Sunday Roundup

In my new book, Right Is Wrong, I show how the lunatic fringe of the right has hijacked the media (along with our democracy) -- not via FoxNews and the blowhards of talk radio, but through the complicity of high-profile enablers in the mainstream media. This week's disgraceful debate on ABC was further evidence. The slime parade was straight out of the Rovian playbook. For much of the night, I wasn't sure if I was watching Gibson and Stephanopoulos or O'Reilly and Hannity. In fact, Stephanopoulos' ludicrous question about 60s radical Bill Ayers had been suggested to him by Hannity the day before the debate on Hannity's radio show. After Hannity made his Ayers pitch, Stephanopoulos revealed the hijacking in process, saying: "I'm taking notes right now." And indeed he was.

My new book, Right is Wrong, is coming out on April 29. Please click here if you'd like to pre-order

Follow Arianna Huffington on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ariannahuff

Comments

[TRichards]

What disturbed me most were the echoes of the red-scare days when the likes of Ronald Reagan threw others under the bus to satisfy the demands of the House Committee on Unamerican Activities.

Candidates should not be asked to repudiate people to pander to the blood lust of the likes of Clinton, Stephanopoulos, and peer-over-the-glasses Gibson.

Is that what the Dumbed Down want -- candidates who will use their pulpits to repudiate and posture? Let's hope not -- and that otherwise intelligent men like David Brooks outgrow their love of the blood sport aspect of politics. Stephanopoulos and Gibson clearly made a conscious decision to go after Obama and ratings with Gotcha questions and silly traps. It's too bad that Obama didn't have it in him to call them out for it in the dramatic fashion that the sleepwalking viewers could all understand rather than in an inappropriately polite manner. A display of some righteous indignation would have gone far to win over those who still question his backbone -- and to put down the oily Stephanopoulous and studiously avuncular-acting Gibson.

I actually thing that even Fox News would have conducted a more serious debate -- if only not to provide Olbermann and Huffpost with more ammunition.

[4urisonly]

OOOOh, poor Obamby got picked on. Did I see a little tear in his eye? Where were all of you Obamanites when Hillary got picked on relentlessly for months and months? By the way, all of you should know that George Steph.. has long ago disassociated himself from the Clintons. As did Reich and Richardson etc. So shut up about the debate. It was fair.

[FADUTA]

Obama struggles against a couple of media hacks like George and Charlie? And he is going to face down dictators bent on our destruction?! At least he hasn't started crying yet - but then it isn't Tuesday night yet either.

[godofthunder]

I agree with you.I'm a dem and voted dem my whole life and my famly and inlaws always voted dem their whole life to but this will be the first time that we all vote rep because of abama.Every time i hear Arianna Huffington and other dem politician say things like they shouldn't ask Abama question like they did ,it makes me think where their prioity are.
The democratic party want people to vote for Abama who claims that he never heard the rev.Wright preach about hateing the white man and cursed the U.S .but after going to the mans church for 20 years and the rev, Wright was his advisor for 20 years,abama knew what kind of church he was attending and what kind of man the Rev.Wright is.Abama also marched in the million man march with faracon,a man who hates every one that's not colored.Abama is also friendly with a terrorist (according to his on people)who said that he didn't plan enough bombs.
. Abama is starting to look a lot more like a raceist..he claims he's a new typ of politician but the truth is that he's worse then the ones in washington now and it is starting to show it.he's freindly with a terrorist,farrocon,and goes to a raceist church and his advisor for 20 years is a raceist.he's starting to get caught in lies,his wife says that she was never proud of the U.S.i.

[gerireig]

godofthunder: Were you ever struck by lightning? Something terrible has happened to you-you think that you have something to say. And try Spell Check.

[fussygorilla]

Ariana. You are right about the Right. But you yourself also have a bias problem with issues relating to Iran. You are anti-Iran, which is pushed by Israel and its surrogates in U.S. I have yet to see a true unbiased reporting on Iran in Hoffpost.

[noamjunior]

Arianna Huffington -
A succinct and astute opinion from one of the few mass media personalities who represents a conscious, informed and reasoned opinion

And a note to all rabid supporters of either democratic nominee- The right is playing on divisiions among democrats to spread lies about both candidates

Lets focus on the positives of the candidates we support!!

[Caringthinkingperson]

Thanks Arianna - definately have to get the book. You know if FDR were alive today he would have to change his most famous quote. "you have nothing to fear but fear itself, or the people who would suggest to you what you should be afraid of."

I would almost think conspiratorally enough to think that the mortgage crisis was planned in order to keep people afraid. While that is as lunatic on the left as you know FOX is on the right, it has a certain symmetry to it - except for the fact that millions will be losing their homes. If you can't get them where it hurts, get them where they live.

[Manx]

The power of the MSM or corporate media in national elections is scary. The MSM aided and abetted in the swiftboating of John Kerry. Now, ABC, FOX, CNN and right-wing radio seem determined to sabotage the candidacy of Barack Obama.

On Monday, the eve of the Pennsylvania primary, CNN will give Hillary Clinton an hour of free-time on its network. CNN did the same thing on the eve of the last primary, featuring Hillary, Bill and Chelsea.
If anyone thinks it's a coincidence that CNN promotes Hillary on the eve of the primaries, I have some used Firestone tires I'l like to sell them. What ever happened to the doctrine of equal time???

[certainot]

but they get intimidated by talk radio. half the night staff probably listen to hannity on the way to work to get the traffic and sports.... (dont they work at night?)

[newshawk14]

I must agree with your article.It has come to the point where I consider even the NY Times as rarely
worth reading anymore, and simply another flack for corporate America. The concentration of the
media into fewer and fewer hands, strikes me as extremely troubling, and does not bode will for
the future of our democracy.

