ABC Blows It!

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

ABC News desperately wanted to provoke controversy in last night's Democratic debate. Why else would they have wasted half of the debate on inconsequential topics like Bosnia fire, Reverend Wright, and the "bitterness" of Pennsylvanians? Why else would George Stephanopoulos have taken the incendiary remarks of FOX's Sean Hannity regarding Weather Underground and try to pass them off as his own question? The FOXification of the mainstream media has just gone from bad to ludicrous. And if it was controversy ABC was clamoring for, it was certainly controversy they got.

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.

If Pennsylvanians (and the rest of America, for that matter) are bitter about anything, it's that ABC squandered a golden opportunity to allow two presidential hopefuls to discuss issues like the Iraq War Recession we're currently suffering. This was ABC's last chance to elevate discourse to a national level, but instead you focused on the mucky politics of irrelevance. As Will Bunch seethed in his Daily News blog, "There almost isn't enough space -- and this is cyberspace, where room is unlimited -- to list all the things you could have asked about but did not."

So what to do now? Let's create an alternative solution! In the comment section below, write us the questions you think ABC should've asked Senators Clinton and Obama last night. Play moderator for a minute... If there is one question you would like our Democratic candidates to answer, one issue they should address, what would it be? We'll compile the answers and make sure your voices are heard.

And don't forget to sign MoveOn's petition. It's time we let ABC know what we're truly bitter about!

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

Comments

[suwhki]

After 40+ minutes of hammering Senator Obama with a bunch of inane questions...questions he's already answered repeatedly--about Rev. Wright, why he doesn't wear a flag pin, (Note: they never asked Hillary why she doesn't wear one) questioning who's more patriotic than whom....the fact that he knows a member of The Weathermen...even though he was just 8 years old when that event took place in Greenwich Village ...and then allowing Hillary to continue the attacks...without either moderator asking her about some of the questionable characters she and Bill have been closely associated with---all I can say is it was a sad night for journalism. Peter Jennings must be turning in his grave.

[inthenitemare]

My question to Senator Obama:

George Bush has been spending the last 7 years breaking laws and shreading the same Consitution that he swore to protect and uphold. Whats most important to me is that this is to be prevented in the future, so that no president can just waltz into office and cancel all our civil liberties at whim.

What will you do to prevent this from happening again?

[ljsfolly]

The tally of 10 million was it that watched the "debate" last night will tell the tale about how little value was place by ABC on what we americans know are at crisis levels across the nation. Our economy, the war, our military, the lack of good working equipment to support our troops, the lack of mental health care resulting in massive amounts of suicides, the lack of support for military families after so many deployments they are falling apart and the children are suffering with no one to take care of the problems,gas prices, bush and McCain on Iran? All of these things plus many more were largely ignored by ABC moderators and they actually gave over to Hillary the times she could do the republican slashes and stabs at Barack. They piled on Barack and did not even challenge Hillary on the very things they attacked him on. Patriot games was another lousey thing. Does every man woman and child have to wear a flag pin from birth to show the love the US? I noticed Hillary never wears a flag pin or anything that might make her look more female. Charlie and George I cannot remember ever seeing a flag pin on them either. Mad as hell I am and bitter not even close to how I feel about ABC and the three idiots ganging up on Barack.