ABC's Democratic Debate: HuffPost Bloggers Respond

Jerry and Joe Long: What Passes For Debate:

Back in the days of our radio show, our standard name for the media was one taken from Jerry Lewis..."pimps and whores". After last night, it's obvious we were too kind.

Instead of sonorously intoning various articles of the Constitution when returning from an ad for bowel cleansing yogurt, perhaps Gibson and Stephanopoulos could have focused just one question on the administration that has been shredding it section by section.

Jeffrey Feldman: Et Tu, ABC?:

For months, now, there has been an effort to frame the Democratic front-runner not just as a bad candidate, but as a potential violent threat to the American public.

Unfortunately, she chose to add to the violent framing, further implying that Obama was somehow aligned with The Weather Underground and implying, however vaguely, that Bill Ayer's violent views were somehow shared by her Democratic opponent for the nomination. That moment--her response--was the low point in the entire political career of Hillary Clinton.

Marty Kaplan: Where Is the League of Women Voters When We Need Them?:

I don't blame news producers for doing what they think their job is, which is scoring bragworthy Nielsens. I don't blame political talking heads for being infatuated with the narratives that they themselves create and market. Blaming them would be like blaming babies for banging their spoons on their highchairs, or addicts for wanting their fix. But I do blame the candidates, the campaigns and the parties for being complicit with the corporate politainment circus.

Jon Soltz: The Wasted-Chance Debate Last Night

The excuse from pundits stepping up to defend ABC is that, well, we've had 20 debates and we've gone over all the issues, and people don't want to hear it anymore. Oh really? I don't remember any debate where we talked seriously about when it is proper and not proper to deploy our military. Are we going to continue preemption and nation building? Is there any situation where that might be called for? I haven't heard that question asked in a debate. Have we talked about the GI Bill in the debates? What other benefits for veterans would they increase or decrease, and by what amounts?

Julian E. Zelizer: The Debate We Deserve

[T]hese complaints are not exactly fair. They assume the existence of a higher level of politics than we have had for a long time. As frustrating as it might be, the truth is that the quality of our political debate has greatly diminished over the course of the twentieth century. Since the late 1900s, and especially since the 1950s, we have lived in an era where political campaigns revolve around character and personality with an emphasis on scandal and gaffes.

Jason Linkins: Worst. Debate. Ever.:

All of these questions have been beaten to a pulp, grim death. And neither candidate really had anything new to add to the responses they've already offered time and time again. It was as if ABC News, left out of the twenty-four hour news cycle that spawned these zombo-droid queries, needed to get in their licks on the same matters, too, just so they could feel like they'd played a part in every last one of the primary season's glittering inanities.

Why in the world George Stephanopoulos felt compelled to ask Barack Obama if Reverend Wright "loved America" after he had already been made to give another recitation of his repudiation of Wright's remarks is a question that simply defies the imagination. What sort of sensible answer can be given to that question? It would require astral projection to properly gauge another man's emotional state.

And the flag lapel pin question came with this admonishment from Charles Gibson: "It keeps coming up, again and again." Well, no shit, Charlie! It keeps "coming up, again and again" because the media resolutely refuses to obtain the necessary courage to stop doing so.

Jason Linkins: David Brooks Praises ABC, Debate, Because He Lacks The Good Sense God Gave A Box Of Tulip Bulbs, Apparently

New York Times' columnist David Brooks appears to be one of the few people nonsensical enough to actually laud ABC's mix of jive-ass wankery and lack of conviction that was on display in last night's absurd debate. Why am I not surprised? If being out-of-touch were a clinical contagion, Brooks would file his columns from a lead-lined, underground vault at the Centers For Disease Control.

Mary Mapes: Okay, Now I'm Bitter:

I sat in front of my TV open-mouthed, listening to a hodgepodge of juvenile questions about flag jewelry, the possibility of a "dream" ticket, elderly radicals, Charlie Gibson's personal tax concerns and ministers who emote too much. What, no time for a question about Cindy McCain's purloined pork chop recipe?

ABC - God love you for breaking the torture debate in the White House story -- but why on earth didn't you ask the candidates about it -- or about much else that mattered?

