Okay, Now I'm Bitter

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

I sat down last night with a big fat glass of wine, all excited about watching the first Democratic debate in weeks, absolutely certain that I would get the chance to hear what Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama had to say about the latest headlines.

After all, it has been a quite a week for news.

In Iraq, we've seen a rebound in suicide bombings and gotten the disquieting information that Iraqi soldiers have been fleeing the battlefield in frightening numbers.

Americans learned that detailed discussions of torture techniques had been held in the White House -- our White House -- and President Bush revealed that he knew this and approved.

Foreclosure rates have spiked to frightening levels.

U.S. shoppers were told that food prices in this country are rising at a higher pace than at any time in the past 17 years.

The airline industry floundered through dreadful days of groundings, amidst safety concerns, economic ailments and passenger anger.

Oil prices are setting new records almost every day and $4 a gallon gas is coming soon to a service station near you.

The anguish over China's human rights record and its handling of Tibet turned the Olympic torch relay into a cross between Spain's Running of the Bulls and 3rd grade keep-away.

John McCain, acting like a mean old man trying to chase those pesky voters off his lawn, refused to endorse a new GI bill that would help those currently serving our country get a college education.

The Supreme Court issued a fractured opinion on the death penalty that for the first time in years raises the real possibility of a national debate on the value and morality of the ultimate punishment.

And we are in the middle of what is clearly the most important, most consequential election of my lifetime -- and I'm no spring chicken.

Instead, 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?

Excuse me, but why are we spending this much time on topics that amount to little more than political lint?

Regarding Obama's longtime pastor, since when does making a personal choice to remain close to someone who has let you down become a permanent liability? Hmm, Hillary?

As for Clinton's refusal to be a good girl and give up, since when did continuing to fight for your political life become some kind of profound character flaw? That is simply what politicians do.

And 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?

What the heck has happened?

Just a few weeks ago, Democrats were all beaming with the belief that this election was really going to be different. Turnout was spectacular, the candidates were talking about issues that mattered and Americans were upbeat and believing in politics again.

Now it seems the unending Democratic campaign has descended into a nightmarish rolling rant about bitterness, beer, bowling and who is or isn't a bitch.

In fact, this whole thing has made me a little bitchy.

I want a rebate on the debate. I want to see someone ask a question of consequence. I want Pennsylvania to vote now. I want to turn on the TV and not see Pat Buchanan's head in a little box.

I want my life back.

This political junkie has just about had her fill of political junk food. I'll come back when there is something more substantial on the table. Until then, I guess I'll just cling to my guns, my religion and my long-ignored need to improve my bowling scores.

Because this whole presidential campaign thing has gone into the gutter.

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

Comments

[NinaE]

Last night, April 16th, my husband and I were prepared to look and listen to the Clinton/Obama debate hosted by ABC. ABC should be ashamed and Mr. Stephanopoulos must have gotten his journalism degree out of a cracker jack box. Did you know he ran President Clinton's campaign, ala “Clinton's Brain”, and was President Clinton's de facto press secretary and later his Senior Advisor on Policy and Strategy? Stephanopoulos was totally out of control with his character assignation of Obama. Stephanopoulos is intimately knowledgeable on the scandals of Mrs. Clinton during the days of Travel Gate, White Water, File Gate, Monica Lewinsky, Vince Foster, Cattle Futures, Bribery Allegations, Vast Right Wing Conspiracy, and Stand-by-m­y-man-and-­bake-cooki­es comment,,,, but George choose not to ask her about any of that? I'm sure the republicans are going to chop her in half. I'd like to se how she can handle attacks about what she calls her "baggage". Stephanopoulos should never have been allowed to host the debate. Shame on you ABC!

[Serfie]

What a friggin hypocrite you are!!

You bring up every right-wing talking point of the last 16 years to smear the Clintons, then you talk about ABC's character assassination of Barack Obama. The questions were stupid, but nobody assasinated Obama's character.

Obama Thugocrats are absolutely shameless.

[RuralLib]

NinaE's complaints don't seem hypocritical to me. She just asks why the trivial pursuit did not include Mrs. Clinton (except for the one item which could not be overlooked, as the untruths about Bosnia were obvious and had no other interpretation). I really don't recall anyone confronting her with "the baggage" at a debate. She says she has been thoroughly vetted, but I guess I missed it. Could someone provide me a link about such a confrontation at a televised debate? I would like to see how expertly she handled it.

