what the American people care about. They want to move into the future. They don't want to be diverted by side issues, and they're not going to let the Republican attack machine divert them

Comments

[noahsmom823]

03:11 PM on 04/20/2008

George, you're a weasel.

[kravitz]

11:12 PM on 04/19/2008

I thought I was taking a break from all this political stuff when Ken Burns' 'American Stories' came on tonight on PBS. And there was George Will talking about Willie Mays...'our better trained ears can hear the veiled racism...' in the words used to talk about Mays. Like 'natural born' athlete. Rather than words of the past.

Will went on to point out Mays was one of the most intelligent players; reading and decoding signals for example, and using information against opposing pitchers, catchers and teams to his advantage.

Which is why George Stephanopoulos should be made to answer for words he used in an interview with Barack Obama. Stephanopoulos actually said "You have a very cool style when you're doing those town meetings, when you're out on the campaign trail. And I wonder, how much of that is tied to your race?" Suggesting Obama is a slick black man. These better trained ears can hear the racism in Steph's comment. It's no wonder Steph turned to a neo-nazi sympathizer for a question used in ABC's debate. http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/2008/04/stephanopoulos-you-have-a-very.php http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2007/05/07/070507fa_fact_macfarquhar?printable=true http://www.newshounds.us/2008/03/20/hannity_denies_past_association_with_white_supremacist_but_evidence_suggests_otherwise.php

Who will interview the interviewer?

[kravitz]

08:24 PM on 04/19/2008

STEPHANOPOULOS: You have a very cool style when you're doing those town meetings, when you're out on the campaign trail. And I wonder, how much of that is tied to your race? May 13, 2007
http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/2008/04/stephanopoulos-you-have-a-very.php

The Conciliator
Where is Barack Obama coming from?
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2007/05/07/070507fa_fact_macfarquhar?printable=true

[seepee]

03:11 PM on 04/19/2008

Sen,. Obama early on had said, that the contest was not about experience but about judgment and character. Therefore the first 45 min of the ABC debate was very relevant in understanding the candidates character and judgment.

[truthalways]

05:54 PM on 04/19/2008

No, it was about the easy way out. George and Charlie didn't put together anything special, just the same old, same old stuff. I think we were looking for the candidates ideals on how they would make America better. What a waste of time! Guess we need to watch PBS more for news and listen to liberal Radio such as KTLK in Los Angeles and KPFK. We need someone like Walter Cronkite, or Edward Murrow (those that do their homework). Shame on television for allowing such low level drivel.

[seepee]

09:59 PM on 04/19/2008

Each of the candidates agreed that there is very little difference in their policies… So .. what’s left for the host to ask the candidates, except what we’re hearing in the media and tabloids to a nauseating extent. Therefore I felt it was a perfect opportunity for the candidates to deal with gaffs and move on.

In addition I sincerely felt this format was much more of a debate rather than the past debates where host glossed over questions with no time for rebuttals, which made it look like the host was pandering to the candidates.

[independentrepublicrat]

12:02 PM on 04/19/2008

Look people, I posted months ago that CBS was the only network (cable networks included) that had not sold out and was presenting the most unbiased political news. I wrote about it several times on this website. You all enjoy the bias and political hits that anchors and pundits perform because you continue to watch them.

You deal with George and Charlie by blackout: Enough with the phone calls and web comments at ABC. DO NOT WATCH "ABC WORLD NEWS" OR "THIS WEEK"! Period. Not everyone has the big brother annoyance of being a Nielsen family (and you should consider yourselves thankful) but don't worry about not having that annoying azz spybox in your home; just don't watch them at all. Don't have them on your TIVOs or DVRs because these services are also monitoring viewer activity. Ignore anyone who tells you it doesn't matter unless you are a Nielsen household because cable companies also track customer activity. We should all just erase George and Charlie and not just for a day but at least through the election. This is how to change the wayward path of all media heading towards FauxNews like behavior.

Katie Couric should have been #1 during this entire election season because CBS Evening News has remained neutral, fair, balanced; no spin just facts. You express disapproval with ABC by making Couric #2 but CBS certainly deserves the number one spot for evening news based on their political & election coverage neutrality alone.

[1differentdrummer]

11:37 AM on 04/19/2008

He's irrelevant.

[Exit]

09:02 AM on 04/19/2008

That debate convinced me that I will not vote for Jeremiah Wright for President. I might vote for Bill Ayers instead but not sure yet. We need to get ABC News to tell us about Obama's maid and her view on Iran for me to determine if I want to vote for her.