Doug Kendall: The Constitution at Constitution Hall

Of the many important topics that got left on the cutting room floor last night as Charlie Gibson

and George Stephanopoulos played gotcha, perhaps the most surprising victim was the Constitution itself. ... The candidates views on the Constitution were probed last night in any depth only once -- over the issue of guns and the Second Amendment -- and even here, the most interesting question was never asked.

Beth Arnold: Beyond Herself, Who Does Hillary Clinton Really Want to See Win?:

If Americans are revolted by Wednesday night's debate, think about how the rest of world sees it -- and us. Haggling over whether Barack Obama wears an American flag pen in his lapel -- and if not, what that means, as if sticking on some painted piece of metal demonstrates anyone's patriotism: Isn't this below our collective national intelligence and level of consciousness? Doesn't this continue the lowering of our national stature internationally? ... We have blown it on a scale that I'm not sure Americans actually realize unless they travel beyond their own country.

Joe Lauria: Worst Debate Ever? Demographics Anyone?

Do you think ABC didn't know who their audience would be? Do you think this wasn't researched well in advance and that the questions fed Charlie Gibson and George Stephanopoulos weren't geared to that audience? ... ABC's market research apparently showed that keeping questions to the level of flag pins and what your pastor thinks would draw and keep an audience tuned in. Hence, the worst debate ever.

Andy Borowitz: 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. ... 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."

Marc Cooper: Hillary And The Commies:

During Wednesday night's Pennsylvania debate, George Stephanopoulos didn't flinch from trying to smear Barack Obama by association with former '60s radical Bill Ayers. Too bad George didn't ask Hillary about her own summer spent working for a law firm run by Communists.

Bob Cesca: The Very Serious Debate, Starring The Very Serious George & Charlie:

The very serious moderators of last night's Democratic debate couldn't have been less serious if they had been wearing clown suits made of dildos while simultaneously tickling each other with monkeys. ... The nation has witnessed, firsthand, George Stephanopoulos and Charlie Gibson for who they really are: pandering yellow journalists. Carnival barkers. They're Penn & Teller without the talent or insight. To wit... 50 minutes without a single substantive question. Fifty. ... Here we had two members of the very serious traditional media going after two Democrats in ways which they have never challenged members of the Bush administration -- despite the Bush Republican record of disaster after disaster after disaster. In fact, George and Charlie made the FOX News Channel debates, with all of their Love American Style graphics and fire alarms and wacky fart sound effects, look like the goddamn Continental Congress.

Rick Ayers: Clinton's McCarthyism (and my Brother Bill Ayers):

I didn't really think Hillary Clinton would go so far as to attempt to sink the whole Democratic Party campaign in her struggle for power. But now it is clear that she has no limits. Barack Obama, attempting to take the high ground, gave her a pass on her despicable behavior. The fact that she would drag up this pathetic red herring about Obama's alleged ties to so-called terrorist Bill Ayers (my brother!) brings her right down to the level of Fox News and the National Enquirer. Obama needed to call this tactic for what it is: McCarthyism.

Mona Gable: Who Is Hillary Now?:

Hillary's desperation for blue-collar votes and her tiresome attacks on Obama are leading her down some awfully treacherous trails. Last night's debate made her look positively petty and peevish.

Steven G. Brant: The ABC News Debate: As Bad As FEMA's Response To Katrina:

The Katrina-level storm that is rocking America has only just started to come ashore. And saving the voting public - and, by extension, the rest of America - from drowning in a sea of irrelevant and, at times, false information is going to require that America's journalists be heroic in their efforts. Regrettably, last night we did not see two heroic journalists in action. We saw two buffoons. The voting public was not served. It was played with.

Joe Palermo: The Weather Underground False Debate:

It's a symptom of the malaise of our times when ABC News during a Democratic presidential debate forces us to discuss a candidate's relations, when he was 8 years old, to a Chicago legal activist who belonged to a 1969 spin-off group of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), which bombed unoccupied (hopefully) buildings in the early 1970s. If Hillary Clinton thinks it's a big deal that Barack Obama has crossed paths with Bill Ayers, the political discourse is stuck in neutral.

