A Hat Tip for Lehrer
I know, I know. Everyone is worked up about which candidate won the debate. But, let me take a moment to praise the absolutely wonderful job Jim Lehrer did moderating this thing.
Lehrer did everything he promised - he set the stage with a top question, and got the hell out of the way. No lame questions, no gotchas, no debating the candidates. And, the result was that America was treated to a debate on substance.
During this campaign, so far, every moderator has tried to make themselves the story, the star. To them, the more they talked, the more 'innovative' questions they asked, the more they'd be praised for pushing candidates away from talking points and into spontaneous thought. Well, sure. We got candidates talking frankly about things like flag pins, and other useless drivel. Past moderators figured if they didn't challenge candidates' claims, they'd go unchallenged. So, a candidate got no more than two words out before a moderator would break in, "But Senator, you said..."
Lehrer realized the old adage is true - "Less is More."
By staying out of the way and letting the candidates go at it, they answered the charges the other one hurled, and while the candidates surely used some talking points, Americans who haven't watched CNN or MSNBC 24-7 got to learn a lot more about where the candidates stand on some of the biggest issues of our time.
It was - by far - the best debate of the season, and Jim Lehrer played a huge part in making it so. So, while the candidates spin away and proclaim themselves the winner, let me take this opportunity to point out tonight's huge winner - the guy who showed the rest of the media how to run a debate.
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This is the first dabate of the season without moderator tampering. Lehrer did an excellent job. We actually got a good look at the nominees. Mr. Lehrer, you are a credit to your profession!
I've just realized why McCain wouldn't look at Obama - for exactly the reason that Lehrer was trying to get him to do so. Lehrer wanted to turn this show into an actual DEBATE. You debate by facing someone, listening to what they say, then responding to them. There is a to and fro, back and forth. McCain at all costs didn't want this, because he knew that Obama would be much better at it.
I thought Lehrer was lame. He obviously wanted some kind of brawl that just wasn't happening. He seemed to be sort of a fuddy duddy, constantly asking them to respond to each other directly.
I disagree.
Lehrer wanted to make himself part of the story, as does every "journalist" who gets to be a moderator. I'm dying for a candidate to tell a moderator to go to hell.
Lehrer began with a defensive proclamation that economics and finance are part of foreign policy. Why? Because the debate was supposed to be about foreign policy and Lehrer wanted to talk economics and finance. Understandable based on current events, but Lehrer shouldn't have resorted to a subterfuge to get to the topic he wanted to raise.
Lehrer injected himself repeatedly by saying HE was trying to make the candidates speak to each other. First, that's not what the candidates agreed to. Second, who is Lehrer to tell the nominees to whom they should speak? THEY are the candidates, not Lehrer. Moderators invariably act like they're superior to candidates and can't help but resort to condescension.
Lehrer managed to get through a debate on foreign policy without raising the basic question -- what will be the overarching theme, goal or strategy? Is it human rights regardless of America's self interest, like Carter? Is it unilateralism, like George W. Bush? Something else?
Some of Lehrer's other failings: how can you talk about foreign policy and not mention worker's rights, unilateral commitment of America's military, energy production, or climate change?
To get a better idea what's wrong with Lehrer as a moderator, look up the 2000 debate and the patients bill of rights.
Lehrer seemd more like 5th grade teacher, trying to make peace between two students. Did anyone else notice that McCain referred to BIn Laden and co as Freedom Fighters?
Read About it here
http://www
Technically they were freedom fighters. They were fighting for freedom from Russia. What's the big deal?
The big deal is that Republicans are always playing gotcha politics with Democrats' words. The Republicans deserve to be held to an equally high standard in terms of their own statements.
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The lower the price, the better, but NO MATTER what he pays for them an estimated 80% are GOOD mortgages, another 10% are shaky and if the immoral interest rate &/or terms are changed will most likely become GOOD MORTGAGES, as well.
The bottom line on this urgently needed cash-flow-enema is we are borrowing up to $700 billion at the lowest interest rate possible to purchase millions of US mortgages which will allow our totally credit-dependent economy to lurch to it's feet, save hundreds of thousands of Americans' homes by lowering their interest rates and give us, the US taxpayer, an investment that will yield billions of dollars of interest income for 20-30 years. As long as Paulsen buys the mortgages at a good price and over 65% of the mortgagees pay their mortgages, there is NO reason to EVER sell them. NONE.
Oh, the other thing this enema does is allow the Failure Party's flawed economic theory to be shoved under the water in a bathtub and drowned once and for all.
"No lame questions"
No, no lame ones, be he sure asked an ignorant one when he asked "how the $700 billion being spent on Wall Street would influence Obama's plans for his presidency" or however he phrased the current media misconception about the US Govt's purchase of illiquid mortgages.
He demonstrated the ignorance of the majority of the media with that question. The question also illustrates the poor job our Congress has done in communicating with the voters over this matter. So far, ONLY Senator Gregg has clearly and carefully explained the true effect of spending $700 billion to flush out the constipated credit system in the world.
But since no one in the media dares watch CSPAN or they might labeled "intellilectual" or, G%d forbid, part of the "elite" thinking class in America, the media has wailed and wrung their hands as if they actually care about what happens to our country. Lord knows, their behavior of the past 7-8 years doesn't show it.
Ok, here we go again, (let's see if I can finally get this IN a comment on HP), the expenditure the US government makes on the illiquid mortgages will be offset by the AMOUNT the Office of Budget Management determines the mortgages are worth. THIS is where Sec. Paulsen will earn his money; in the purchase of the mortgages.
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I don't know about Jim. Maybe he's been watching too much wrestling lately. He seemed to want these two to start slapping each other. I couldn't believe SNL didn't pick up on that. I can just hear Lehrer saying 'walk over to him Senator McCain, hit him in the nuts!" It was really comical at first. I'm glad he dropped it after a while.
i couldn't agree more....af
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