Gibson Trounces Stephanopoulos in Crucial Debate

In what many considered a must-win contest for the two ABC News personalities, Charles Gibson handed rival George Stephanopoulos a resounding defeat in last night's televised debate.

With over ten million viewers watching, the stakes were high for the two ABC rivals to see who could pepper the candidates with the most so-called "gotcha" questions.

Gibson drew blood first, smothering the presidential candidates with so many trick questions that he immediately seemed to put Stephanopoulos on the defensive.

An aide to Gibson later summed up the secret to the ABC anchor's decisive victory: "He didn't let the candidates talk too much, and he made sure that this debate would be about Charles Gibson and nothing but Charles Gibson."

After the debate, a downcast George Stephanopoulos tried to put the best face on his own performance, telling reporters, "It's not the quantity of gotcha questions you ask, it the quality, and I think my gotcha questions were better than Charlie's gotcha questions."

For his part, Gibson seemed to relish drubbing his ABC colleague.

"George can spin it anyway he wants," Gibson said. "But anyone who saw that debate knows I kicked his little ass."

Read more reactions from Huffington Post bloggers to ABC's Pennsylvania Democratic debate

Andy Borowitz is a comedian and writer whose work appears in The New Yorker and The New York Times, and at his award-winning humor site, BorowitzReport.com. He is the host of "Countdown to '08" at the 92nd Street Y on Tuesday, May 13 at 8 PM with his special guests Calvin Trillin (The New Yorker), Susie Essman (HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm) and Jonathan Alter (Newsweek, MSNBC). For tickets, go to 92y.org.

Comments

[ohnoyoudidnot!]

If only Charlie would kick George's little ass. I'd pay to see that on ABC.

[Sciguy]

Well - the candidate debates weren't supposed to have candidates debating or anything, were they?

[Tags]

Charlie might be ready for the majors. The FGL. (Fox Gotcha League)

[MortalSpin]

I'm very disappointedly in ABC News and the people of Pennsylvania should be outraged that this was the best product the network could offer them in the final days before their primary. Gibson and Stephanopoulos seemed to have been waiting for their turn to ask the same questions that the candidates had already answered hundreds of times before.

The 'debate' turned out to be a journalistic grudge-match with inquiries about trivial gaffes that very well could have been written by right-wing tabloid pseudo-journalist bloggers. What a missed opportunity and a waste of public airtime.

I certainly hope the FCC doesn't count these 2 hours towards ABC affiliates public service programming time. If anything ABC should find a way to refund American voters the 2 hours we can't get back.

We learned nothing new about the candidates. I've posted an open letter to Peter Salinger, ABC's Director of Special Programming, on my blog at http://www.MortalSpin.com. Peter - you and Gibson and Stephanopoulos should be ashamed.

[wizinit]

Now it all makes sense.

We can always count on Mr. Borowitz to get us the inside scoop.

I guess Howie "Baghdad Bob" Wolfson's cut on the ABCDebacle, er Debate was spot on:

http://www.onemillionstrong.us/showDiary.do?diaryId=1092

[ksyellowdog]

well, that would explain the whole mess