Interesting take on last night's PBS Presidential Debate

[politicasista]

From Pamela Gentry at BET.com (She blogged about this last night).

Snip:

Headline: A Star-studded Audience
Posted June 29, 2007

The audience was filled with faces spanning several generations. Howard gave tickets to some college students; Smiley invited some youth folks from Florida. But other faces inplace were quite familiar: activist/actors Harry Belafonte and Ruby Dee; author Terri McMillan; and activists Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, the Rev. Al Shapton, Dorothy Height President of National Council of Negro Women, and Ted Shaw of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund.

After the debate, the room filled with spin doctors, making sure we knew who were the frontrunners. Surrogates for senators Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.), Barack Obama (D-Ill.), Chris Dodd and Joe Biden (D-Del.) and former Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.) were stressing their candidates’ strengths.

Rep. Dennis Kuchnich (D-Ohio), New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D) and former Sen. Mike Gravel (D-Ak.) met with reporters face to face.

The crowd pleaser and most popular African-American celebrity was Professor Cornel West. His crowd, and his stream of reporters and photographers, grew larger and larger at the Obama stakeout.

I heard a few reporters say that they weren’t sure what the shining moment was tonight.

Candidates have been asked about education, AIDS/HIV and racism in America - the first Democratic debate that has not been foucsed on the War in Iraq. ”I got tested for AIDS I know Barack got tested for AIDS, there’s no shame in being tested for AIDS,” Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) brought laughter to the media room, as did Obama’s response, “I got tested with Michelle,” he said. The loudest laughter was reserved for the cut-a-way of Rev. Al Sharpton who had a scoll on his face. Finally a little levity in the debate.

At the beginning of the debate:

The PBS debate is underway and my first thoughts are the three introductions of the event only detracted from the amount time for the candidates to debate. Tom Joyner, Tavis Smiley and Gov. Deval Patrick (D-Mass.) should have made their remarks brief. The media room is full but not crowded, and the spin locations are clearly marked on a red carpert in the center of the room. The absence of ground rules before starting could be disruptive as the debate continues. In the first few minutes during the opening photo op with candiates, there was a clear level of discomfort from candidates with shouts for Obama from the audience.

http://betintroduces.com/news/pamela/

[A-Schwarzenegger]

1. "Rev. Al Sharpton who had a scoll on his face"

A what? Is that a French donut?

[SoxFan]

4. I think it's a kind of boat

:think:

[A-Schwarzenegger]

5. I've been informed it's an ancient manuscript.

[bling bling]

8. Yes, but there is a more modern meaning, as well.

Sometimes I inadvertently press the wrong button on my keyboard and I try to scoll up and down and the screen doesn't move and I'm like, "WTF?" Then I push the "scoll lock" button and all is well again.

I'm not sure which one they were talking about Obama wearing on his face though. Probably the ancient one. The other one just wouldn't make sense.

[A-Schwarzenegger]

9. It was Sharpton who had the scoll. Obama had a smill.

[bling bling]

11. Doh - you're right.

BTW, you crick me up.

[BringBigDogBack]

16. I lol'd.

:-)

[MGKrebs]

7. We all have scolls under our faces.

It would have been more accurate to say he had "a face on his scoll".

[A-Schwarzenegger]

10. Yes, we're all bownheads.

[polichick]

2. "After the debate...

...the room filled with spin doctors, making sure we knew who were the frontrunners. Surrogates for senators Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.), Barack Obama (D-Ill.), Chris Dodd and Joe Biden (D-Del.) and former Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.) were stressing their candidates’ strengths.

Rep. Dennis Kuchnich (D-Ohio), New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D) and former Sen. Mike Gravel (D-Ak.) met with reporters face to face."

I sooooooooo wish we had public funding for elections ~ and NO spin doctors!

[Mabus]

3. the most telling comment: The white reporters don't know who black leaders are

I wouldn't be surprised if they could all spot Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson but sometimes I think that's all the black leaders most reporters know. I'll be the first to admit that I didn't recognize as many faces as I should either but I apparently knew more of the people there than the white journalists covering the event.

Watching the debate from the “spin room” was an education all its own. Few of my White counterparts recognized the faces being flashed across the jumbo screen during the debate.

“Who’s that?” One reporter asked me, “Victoria Rowell,” I responded. Another reporter saw me jotting down names feverishly, and looked at me curiously. I mouthed “Vernon Jordan.”

[MissWaverly]

6. I was impressed with the debate at Howard

it was not the same blah, blah, blah like when did you realize that you should be prez, those asking the questions were articulate
and brought up many facts that the average viewer is not aware of, it so rare that we see reporters asking fact based questions that
I am still recovering.

Miss Waverly

[Mabus]

13. For the first time I felt like all the candidates got equal time

and that the same questions were asked of each of them.

I agree. I liked the format a lot better. And I also agree that the questions themselves were much than what we've seen thus far in previous debates.

[MissWaverly]

14. wouldn't it be great if they had a debate at a union hall

and one at a leading hospital, let real people in the audience and have a no-spin zone.

[snowbear]

12. Reverend Al.. what's with the sourpuss look anyway?

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Happier Days for Al



James Brown and Al Sharpton

[PBass]

15. I hated most of the audience cut-aways that the TV cameras did.

If somebody in the audience has an uncomfortable expression on their face, or is looking bored, it's a sure thing that they'll be zoomed in on.

It's almost like a cue for the home audience... "this is how you're supposed to feel". I really do think a lot of the cutaways are done with an "editorial" slant.

I have the same complaint about CSPAN events too. Just show the candidates, that's the main attraction.