Matt Cooper: Flag Pins, Cookies, and a Depressing Debate

What a weird night. Twenty-one Democratic debates ago the weirdness was Mike Gravel, a cranky octogenarian former senator from Alaska, who advocated national referendums for everything. Now we're down to two serious, impressive candidates but the weirdness remains. You have to attribute a lot of that to ABC News, which ran last night's debate. Charlie Gibson, who is often avuncular and charming, was unctuous and petty and wrong.

Greg Mitchell: The ABC Debate: A Shameful Night for the U.S. Media:

In perhaps the most embarrassing performance by the media in a major presidential debate in years, ABC News hosts Charles Gibson and George Stephanopoulos focused mainly on trivial issues as Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama faced off in Philadelphia. They, and their network, should hang their collective heads in shame. ... [N]either candidate had the courage to ask the moderators to turn to those far more important issues.

ZP Heller: ABC Blows It!

As the boos became audible towards the end of ABC's coverage, Charlie Gibson threw up his hands playfully and said, "The crowd's turning on me. The crowd is turning on me." Well Charlie, I know we Philadelphians have the reputation for being unduly harsh -- it's widely held that we once booed Santa Claus at an Eagles game, after all -- but every single jeer you heard last night was more than justifiable.

Taylor Marsh: Just How Soft has Obama's Coverage Been?:

No one should be surprised that Obama had a a nightmare night. He finally got real questions for which he should have had ready answers. ... If Senator Obama had been subjected to the scrutiny that Hillary Clinton has been subjected to he would have turned to ash by now.

Cenk Uygur: The "What He Said" Game:

Every election cycle the Republicans play the same game of distraction. They want to distract people from what they have done, so they turn the focus on to what their opponents said, or what someone who can nominally be linked to their opponents said. And every year, the press dutifully plays along.

Michael Shaw: Reading The Pictures: And, If You Happened To Have Missed Any Part Of Last Night's Clinton-Obama Pennsylvania Debate:

Oliver Willis: Mad As Hell At ABC's Debate

Any right-thinking American who watched the travesty of a debate on ABC last night should get mad. Very mad. ">

Comments

[achicagolawyer]

Bill Clinton had, in my judgement, seven remarkable years. Then he screwed it all up so badly that he resigned and gave up his license to practise law in order to avoid the embarasment of formal disbarrment. Do we want a disbarred lawyer in the White House calling our shots?

[trippin]

After the debate, the Pittsburgh TV channel WTAE 4 interviewed a room of people they had assembled from both camps. They were unanimous, both Clinton supporters and Obama supporters alike.

They agreed not that the questions unfairly attacked Obama. That's a matter for debate. What they did do, clearly, is squander fifty two precious minutes and cheat the voters in Pennsylvania and those states subsequent to a more in-depth and broader ranging discussion.

As it turned out, by the time the debate turned to substantive matters, it felt as if the moderators were rushing through -- as if it were an obligatory gesture, but an afterthought. Many huge issues were untouched. And all over faux patriotism, imagined sniper fire, lapel pin fashion, and other nonsense, none of which will educate a kid, rehabilitate a criminal, build a highway, put gas in the car, keep the house from being repossessed, or pay that outrageous bill from the hospital after one's health insurance simply says they won't pay any more.

As a result of this despicable appeal to the Britney Spears nincompoop set, this voyeuristic antagonism-baiting, this commercial-riddled piece of trash -- I'll be sure to not waste my time watching ABC News should they host any future "debate."

[Babzter]

I agree the debate was truly an embarrassing fiasco, and I was dumbstruck by the inanity of the questions asked by Charlie and Georgie. Georgie should have recused himself.

Why did neither candidate confront the moderators on the stupidity and irrelevance of these questions? I found it a bit worrying that Obama came across as being a bit wimpy and hesitant. I expected him to be more self-confident and speak.

Our current "system" isn't.

[b2008]

To be a debate on ISSUES, it seems they had more non-issues than we all expected. Especially when a big issue is about to come into focus next week:

"I am exposing the frauds Hillary directed, and I witnessed, that won her seat in the Senate on her march to the White House," Paul told WorldNetDaily. "It has become my penance to warn the American people of the real threat to our republic posed by this power-hungry sociopath."