[scruffyandspunky]

The point is, the Republicans are literally salivating at the prospect of being able to throw ALL of the events related to the Clinton presidency at Hillary. Only a fool would believe her assertions that everything has been said and resolved, and there is nothing more to say about her. Just replaying her words and actions in this campaign will be damaging enough. In any event, this "debate" just illustrated why we are losing our stature in the world, and why very soon it won't even matter - unless we can summon the will to really take back control of the process and do our part to change the trajectory. It was pathetic, to say the least.

Here's a question: if she is so great and has done so much, why does Senator Clinton spend 90%+ of her time attacking Barack Obama? Why does she think we don't see and appreciate her "record?" HMMMMMMM.

[erinm]

I totally agree that Stephanopoulos did a hit job on Obama...ab­out the stupidist stuff imaginable. But bringing up all the scandals of the Clinton White House. Old news. But he could have asked a dozen of other, and much more substantive, questions of Clinton: Columbia, and her husband's and senior advisors connection to a country with deplorable human rights and labor record and openly lobbying to pass legislation she says she does not support; Bill's millions from foreign government (Dubai port deal anyone)? and a foreign "investor" currently under indictment; her "I supported NAFTA before I was against it", "my campaign talked to Canada too (first!) and said nevermind, but it doesn't count", "screw-em", her condenscension toward voters in small states, caucus states, latte-sipping states, any state that didn't vote for her, how she's going to enforce her healthcare mandate (still not explained); the vastly greater proportion of campaign money she has taken from corporate (they're Americans too) lobbyists; her sudden, convenient support for gun rights; her trashing a fellow Democrat in favor of a Republican; why she isn't paying her campaign vendors, most of them struggling small businesses; why she hasn't delivered on the jobs she promised New Yorkers...­there's so more, but my fingers (and mind, and heart, and soul) are getting tired. None of it past baggage, all present baggage. Where were those questions? And when will anyone question her Iran response..­..that was glaringly stupid, unpresidential, dangerous, and illegal.

[HBeachbum]

Maybe you should have supplied the moderators with forged documents and really gotten the debate going. It almost worked once before.

[GoreyFantod]

Did you get that bit of drollery from Hannity or Limbaugh?

[captainigor]

Troll Alert!!!

[bonkin]

If there is one more debate I may have to slit my wrists! Maybe a sharp flag pin would serve my purpose. Thank God for cable. I switched channels and watched "Must Love Dogs".

[nomobull]

i think you are safe.

[memphispaul]

"This political junkie has just about had her fill of political junk food. I'll come back when there is something more substantial on the table."
Good luck!
The only thing the MSM and their corporate masters know or want to serve up is what we witnessed last evening.
It is your profession. You tell us how you folks regulate yourselves?

[CFAmick]

Ms. Mapes is right. This is the type of discourse you'd expect from some country like Myanmar turning into a democracy overnight, not the self-elected leader of the world.

[jiminycracker]

you obama lemmings really need to grow a pair if you hope to even remotely survive the general election..­..

[GoreyFantod]

So, you're OK with the vapid nature of our public discourse in this country? I suppose you agree that Fox really is "fair & balanced" also.

Personally, I love the internet because it challenges the unholy depths to which the mainstream media has sunk over time. We used to have Cronkite and Murrow and Brinkley and even Buckley providing non-partisan news reporting & substantive analysis. Now we have talking hairdos & a complacent public.

But, hey, as long as you think it's great...

[incontempt]

And you better start working out if your going to to carry your ol'fart across the finish line

[ajax2]

MSM has certainly morphed into Fox News, and will produced their own most uninformed cadre.

[mc]

I switched to Deal or No Deal. There was more substance on that show--and the contestants were frat boys!

[AlexVonHussein]

Quoting the Pope

His homily was more somber. Benedict examined American society, saying he detected anger and alienation, increasing violence and a "growing forgetfulness of God."

"Americans have always been a people of hope," he said. "Your ancestors came to this country with the experience of finding new freedom and opportunity.

Obama couldnt have asked for a better endorsement

[AlexVonHussein]

Mary!! there is something substantial on the Table.... The Pope just endorsed Obama...I am catholic and I could read right through the catholic code of words

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080417/ap_on_re_us/pope_us

[WaynesWhirled]

you are really over reaching, to the point that it's idiotic. The Pope did NOT endorse Obama or anyone. Get a grip.

[procrustes]

He saw the pope's beanie tilt toward Obama while a cloud took the shape of Ray Charles--proof positive!

[GromytTheDog]

"Now it seems the unending Democratic campaign has descended into a nightmarish rolling rant about bitterness, beer, bowling and who is or isn't a bitch.

