Obama Campaign: Watch The Debate On CNN

I just received the following text from the official Obama text message number (62262) which first sent out the Vice Presidential news:

Watch Barack debate John McCain tonight at 9pm Eastern on CNN. Also, remind friends to register to vote at VoteForChange.com. Please forward this message.

This is particularly odd given that the debate will be airing on every network, both broadcast and cable, at 9pm Eastern. Has the Obama campaign officially endorsed CNN?

When contacted, an Obama staffer said it was "shorter than saying 'on cable news,'" and that they were "not trying to make news."

A CNN representative told me, "It was a complete surprise to us."

In July, the campaign blasted a text promoting Obama's speech in Berlin saying, "The speech will be live on CNN."

Update 6:30 PM: The Obama campaign must have revised its message. I've just now received a follow-up text saying,

Watch Barack Debate John McCain tonight at 9pm ET on any of the major networks or cable. Fwd this msg & remind friends to register to vote at VoteForChange.com

Looks like the campaign figured out how to speak SMS short-hand and thus free up enough characters to type out "any of the major networks or cable" vs. "CNN."

Comments

[Bitsko]

This has to be one of the most inconsequential "stories" ever run by HuffP0, and one would need an electron microscope to find any significance in it.

[Diplomacy]

Ever think?

Maybe CNN was text abbreviation for "Cable News Networks" and had nothing to do with CNN the TV station?

Get over it already!!!

[erykah]

I watch on PBS but wished now that I watched it on CNN. My daughter called late last night to say that CNN was tracking focus groups during the entire debate which i would have liked to have seen. Maybe it was a mistake on Obama's part or they knew CNN was tracking. Anyway, I do wish I had watched CNN.

[wm1066]

I saw that tracking graph, and it was okay but the colors didn't seem to match. You couldn't see the green line for independant voters, red for Republican , blue for Democrat, and there was a white line that I couldn't figure out .

[Blayne]

Yea it was interesting, but overlapping colors were a bit odd. I kept thinking to myself green and red make what color, red and blue make? Then white would show up or a neon green or something, and I was watching on a 65" high definition tv. I think the pundits scores on the side of the screen should be nixed, and the focus group tracking graph at the bottom should be enlarged. It was nice seeing what the independents responded to.

[4wehttam]

You had to watch it on HD to really see it well enough.

[DebbieinPhx]

Danny Shea.... we had a 93 minute debate about how each candidate would lead if chosen to be President of the United States.... and you are obsessing about your text message?????

Have you been taking Sara Palin pills or what? If you are, please stop! If you aren't, well, then I'm sorry... but you'll have to ride in the short bus, the regular bus isn't for "special kids."

[Meggie]

Indifferent. CNN ran out that cool viewer response graph toy again, and it was fun to watch. I would have been there or CSpan anyway.

[Beca]

It could very well have been an error on the part of the person who typed the message in. I am sure the person who typed the message in is not a high level campaign staff, and perhaps did not see the erorr of his/her way in shortening the message. I think you are making way too much out of nothing. CNN has not particularly been generous towards Obama or the campaign.

[applejedi1]

CNN has been playing the audience for chumps to jack up the ratings. A bit of Obama one day, a bit of McCain the other. They have missed things like the anti-Palin rally in Alaska to keep their hype cycle alive. They're the worst political team on television. They dumped a lot of their veteran commentators using greehorns instead during the Palin weeks to avoid having her called out and having their ratings boom drop. Now that the sentiment is turning against her, they are allowing more spin against her, like Cafferty's rants of the last couple of days that I see here on the Huffington Post. I called them on it at my political blog, The Whole Truth, at http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/brianross/gGgy8L#extended

You should boycott CNN until after the election. Go to anywhere else, MSNBC, PBS, or HDNet News on TV or POTUS 08 (XM), NPR, or your local news station on radio.

[scared4ALL]

CNN did cover the Alaskan protest at least one time. I heard them. And it's worth watching just for truth teller Cafferty.


But Olbermann, Hardball and the Rachel Maddow shows are the ones we should be watching for more of the truth to matters and to help woth their ratings.


Register: VoteForChange.com

https://donate.barackobama.com/page/contribute/main

[barackobama4prez]

I don't really watch CNN. I prefer MSNBC...bu­t if you're looking for a network with about equal coverage, CNN is much more fair and balanced than MSNBC or FOX.

[Ofactor]

I agree MSNBC is my spot. I do watch CNN from time to time to see what other outlets are saying and I do think they are fair an balanced their. I will say that I do love the Jack Cafferty report.. Jack is the bomb...he is the straight talk express.

GO MSNBC

[DCinFrance]

I don't watch any of them. I read.

[Beca]

Wow! I thought I was the only one left who did that! I don't have cable, satellite or whatever else they have for the Tv's. I have a regular TV with regular channels--which I rarely watch because they are all fuzzy! Reading is much more rewarding that the crap that is on TV anyway.

[Veratruth]

I also prefer MSNBC. I have to keep tuning out the pundits on CNN, and sometimes I can't shut them up quick enough:>)

[RStone]

CNN knows who is going to win this election. They just call it like they see it.

http://www.boppoll.com

Obama '08

[BluePride]

Barack's Vision w/ the Pointers' funk:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLv4mtwsRos

[sparkal]

CNN is horrible! Roland Martin what happened to you?????

[bossone]

PBS is this the best. I am in the "tank for keith o( I want to marry him) Love Rachel to death) Love this site. Great respect for the fair and balanced comments. It give me great hope that all of american is not "low inormation voters", felt that way since the Iowa primries( I know that s not spelled right) Must stat I am An AA. I am so proud!



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[GoVeg]

Obama camp typed CNN to say "thank you" to Campbell Brown for calling out Sarah Palin.lolj­k

[SCVADem]

Got two texts:

4:26pm
Watch Barack debate John McCain tonight at 9pm Eastern on CNN. Also, remind friends to register to vote at VoteForChange.com Please forward this message.

6:22pm
Watch Barack debate John McCain tonight at 9pm ET on any of the major networks or cable. Fwd this msg & remind friends to register to vote at VoteForChange.com.

[turboe4truth]

My text just said watch Obama debate tonight on the major networks or cable news