Critic: ABC "Clear Loser" Of Pennsylvania Debate

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.

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Comments

[USMC1980]

It is really funny to see all the pathetic, wussy, Obama "sycophants" like Shayles, Matthews, Olberman and the rest...cry like little kids over the humiliation of Obama. ABC is evil because they had the gaul to actually ask Obama a few tuff questions, instead of coddeling him like Huffpo, NBC, the WP, and the NYT all do. God forbid poor Barack would have to face the same scrutiny that Hillary and McCain have to face. Shayles and the rest of the panty wearing media losers need to grow up, and realize that being president isn't a job where you get "mothered". I am pretty sure Al Qaida won't be sending warm milk and cookies to Barack id god forbid he becomes president. Maybe it's time for the WP, Chrissy Matthews, Kiethy Olberman, Shayles, and the rest...to grow some hair on thier nuts, and stop whining like little punks.

PS. Oh and by the way, I hate to break it to you guys, but Hillary is going to get the nomination...deal with it.

[IraqVet04]

Can someone please tell me why there was a spotlight on Chelsea Clinton?? There wasn't a spotlight on any of Obama's supporters. I watched the debate the day after and I was amazed 60 seconds in, even before the first question! Go back and watch the first 2 minutes. Chelsea cleary has a spotlight on her, no one else in the audience does. Why? No it can't be bias. So please, serious question, why was there even a spotlight on her? Nevermind they cut to her 8 times in the debate, and edited those cuts out of web replay.

[truelie]

Well said. ABC and Disney should fire those two clowns. Despicable!!!

[generaldelivery]

ABC got their topics from Sean Hannity

[Arawak]

It felt cheap watching that debate. If anyone is having sex with George or Charlie they must feel downright dirty.

[VoteforOCD]

They're doing each other. Ha!

[Dan1967]

NEW POLL IN MICHIGAN: BARACK OBAMA IS THE BETTER CANDIDATE AGAINST MCCAIN.

Barack Obama leads McCain in Michigan 43 to 41% with 8% undecided, but Hillary is losing to McCain in Michigan 46 to 37%. Barack Obama is clearly the Democrats strongest candidate against McCain in the general election. I copied and pasted the poll below, and the Link is here:
http://www.mlive.com/elections/index.ssf/2008/04/obama_does_better_against_mcca.html

Monday April 14, 2008
LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- A new poll shows Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama doing better against Republican John McCain among Michigan voters than Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton.

The poll by Lansing-based EPIC-MRA shows 43 percent of the 600 likely voters polled back Obama, while 41 percent back McCain. Eight percent say they'd vote for independent candidate Ralph Nader, while 8 percent are undecided.

McCain leads Clinton 46 percent to 37 percent. Ten percent say they'd vote for Nader and 7 percent are undecided.

Fifty-nine percent have a favorable opinion of McCain, while 55 percent feel that way about Obama and 45 percent about Clinton.

The poll was conducted April 3-8. It has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

[rosal]

A pair of clowns dressed as "journalists", ready for the circus. The network ready to merge with Faux News, or with Ringling Brothers.
Maybe Obama's comment, on how he will see if crimes were committed by the Bush administration, has all the corrupt Repugs rattled. This will explain, among many other things, why they are so scared of him winning.

[anfractuous]

I was watching the ABC affiliate online last night. The video, to my my intitial disgust, showed the candidates compressed into a small box in the upper left hand corner of the screen. while the remainder was occupied by a thin green line, contolled by some focus group assembled by ABC, and equipped with devices whose knobs would indicate approval or displeasure with whatever they were hearing at the moment. I, with probable accuracy, equated them with the shining specimen of Pre Cambrian life who asked about the flag pin. BUT WAIT! Every time Obama responded defiantly to either of those two drooling rotweillers, the graphs edged up, almost to their maximum, with approval. Perhaps, there is hope!

[gnoice]

This whole thing has left me bitter. Guess I'll cling to my guns and religion until we get a decent news outlet.

[TellitLikeItIs21]

I always suspected that George (Bush) Stephanopolis was a bigoted jerk...and he proved it last night. He's not fooling anyone with his fake self-important air of superiority. Talk about being elitist.

[rimofheaven]

Last night was a bad night for the Democratic party, with Obama taking the brunt of the hits. However, the Philadelphia debate will go on to prove two things. One: All American Voters have already made up their minds, even before the debate. Opinions will not change because supporter or voter or even the media networks have already dug their heels in behind the candidate they are more comfortable supporting. From here on out it will boil down to a test of wills between generational, racial, and sexist ideologies. Two: First the Clinton campaign, and eventually the right will learn to stop swinging for a glass jaw that does not exist. Every time Senator Obama is raked over the coals, he comes away a more seasoned and stronger candidate. And Philadelphia especially, will contribute to this phenomena. If senator Obama fails to win the presidency, it will not be due to a weakness or flaw. It will be due simply to a ideological choice made by a majority of American people, validated by a percieved, rationalized or invented shortcoming that we use to make our choice an easier one.

[bluestateitch]

What a slanted attack on Obama. How dare ABC news portray this as a fair and balanced debate. This taking place in the Constitution Center what a smear job. How dare they ... Shame on ABC.

[kellygrrrl]

George "clinton" Staphinfection - Mission Accomplished!!!

you set out to make a fool of someone - and you did - YOURSELF

[JavaCityGal]

"George "clinton" Staphinfection"

That is too funny -- can't stop laughing! Good one!

[Softnsweet]

ROFLMAO Kellygrrrl!!!!

[lapdogs]

While ABC did a lousy job in asking critical questions people want to know about (you know, the real problems facing us), it was THE AMERICAN VOTERS who were the CLEAR LOSERS in this empty debate.

Fifty minutes of NothingNess!!

Gor god's sake, the Daily Show and Colbert Report would have asked better questions!!

[rosal]

The winner? As always, little old, confused, short fused, McInsane. The patron saint of the media.

[OpusIsUnderTheBed]

Or better questions from college journalism majors.

[tenaj]

I agree that ABC, Stephenopoulos and Gibson should be ashamed. It seemed they must be for McCain because they went flat out to trip up and trash Obama and Clinton who deserved more respect. The questions were so nasty and silly and undignified. ABC missed a real opportunity to contribute to the debate of issues that face our country. This was a trashy show. I expected better of Gibson whose wife is a respected educator. At least she used to be.

[bluelovingit]

I cannot believe how appalled I am to know that this circus was at our Constitution Center. How dare they put on this fixed debate to try to derail Senator Obama Campaign. It was so obvious this has only hurt Hillary as the liar and phoney she is? Do you trust Hillary anymore after this charade???

[rosal]

NO. bluelovingit. I don't trust her. She is a calculating, liar. Just look at the polls. Millions think the same.