Read more reactions from Huffington Post bloggers to ABC's Pennsylvania Democratic 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.
Granted, that may be too much too ask when Charlie & Little George's capital gains taxes are in danger of rising and they need to ascertain just how much bomb-making knowledge the non flag-lapel-pin-wearing Obama may have acquired while listening to sermons. Ohh..and Senator Clinton would you like to add to that?...was your grandfather bitter when he kept a flask of Crown Royal inside the bible he carried on hunting trips?
But it was comforting to see the cutaways to all the Clinton supporters in the audience. And it was reassuring to hear Hillary imply that, with regards to the Bosnia tarmac, yes she may have lied but she won't ever lie again.
It's hard to go on because last night was beyond satire. We have a good friend who doesn't follow politics but watched the debate -- she found it "insulting". Living as we do in Pa., we've heard from more than a few people that Ed Rendell has been trundling across the state threatening any mayor who supports Obama with the loss of funds...that might be news.
But there is no news anymore. We defy anyone to watch the performance of Gibson and Stephanopoulos last night...and then, turn over to C-SPAN for coverage of Cheney at the Radio & Television Correspondents Dinner. Watch the press pissing themselves with laughter over inane quips from a blood-drenched torturer...and tell us this country isn't fucked.
Read more reactions from Huffington Post bloggers to ABC's Pennsylvania Democratic debate
Pass the donuts and the ribs!
The questions in this debate really weren't that much different than the Tim Russert debate or the Wolf Blitzer debate. It just happened to be that the guy with the most unanswered questions this time around was Obama.
I hate the press..passionately. I think they all lean left. In this case though, it is the candidates themselves that allowed this to happen because they won't show up for any of the hard news shows.
The reason the Democratic candidates do not appear on Fox, outside of an occasional Hillary appearance, is Fox is little more than a smear machine.
Every night O'Reilly has clips of Obama's former pastor Wright shouting into the microphone. There is nothing Sean Hannity will not say to smear Obama even if untrue. Sheppard Smith has said several nights in a row that the pope is an honorary Republican.
If you want the Democrats candidates to appear in a conservative press format, then get a real press and not Karl Rove's dream of how a new's station should operate.
Otherwise, Obama and Clinton have debated multiple times on multiple networks. Each has appeared on every major news broadcast. This kind of name calling debate serves only Republicans and is just a continuation of what is seen nightly on Fox, where its works for Fox's unread audience well.
Wow he better man up and get a lot better with his responses or McCain will roll over him in the fall.
executive?"
-What if we had a debate where Candidates were asked about the issue of whether they would invade another country in violation of the United Nations Charter?
_What if we had a debate where Candidates were asked their views about torture and America's position on the Geneva Conventions?
-What if we had a debate and Candidates were asked what they plan to do to about the crumbling infrastructures.
-What if we had a debate where Candidates were grilled about globalization, and the out sourcing of jobs and the decimation of the industrial heartland?
-What if we had a debate that focused on the trillion dollars war in Iraq that is devastating the future of our Children and our grand children?
-What if we had a debate where Candidates were asked their positions on the role of the mercenaries, like Blackwater, in United States military operations?
-What if we had a debate where Candidates were asked about their positions on the war profiteering by such companies as Haliburton?
Last night's so called Democratic debate in Pennsylvania, was a sham. It was a distraction. It was a shameless attempt to inflame voters over stupid issues. I hope the American people rise up and demand that corporate media, that uses the public airways, respect their interests and not the interests of the Republican machine and Fox talking heads.
I saw Obama try and rise above this right-wing ambush, and though it was difficult, he stood his ground and did stay above.
George should have just grouped his questions all together and asked Obama 'You are a black man, and you hang out with other black men, are you black men all the same, are you all radical and America hating, cause you sure look the same.". I'm being bitter and sarcastic...
I do think these questions reflected poorly on ABC and now seeing the negative response the mods have engendered , no news org will try and go "there" again.
Should be interesting to see how Steph reacts to the criticism when he interviews McCain on Sunday.
And why didn't he disclose his own past association with one of the candidates? Or the source of his questions?
America's Been Conned
Another Brother Crucified
Anything But Concerned
Anglo's Biting at the Chomp
Always Being Catty
Actually Believe in Compassion
Abrogated By Cowardice
Appease & Betray their Conviction
Appallingly Biased Coverage
Angle Back to Chelsea
Angle Back to Clark
Ayers Bit Choreographed
Acquaintance Becomes Confidant
And Between Comments,
Abridged By Charlie
Angry But Calm
Addressed Big Challenges
Another Barack Conquest
Aging Bitter Clintons
Amble Back to Chappaqua
America Barely Cares
And Bill's Compact
And Big Condo
Among Black Community
Assuredly Being Closed.
Amigos Be Confident
Already Built Coalition
Any Barrier Crushed
How about asking if either candidate believes energy independence is important? Ask how they'll get us there. Who do they have in mind as next Secretary of Energy? How about Al Gore?
As for ABC News they've decided access trumps truth. They have become tools for this administration with less balance to their stories each day. Charlie Gibson obviously believes all the lies Bush is peddling. Talk about out of touch when you think a household earning 200K a year has the same concerns as one bringing in 50K.
You think that's important ??
Perhaps most of America does too. That's how we got here.
How dare we not bow down to the questions our smarter and moral superiors (leftists/progressives/liberals) consider important.
P.J. O'rourke said it best.
"The principal feature of American liberalism is sanctimoniousness. By loudly denouncing all bad things — war and hunger and date rape — liberals testify to their own terrific goodness. More important, they promote themselves to membership in a self-selecting elite of those who care deeply about such things.... It's a kind of natural aristocracy, and the wonderful thing about this aristocracy is that you don't have to be brave, smart, strong or even lucky to join it, you just have to proclaim yourself to be liberal."