Al Ruechel, BayNews9, Tampa: "Pundits agree there was no clear winner" in Crist/Scott debate.

[madfloridian]

He said it so casually. He really said pundits agree there was no clear winner. I haven't listened to any pundits since the debate last night, but I don't see how anyone could have watched it and thought there was no clear winner. I notice Al Ruechel sounds more and more like that lately. More spin from his mouth.

I did see some national polls in which more than 90% declared Crist the winner.

But that's the kind of press Rick Scott gets here in Florida. The worst they say is that there is no clear winner. Some "pundits" basically said the same thing after the last debate when Scott could not even speak in clear sentences to explain why he didn't come on stage on time.

Here is more from BayNews9 on last night's debate. Again pointing it out to be a tie. And check out the poll on the page....Crist and Scott neck and neck.

Scott, Crist get personal during final Florida governor debate

Did either candidate gain or lose ground in this last debate?

"I don't think so," said Bay News 9 political analyst Ana Cruz, (D). "I think both of these candidates, what they wanted to come in and do on this debate is to not really stumble ... and really make a reason for people not to like them, not vote for them and to not have any kind of a real gaff. And I think they both pretty much avoided that."

"I would call it a draw. They both really stayed on their message. And they didn't stray too far on any of the issues or the answers. I think it was a wash," said Bay News 9 political analyst Chris Ingram (R).

A recent exclusive Bay News 9/Tampa Bay Times/UF Graham Center poll has the two candidates locked in a virtual dead heat. The poll, which was published last week, found Scott and Crist each drawing support from 40 percent of those polled.

So just in case you were thinking people here in Florida had seen the light about what Rick Scott really is...then stop thinking that.

Luckily the national scene gave opinions to the contrary last time, and even Fox 13 in Tampa blasted Rick Scott.

[3rdwaydem]

1. Of course they are judging style not substance.

Rick Scott promotes and champions bankrupt and disproven policies. Debates are about substance and should be judged, at least in part, by the plausibility of the ideas the candidates advance in that debate. Using that standard, Scott is a huge loser and I'm waiting for the day when the mainstream media will be brave enough to say so.

[madfloridian]

2. I don't think Scott even has style.

I don't think he has a conscience. But those who support him don't care about that

[3rdwaydem]

6. No they don't; perhaps because they lack one as well

[ChiciB1]

10. Well, Don't Hold Your Breath!

I don't understand it besides the influx of money, BUT living here scares me to death! I'm really afraid of what might happen.

[madfloridian]

13. Most of my neighbors are intelligent educated people

who will defend anything tea party or Scott no matter what. I can name on one hand the ones who even call themselves moderate. And liberal is the forbidden word I think.

[ChiciB1]

21. I Understand What You're Saying...

However, for some very strange reason in my very Red County, my neighbor and several others on the same road are actually Democrats. Now, if I were to go north it's VERY lopsided and not Democrat friendly. Going south a little there seems to be more Democrats & Independents, but still and (R) area. I think many Independents still lean to the right.

[RobertEarl]

3. Reporters get paid via campaign adverts

They know better than to bite the hand that feeds them

Scott would bust them badly if they ever took a real bite out of him

Such is the way of modern American political campaigns.

[underpants]

5. BINGO!

[RockaFowler]

9. This isn't true

Please don't post this

I work for a TV station and no-one in this building is doing anything for one candidate or the other based upon what they spend at the station. My station in particular doesn't even see the money. All of it goes to our corporate office when it comes to political.

Oh and the Sales department is SEPERATE from the News Department. Here we are on 2 different floors. They don't tell us what commercial can air and we don't tell them what company to go after. That's how it should always be. Either that or we would be just like the movie Network - and believe me none of us wants that!

[RobertEarl]

11. Who pays you?

The corporation pays you. How do they get most of the money that fills your check? Advertising. What is their biggest single source of $$ from advertising? Political campaigns.

I have friends in the biz and have been watching the talking heads on tv all my life and the tv stations are prostitutes for campaign dollars.

So stick your telling me what I should and shouldn't write.

[RockaFowler]

17. You really have no idea what you are saying, though

The biggest source of income for TV stations is from retrans fees

Yes the Sales Department makes money from their advertisers, but no-one in my sales department makes a dime off of political. That is a corporate entity. Everyone here is on commission. Straight commission on local advertisers.

The corporation may pay the staff based upon political advertising dollars, but that is only every other year. What do we use for money the otehr years?? Oh and what about the states that don't get political money?? Those stations still have to pay their employees.

Our corporate office doesn't tell us what to air - never have. Like I said Sales and News are seperate. They have to be. If you are like Sinclair (something my company is not), then you can use your influence in the political arena. We do not. And most TV station groups (besides Sinclair) do not.

You may have friends in the biz, but not everyone is a Talking Head. Local news is a totally different animal. I know - I'm in the biz.

[RobertEarl]

27. True

I was a bit liberal with the 'campaigns pay the most', as you say campaigns are few and far between. But it is true corp makes a nice profit off the campaigns, one reason, like you say, sales gets little commission from those ads.

Of course corporate does not outright tell you what to report on. But they have their ways of making sure what does air. To say otherwise is just head-in-the-sand thinking. We have all seen reports and stories over the years that show that to be true.