[mesuki]

As usual Arianna you are on the money......as far as it depends on me ABC is history. I barely watched them before this mess,and now I know for sure I will not be watching any of their programs. George and Charlie should be fired as far as I'm concerned.

[HRGUY1]

I could not agree more with the RabidRightRebel and you Arianna. The rabid right has hijacked the mainstream media and they have done it through bribery(45 minutes worth). For 45 minutes I thought I was tuned into Fixed News aka Fox.

For the past few days just about every media outlet has discussed this extensively. As a former PA resident my question is where's the beef? The Weather Underground, Reverend Wright, Bosnia nor Bitter gate are providing solutions to the pain that most Americans are experiencing. Shame on ABC and Bravo Huffington Post for keeping your eyes and ears on what matters.

HR GUY

[LeBelAge]

Arianna is correct about the state of the American media. However she overlooked the obvious, Stephanopoulos is a former advisor to Bill Clinton. No wonder he was taking notes from the likes of Hannity about Ayers.

That debate was designed as a hit piece on Obama. If there is another debate between them I hope its not on ABC.

[liberalpatriot1]

All of the mainstream media, including ABC News, are run by wealthy CEO's who have profited immeasurably under Bush's corporate welfare and tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans. It should come as no surprise, therefore, that they would be all in favor of yet another Republican administration. Progressive voters should be aware that this bias exists, despite what any of them may say. Be warned and be wary - and keep reading HuffPo!

[Mack20]

I must agree I found it odd George was one of the debate moderators. Given his history with the Clintons, his grilling of Obama showed where his support lay. The questions were valid but should have come from Gibson. Maybe George thought the Hannity connection might get him off the hook. Sean did illustrate why the Dems fear FOX News and refused to let them host a debate. Had they hosted them last week, you can bet Hillary would have been asked her fair share of tough questions. You will never admit it but they really are fair and balanced.

[4wehttam]

I have to disagree with you slightly about the questions being valid. I expected "a" Wright question (not THAT ONE) and of course the "bitter" comment question, but I did NOT think that Ayers and lapel pins were valid questions to ask IN THE LEAST. Even the Rev Wright question, "Does Rev Wright love America as much as you do?" What the hell kind of question is that??????

It was an embarrassment to journalists everywhere. This was possibly THE LAST debate voters would have to get to know the candidates more, yet instead of asking pertinent questions, these morons wasted our time and did a great disservice to the American public.................... IMHO

[BinAgain]

I used to watch FoxNews and believed that it was fair and balanced.But then they refused to let Ron Paul in a debate,they along with other media tried their best to silence him.Hannity was incredulous and spoke with venom when after all the other republican debates,Ron Paul polled the highest for winning the debates.I've heard comments from chatroom chatters claiming to be republicans,that Ron Paul is nutz ( so I guess therefore that makes it ok,to silence him and not let the rest of us decided for ourselves) Only CNN gave Paul voice at all.Jay Leno did as well.

"The New Hampshire Republican Party dropped their affiliation with a Republican debate sponsored by Fox News tomorrow night because they have limited the number of candidates that can participate.

“The first-in-the-nation New Hampshire primary serves a national purpose by giving all candidates an equal opportunity on a level playing field," said Republican chair Fergus Cullen. "Only in New Hampshire do lesser known, lesser funded underdogs have a fighting chance to establish themselves as national figures."

The Fox debate is excluding Texas Congressman Ron Paul even though he polls higher in New Hampshire and has raised significantly more money, and is campaigning more in New Hampshire than Fred Thompson who is invited."
-By James Pindell January 5, 2008

So yes,The media is in cahoots with politicians,they do try to choose our presidents for us,by this kind of manipulation.

[diver99]

Fair and balanced...are f$%&-ing kidding me! The questions were not valid for the first 46 min.
George said in min. 46 that the number one issue on voters minds is the economy...and that was the only correct thing he said. But why wait for that long to ask the number ONE question? Faux news
might as well as hosted this debate for all the crap I saw in it. Hey Mack20...go back to your
Propaganda snooze network.....................

[ATLiberal]

You know, you almost had me. If the gotcha questions had been equally distributed, I might not have thought it was quite as bad, although I still would have preferred a different type of questions.

Then you just had to go and say that Fox is fair and balanced. I suppose if you think that all things conservative are just fantastic, That GW is a good president and that liberals are all evil people who engage in Wars on Christmas and Wars on Easter, then you might come to that conclusion.

The rest of us have critical thinking skills. But if you are happy living in your knee jerk world, so be it.

[RabidRightRebel]

I could not agree more. The rabid right has hijacked the mainstream media and they have done it through bribery.

The owners and executive managers of the mainstream media have all benefited enormously because of the Bush tax cuts. Obviously Murdoch who got over $3 billion worth of tax breaks, mainly from repeal of the inheritance tax, was the biggest winner. But ever a senior executive at ABC who makes more than $1,000,000 per year have a vested interest in maintaining the status quo. If you want proof of this just like at the questions that were asked during the last debate. They moderators were clearly more concerned with the taxes on for the rich, than the plight of the poor.

[avidobserver]

I find it hard to believe that the "lunatic fringe of the right" still has a voice in US mainstream politics. One would think that they have been totally discredited by their role in electing and enabling idiotic George W. Bush - the worst president ever.

[FADUTA]

Why do we right-wingers have a voice? How about the First Amendment? Give it a read sometime - interesting stuff. Check out the next one, you'll hate it, too.

GWB worst President ever? Quick Quiz - Where is Jimmy Carter right now and what is he doing?

[longtimewatcher]

Last I knew, CNN was offering us Glenn Beck, Nancy Grace and Lou Dobbs every evening. I say "last I knew" because as Colbert would say, "They are dead to me," and have been for a long time.