In Pa. Debate, The Clear Loser Is ABC

[Viking12]

When Barack Obama met Hillary Clinton for another televised Democratic candidates' debate last night, it was more than a step forward in the 2008 presidential election. It was another step downward for network news -- in particular ABC News, which hosted the debate from Philadelphia and whose usually dependable anchors, Charlie Gibson and George Stephanopoulos, turned in shoddy, despicable performances.

For the first 52 minutes of the two-hour, commercial-crammed show, Gibson and Stephanopoulos dwelled entirely on specious and gossipy trivia that already has been hashed and rehashed, in the hope of getting the candidates to claw at one another over disputes that are no longer news. Some were barely news to begin with.

The fact is, cable networks CNN and MSNBC both did better jobs with earlier candidate debates. Also, neither of those cable networks, if memory serves, rushed to a commercial break just five minutes into the proceedings, after giving each candidate a tiny, token moment to make an opening statement. Cable news is indeed taking over from network news, and merely by being competent.

Gibson sat there peering down at the candidates over glasses perched on the end of his nose, looking prosecutorial and at times portraying himself as a spokesman for the working class. Blunderingly he addressed an early question, about whether each would be willing to serve as the other's running mate, "to both of you," which is simple ineptitude or bad manners. It was his job to indicate which candidate should answer first. When, understandably, both waited politely for the other to talk, Gibson said snidely, "Don't all speak at once."


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/17/AR2008041700013.html

[skooooo]

1. Ignorant asses ABC!

[Freida5]

The loser was BO, he finally had to answer the tough questions and he failed.

[Viking12]

3. B.S. if you think last night's debate was good for Democrats or democracy

...you're a freakin idiot.

[0007]

6. The real loser was your girl hilzary the Queen.

[melody]

7. If Hillary had been forced to ask equally inane questions, I'd be just as pissed

You people don't care because the right-wing is pulling for your princess over the evil black guy.

What suffered was the information base of the VOTERS.

[Freida5]

8. i guess you did not watch the bias nbc debates

[melody]

9. I guess I did -- they grilled both sides n/t

[Freida5]

2. The loser was BO, he finally had to answer the tough questions and he failed.

[Shakespeare]

4. Both moderators should publicly apologize to BOTH candidates.

What a fucking waste of airtime.

[Viking12]

5. ..and to the public.