Paul insists Clinton's new amended report finally acknowledged his contributions but falsely classified them as being from his companies and from his business partner, Marvel Comics creator Stan Lee, instead of from him as personal gifts. Clinton should have refunded the money according to federal law, he contends, because it was intended for her national senatorial campaign, and the limit for such donations is $25,000.

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=49478

[jonathanu]

Whether or not he deserves it, Barack Obama has the reputation of someone who will refrain from mudslinging and negative campaigning as a matter of principle, (with the exception of responding to specific mud slings of his opponents). This is why Senator Clinton's poll numbers have suffered more as a result of the negative campaigning than Barack Obama's.

I think Senator Clinton should really make an effort to distance herself from the pettiness agenda of the moderators. But on Wednesday night, she seemed to be reveling in it. The problem is, this only reinforces the concerns that some people have expressed about her.

I think a lot of people, Pennsylvanians, Democrats and Americans in general felt that ABC was once again pushing trivial BS over substantive issues. Senator Clinton, you do not want to be associated with that.

[buzz]

For months and months, the snarky, nasty net rots have exoriated HRC without mercy, cheering on every screaming headline -- HILLARY LIES AGAIN -- as though it was delivered by Moses.
Now, the tables turned, FOR ONCE the golden child was challenged. And all the net rots go postal.
Here's the truth. Obama has a long history of associations with extremists. If Hillary had been going to David Duke's Church for the past twenty years, what would you say then? "Leave it alone"????"
C'mon, net rots. Face it. I want to know that the guy lied when he said that he had never refused to wear an pin depicting the American flag. WHY DIDN'T THEY POINT THAT OUT???? It isn't so much that he won't wear it -- he had an explanation for not doing so -- it's that HE LIED about it, thru his teeth and with calculated precision.
WHY AREN'T YOU COMPLAINING THAT THAT LIE WASN'T NOTED???

[Reveille]

Did not ANYONE at ABC not realize that George Stepanopoulos was a hireling of the Clinton's back in the 90's? Any network should not betray even the slightest hint of an appearance of partisonship, but ABC plowed right ahead into that icefield anyway. I cannot avoid the feeling that for much of America's media a McCain victory is highly desired; think of all the news stories it would generate! Bush 2 has been a field day of banal news for the BS Brigade and, no doubt, they believe that Bush 2 1/2 will be more of the same. Heaven forbid that the media should do its original job of protecting the public from bad and now criminal government. Instead, the media is so far in bed with Washington that in 37 states they would be considered married and of one flesh. ABC should be ashamed but that word disappeared from its lexican years ago; 7 years ago, to be exact.

[wilso127]

After the first 20 minutes, I switched to TCM. Do you blame me?

[SherryAnn]

The Obama/Clinton "debate" was many things but it certainly was NOT a debate at all. It would have been one thing if the "attack" questions had been stretched out over the course of the two hours but the moderators instead chose to ask all the attack questions at the beginning. By that time, the whole mood of the debate had been established as being a negative attack against Obama. Obama managed to do a good job defending himself and it was great how he refused to play Hillary's tacky little game. Consequently, he came across as being the only classy one up there. It was absolutely the worst debate I've ever seen. Stephanopolous and Charlie Gibson seemed totally unprofessional and clearly they're both Hillary supporters. I know many people who turned the debate off after the 1st hour and even though the second part of the "debate" wasn't very well-done either, at least it was less antagonistic than the 1st hour. Shame on both of these moderators. They did the poorest job anyone could have done. High school kids could have asked more though-provoking questions than they asked. It shows you why people no longer watch network news....

[klynnrn]

I too feel slimy after witnessing the GOP driven debate the other night but I have to confess; I think this has only helped Obama. America has had a preview of the debate between Obama & McCain and will be immune to these soundbites by November, i.e. Lapel Pins, Rev Wright, Bitter, Muslim, etc. We have heard these arguments so many times now that maybe Hillary really is trying to get a Democrat nominated. I have to admit that her tactics have left me speachless but maybe there really wasn't some diabolical plan to leave Obama so bloody that he couldn't possibly win in November, thereby leaving her the chance to win in 2012. Maybe we should applaud her & ABC for vetting our candidate to the fullest measure possible, leaving him open to win in November & giving America 8 years to recover from the Bush debacle!