I've dealt with more than one media report in which I was personally involved and have seen the shading and the maneuverings of the media to not tell the story quite as truthfully as it could have. Heck, just look what they have done to Gore, Kerry, and Obama, and bent over backwards for the republicans.

I take it you are on staff.... you think you are told what goes on in corp offices and how they manage what is reported? I have heard more than one reporter grumbling about how they were muted, so don't tell me it doesn't happen. It happens.

The corp offices will rarely ever bite the hand that feeds them. Sure, sometimes someone like Rather gets a bite, but look what happened to him. It is all covert manipulations of the media, because they have to be careful not to bite off more than they can chew, especially any of the Iron Fist of the PTB. In fact, too, the corp just loves to be thought of as "In the Big Club" and you are not in it, are you?

[ChiciB1]

12. Do YOU Have An Opinion?

Or is it as bad as I think it is??

[RockaFowler]

18. Not sure I understand your question

I was letting the person above me know that what they were saying was not true. I know this as a person who works in TV.

[ChiciB1]

20. Was Asking Your Opinion About The Debate...

Just wondering since you stated how who you work for has no opinon.

[RockaFowler]

22. Crist won - hands down

[ChiciB1]

24. Ok, Thanks... n/t

[demwing]

4. A Tied Race is More Dramatic

so there's no clear winner....

Thank you, CNN and FOX, for turning America's journalists into Opinion Models.

[RobertEarl]

7. Tied means: more spending on tv ads

Keep it close and they sell more ads and make more easy money for the media corporations.

[BeyondGeography]

8. These in-the-bag pundits have disqualified themselves from punditing!

[NCTraveler]

14. Al Ruechel is not in the bag for anyone and neither is Bay News 9.

Bay News 9 is an extremely respected outlet. Anyone in the area is well aware of that. Notice no polls or national pundits opinions were given by the op to back up what they stated. I have a good friend who is an on-air reporter for Bay News 9 and the only reason they don't call themselves a democrat is because they are too far left for the party. They are very clear that the organization is full of dems, from the top down along with republicans and people he wouldn't try to guess their affiliation. That is why the op attacked someone yet never backed up their view with anything. We had two very disliked politicians debate in Florida last night. What you will find is that the numbers for "No One Won" are going to come in just under the winners share. It was that bad. It has been that bad.

Bay News 9 is viewed so positively by the locals that many Brighthouse customers refuse to get a different service even though they despise them. It is often said that Bay News 9 is Brighthouses only way to currently keep customers.

[BeyondGeography]

15. I was joking...a Todd-related thing

Lame, I know. Only saw the tail-end of the debate and Scott's eyes freaked me out was about the only thing I noticed. Crist was passionless. I appreciate your POV on this.

[NCTraveler]

16. I normally don't like to mention peoples looks and attach them to how I feel about them.

Makes me feel pretty low. But Scott just freaks me out when he looks in the camera. It really is strange. Somewhat soulless. Bay News 9 really is a great local outlet. Other than bay news 9 we get force-fed Clear Channel. It is brutal.

I also think their current online poll says something about their viewers. The area it operates in is fairly diverse and just about split with respect to political affiliation. Maybe just a shade more registered republicans, but it is close. Their online poll currently has Crist as winning the debate by one point and an equal amount of voters saying no one won. That is a pretty good reflection of how many people in the bay area strongly dislike both candidates yet feel Crist is just a little better.

Sorry if I sounded jumpy. On a discussion board someone can yell "right wing media" and it will be bought into without second thought. That is not the case here. It is truly a respected organization. Do they sometimes get it wrong? Of course. Overall they are very good and filled with excellent people. There people are often recruited by larger organizations. They do do a pretty good job of holding onto good reporters. Their field work is better than any news organization I have seen.

[madfloridian]

19. I also refuse to change from Brighthouse because of BayNews9

I referred to Al Ruechel in particular because he is prone to using talking points more than most. If you read the article, they are simply stretching the limit.

The debate was aired not just in Florida, and people can see for themselves.

BayNews9 performs a great service to our area in regard to weather every few minutes. Their anchors overall are great.

However, to say there was no clear winner is a great stretch. Scott is nearly incoherent when he speaks. Crist is no great orator, but to call it a tie is just too much.

Please don't talk about me in 3rd person like I am not aware. And I did NOT imply the station was in anyone's pockets. I simply pointed out the utter ridiculousness of saying there was no clear winner.

[madfloridian]

25. Furthermore, there was a post about the poll on the front page.

So I did not think I needed to add a link to mine.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025696724

At the time I wrote about it it was over 90%.

[spanone]

23. this is how they framed the Gore/bush debates...a 'draw'...pure horseshit

[madfloridian]

28. You are right. I had forgotten that.

[spanone]

29. my mother was dying at the time and we made it our duty to watch the debates

bush was practically incoherent and they would call it a draw....really pissed us off.

[madfloridian]

30. That was a time of much stress and terrible anger about the election

What an awful time here.

[DonCoquixote]

26. The losers are we Floridians

who have to choose between a bad former GOP governor and a TERRIBLETea party shill.

Our leader , Debbie Wasserman Schulz, should be ashamed of herself, but she will be too busy trying to cozy up to whoever wins.