ABC should also go to the Dunkin' Donuts that serves Obama so ask if they love America. That will determine my vote. Hopefully Sean Hannity will run a special show on it so I can find out.

[Neef]

09:31 AM on 04/19/2008

"ABC should also go to the Dunkin' Donuts that serves Obama so ask if they love America."

Hey! There are SERIOUS QUESTIONS about whether those glazed donuts are the SAME DONUTS Hamas eats!

I won't have a Prez that eats terrorist donuts.

[Thatcher]

07:00 AM on 04/19/2008

If your state has already voted - tell your superdelegates to "Sh*t or get off the pot"! We don't care who you endorse - just do it! http://tinyurl.com/6njr7e

[eurydice]

12:03 AM on 04/19/2008

When is Stephanopoulos gonna lose that rug?

[michigan500]

11:03 PM on 04/18/2008

I am extremely concerned about the lapel flag pins. It amazes me that so many people in the country, i.e Obama and Hillary aren't wearing flag pins....not only on their lapels, but they should be wearing them in every place they can. Flag earrings would be good...they could get their noses punctured with a flag. Who knows, can they both just get a flag pin posted on their foreheads too...?

Wait, tatooed with a flag on each cheek is better. I don't get it , no excuses please. Why hasn't Neil Boortz and Sean Hannity already demanded this. What are they thinking?

I see people with earrings posted on their tongues, lips and navels.....maybe Obama and Hillary and lets not leave out John McCain.....they could all get those parts of their bodies posted with flag pins.

They all should wear red white and blue every single minute of their lives...including their socks and shoes. Their families should wear red white and blue every minute of their lives AND wear flag lapel pins. Their families should get their bodies posted with flag lapel pins. Their families should be tatooed with the flag.

What is this country coming to? Oh my, now I have to fret about flag lapel pins.....I'm not sure I can handle this? How will the country survive without all those flag lapel pins. Someone, please help me.....I need to see our candidates covered in flag lapel pins!

[tommyill]

11:23 PM on 04/18/2008

Lapel pin freedom America America cut taxes Freedom fight terrorism guns lapel pin America freedom border fence Freedom America Christian nation

[Yurdelite]

05:58 PM on 04/19/2008

Flag pins so American. No doubt like those little flags on a stick--made in China.

[LondonTownNY]

09:26 PM on 04/18/2008

Stephanopoulos illustrated clearly that he still remains a Clinton loyalist. While he has tried to re-brand himself as a legitimate journalist, he did alot to undermine himself and put himself in the same position as Dan Abrams, former Clintonista's who are planted in the mainstream media to buffer the Clinton's. The story that is not often told is how many are so easily branded "Clinton Haters" and quickly lose their seat at the table of journalism, when the simple reality is that the Clinton's have and continued to DEFRAUD AMERICANS giving thinking people many reasons to objectively dismiss and discredit the Clintons based upon evidence, facts and the truth, all of which are no friends of the Clintons. Ask yourself why and how some many people close to the Clintons end up in powerful positions to protect them at just the right time. Why was George Stephanopulous allowed to moderate a debate in such a critical state in this primary given his ties to one candidate? Ask yourself why. Who are the Clintons?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bjBMprzs14
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cftY6jL_7M
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EalCmTANIg

[LondonTownNY]

09:40 PM on 04/18/2008

See also: The Clinton Chronicles: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7dtVm9-Z5M

[sueNaustin]

01:42 PM on 04/19/2008

Dan Abrams is a Clintonista? Why is that?

[billflannigan]

09:11 PM on 04/18/2008

And now it's his show. And his turn for the hot seat. Time to take a long vacation George.

[Softnsweet]

08:47 PM on 04/18/2008

I knew this debate was a set up...

[SharonB]

07:46 PM on 04/18/2008

Most of the talking heads on tv are so vapid and inane that Max Headroom has more substance than all of them together.
They are nothing but "news personalities". I refuse to call them journalist OR reporters. They are no more a reporter than Paris Hilton is an actress. When the highest paid people who bring us the news are Katie Couric, George Stephanopoulos, Charlie Gibson, Lou Dobbs, Sean Hannity, Bill O'Reilly and Keith Obberman.
But, the fact that millions and millions of people tune into them night after night makes us worse than they are.

[Yurdelite]

06:11 PM on 04/19/2008

Leave Keith alone. He is the only one who has railed against this admin and Bush consistently. Go to youtube and watch his special comments which you obviously have not done.

[GravitonX]

06:49 PM on 04/18/2008

Stephi likes Hillary.