In fact, this whole thing has made me a little bitchy."

Add Bored to the list.

How awful is it when, like a bad movie, the latest debate among Democratic nominees inspires criticism that's about 2000% more inspired than the actual debate itself?

[chosenson]

Take your Clintonomics and shove it!

Under President Clinton's watch, numerous manufacturing jobs were lost in PA during the 1990's. He laid out a brilliant economic plan during his 1992 and 1996 election campaigns and I voted for him.

What did that get White working class men like me? N O T H I N G !! Pennsylvania's greatest economic downturn took place during the Clinton years and continued to plunge from there.

Why should I vote for more Clinton economic policies? They did as much for me as Bush did!

I'm voting Obama!

Yes, I am BITTER! Towards a government that only looks out for itself and the few friends in which to share the ill-gotten wealth.

I want someone who doesn't have ties to BIG Business. Who doesn't already have millions upon millions of dollars. Who doesn't have ties, directly or indirectly to Columbia - (Think husband Bill and NAFTA) (Hillary, no matter what you say, you CAN NOT Seperate yourself from his dealings. I DON'T BELIEVE YOU!)

[scepticalobserver]

Why did they bother to invite Obama? They could have accomplished their task without his presence.
I would have much preferred to see Obama being interviewed by either Charlie Rose or Keith Olbermann for two hours and I would definitely be better informed.

I could have put my feet up and enjoyed my coffee instead of spewing it across the room.

[cincigal]

Why did they invite Obama???In case you have not heard,Obama is asking for the highest job in this or any other country.We have seen him on MSNBC and the Charlie Rose show,where he was given a complete pass on his less than complete answers to questions vital to the voters of this country.Ob­ama is great at reading speeches from a script.Whe­n he tries to speak off script he shows what a total failure he REALLY is.Last night we saw this clearly and his rabid supporters are going ballistic and blaming his stupidity on ABC and the moderators­.If he,and you Obamanuts think that was too tough for him just wait until the Republican machine get their teeth into him.It will be a pleasure to watch.Hill­ary made hash out of him.All he could do was whine and dodge the questions.­Sorry no sale.

[marchamlin]

"answers to questions vital to the voters of this country."

Questions that refer to a stupid lapel pin? Those issues aren't going to help anyone pay the bills.

[adl]

It's easy to sound confident when you answer when you already know the questions.

[scepticalobserver]

cincigal, stand by, if Obama get this nomination he is going to hand McCain his hat and wish him well as he pats him on the back and says better luck next time.

A more rational explanation of Obama's actions would be that he is deferring to Clinton
because she is an older white woman and: One, doesn't want to appear too aggressive in his attacks, thereby alienating cincigals. Two, although she is an opponent she is a Democrat and most candidates save the really hard shots for their opponents in the general election. Three, Obama is probably exactly what he seems, a nice guy that doesn't like the divisiveness that Clinton thrives on.

But, McCain is another story and if Republicans think that Obama is going to go belly up when they attack, I have a feeling that they are about to get the shock of their lives. Obama is smart. He's ran a campaign that has set a new standard for fund raising and empowering the masses that has awed the Right.
He will hit McCain on policy issues like his stance today on privatizing Social Security, which is polling about 10%, the war, which is polling about 20%, lobbyist's, pro-life and all of the other social issues that the right is saddling him with.
Try not to be bitter. If you're young enough there'll be another woman running in your lifetime and if it's not Clinton again, she'll get my vote too.

[PolitikDitto]

I am 100% with you Mary Mapes! No matter who you are for, everyone must agree that this debate was horrific. Where was the substance?

[tcpgh]

Well put, as always.

[Montanagramma]

It seems to me that the conglomerates that own our MSM are making out like bandits, are backers of the status quo, and are supporting McCain and Clinton. (the two candidates they have donated heavily to and expect will deliver for them). Obama is an unknown quantity to them, and it looks like he might give them trouble. While his campaign brings in more donations that any other candidate, he gets most of his money from small donors. Looks like he might actually be for the people instead of the corporations.

No wonder they have kept the Rev. Wright story, and the "bitter" remarks going long after they were even news. (After years of devoted viewership, I'm dumping Lou Dobbs over this issue). They don't have much else to throw at him. Hillary has some real problems, like blatant lies regarding Bosnia. Why not ask her about her double dippin' huband (in more ways than one!) and a chief strategist who both add to their fortunes from Columbian deals and speeches. At the same time working for Hillary while she opposes the Columbian trade deal (at least right now).

.