[scotia626]

I once thought that Obama's association with his zealot pastor was a nonissue. But as the campaign wears on it would appear to this cycnic that the real issue here is "what" Obama was getting from that pastor and church- "qualifications" to run as a spiritually grounded black man with street credibility. Could that be the the reason he stayed in that church for years but immediately distanced himself from the pastor the moment he decided to run for national office- and his spiritual mentor was no longer an asset but a liability? Its interesting that his friend Oprah "used to" attend that church- likely leaving as she had NOTHING to gain by sitting through his weekly rants against the opressor du jour. The reason that Obama, in my view, cant explain this away is simple- because his explanantions are implausible in the extreme. The republicans will have a field day with this- Obama's only hope being that John McCain's "faith" may be even more suspect than his own. I dont give a damn about any candidate's "faith" in the end- but as a measure of intergrity and what people will do for ambition- I do believe it is an entirely valid campaign issue.

[UrbanRevolution]

Pastor Jeremiah Wright's only sin is TELLING THE F'ING TRUTH. But America as usual would prefer to bury it's blond head in the sand. We have been TERRORIZING THE FRIGGIN' PLANET since this country was founded. It terrorizes people of color every damn day - legally. It has yet to atone for the atrocities that it has committed against people of color. Well if John McCain becomes president of this piece of dirt I say america get's what it deserves! If america refuses to acknowledge a universal (and btw Christian truth) that what comes around goes around; then it will be surprised when the next internal or external act of terrorism is committed. Was I surprised by 9/11? NOT ONE LITTLE BIT. I knew it was only a matter of time that we would have to pay for the sins of your fathers - and pay we shall - because the bad karma is already out there.

[UrbanRevolution]

What you also fail to understand is that being African-centric IS NOT THE SAME AS White Supremacy. 1. This country was made for the betterment of white people-PERIOD 2. Those of African descent are by national design born as underprivileged 3. African-centric UNLIKE WHITE SUPREMACY does not mean that we thinK that we are superior and should RULE over others!!!! It simply means that we are going to start liking who we are. You probably have no friggin' idea of what i'm talking about because you're probably part of the privileged class.

[DorianEstuardo]

Instead of focusing on the issues that the average American is interested in, moderators George Stephanopoulos and Charlie Gibson focused on the "gotchas," verbal gaffes and divisive trivia that only the average bigot, zealot and ideologue is interested in.

I hope and pray that--if and when Messrs. Gibson and Stephanopoulos get another chance--they will help the national poltical dialogue, not muddle it up.

Dorian de Wind

[bakossi]

I saw Karl Rove today saying the really appalling thing is that Obama compared "a domestic terrorist" with Tom Colburn, "who tried to use the legislative process to achieve his means." Uh huh. Right. I guess Rove needs a history lesson, as usual. Like about the fact that the legally elected Nazis passed hundreds of laws against the Jews and others (nearly a law a dayv in the early years, as shown on the endless video scroll at the Holocaust Museum), while the founders of this country were all "domestic terrorists" like Mr. Ayers. So according to Rove, our country's founders are morally despicable while Hitler was a mere citizen using the legislative process. Uh huh. Right. We can only hope that the "bitter" working class isn't tuning in and listening to such garbage. Think on the last eight years and consider the source.

[ThinkinAboutIt]

ABC--pathetic. When all the previous debates on cable--even FOX, hold more intelligent, pertinent debates than this (former) flagship of broadcasting, it's a clear indication that the times are changing. Unbelievably boorish behavior. They have done America a disservice.

[SamThornton]

The only possible defense Mr. Stephanopoulos and Mr. Gibson have for last night's performance is that they were both drunk. It'll be interesting to see in the coming days whether they'll stay the course or check into rehab. I'm betting on the former. Expect a series of long-winded, convoluted, self-serving "explanations" from them, detailing their personal wisdom and integrity, perhaps while interviewing each other.