Charlie Gibson may decide the election

[demzilla]

He's the moderator of Friday's debate and gets to choose which audience questions get asked, and he also has the right to ask a follow-up of he wants to.

It seems he has an enormous opportunity to affect the election depending upon the questions he selects. I know nothing about the guy, except he's on GMA, which I never watch. Anyone know anything about his background, tendencies, and so forth? I found an interesting blurb from Mother Jones, below.

Charlie Gibson, who co-hosts "Good Morning America," is potentially the most interesting moderator. Most liberals know Gibson for his Queeg-like obsession with John Kerry's war medals. During an April 2004 show, Gibson badgered Kerry on the issue, at one point exclaiming, "I was there! I saw you throw medals over the fence!" One would expect a quality moderator to rise above trivial Republican talking points. But to his credit, Gibson has also consistently asked probing questions about the war in Iraq. In one famous exchange, during the opening stages of the invasion in 2003, Gibson grilled Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chief of Staffs, on whether the U.S. had enough soldiers to fight the war. When Myers steered away from the question, Gibson asked him again and again. Unfortunately, Gibson will moderate the second "town hall" debate; his role will be limited to selecting questions from the audience for the candidates.

Full article: http://www.motherjones.com/news/update/2004/08/08_403.h...

[JI7]

1. asking whether we have enough soldiers to fight is a "probing" question ?

especially to a general who is the chairman of the joint cheifs of staff ?

[ParanoidPat]

2. Don't scare me like that!

I thought you meant he was appointed to the Supreme Court! :crazy: :evilgrin:

[Vincardog]

3. I saw him on Jon Steward tonight his role is not to select the questions

it is to ASK the questions. HE HAS TO THINK THEM UP HIMSELF. He even asked Jon For a question. Jon's question Did you mean IRAN?

[NightOwwl]

4. That was Bob Scheiffer, not John Gibson.

Scheiffer is moderating the final debate. I thought he came across as a reasonable guy. And Jon seemed to like him, which is a plus in my book.

[RummyTheDummy]

10. Scheiffer is a class act

One of the last of a dying breed of -- gasp -- actual journalists.

[LuminousX]

15. ehh... Jon likes everyone

He even can get along with Ann Coulter. He is just that kind of person. If Jon doesn't like you, you must be a twisted psycho nutcase.

[coloradodem2005]

5. I have no love for Charlie Gibson.

The way he went after Kerry back in April about the medals was despicable.

[goclark]

7. I hate him!

He is a closet media whore.

Because he is on with Diane Sawyer,everyone thinks he is Mister Nice Guy.

Wrong!

He is one of Rove's soldiers.

One time they were discussing that Dinner for Reporters in Washington. The time when Bush was joking about finding the WMD. He thought it was so funny! He could not stop laughing at GW stupidity.

He can not contain himself when he gets the power to show he rules.

I'm sure he will attempt to cream Kerry, but Kerry will prevail.

My prayers are with Kerry on Friday night.

[Postman]

6. He's a rightwinger....

I read a Vanity Fair article about Gore Vidal. Vidal was describing a live remote interview segment he was having on GMA with Charlie Gibson from Vidal's home in Italy, with Gibson being in the New York studios.

Gore Vidal was criticizing the Chump in Chief about a certain issue and Gibson didn't like his liberal/left point of view so he ended the interview by acting as if there were technical difficulties.

The technician on Gore Vidal's end of the interview told him that there were no problems with the equipment at either end of the transmissions, he's blowing you off.

[venus]

8. Yeah, but the third and most important debate will be

moderated by the guy from Face the Nation. He seems more fair and balanced. Saw him on one of the talking head shows and he seems so delighted about it.

[montana500]

9. Gibson is a Bush huckster

He and Kerry had a heated exchange earlier in the cmapaign because Gibson was in his face about themedal tossing incident. He will do whatever it takes to make BUsh look good.

Where do they get these people?

[flordehinojos]

11. One time the CHIP caught up with a truck load full of illegal immigrants

and really beat the tar out of at least one of them. Charlie Gibson thought that because the patrolman's "adrenalin had pumped up" during the chase, the patrolman was in his full right to nearly kill the illegal immigrant. No matter that the guy was just another "human being". I thought Gibson's statement was very telling about his small mentality.

[yellowcanine]

17. The first debate was the most important, imo - it changed the dynamic,

it probably had the most viewers, it established Kerry's momentum while putting a lot of pressure on Bush in the subsequent debates. We know that, unlike Kerry, Bush does not handle pressure well so this is a good thing.

[Ducks In A Row]

12. I think the audience should take down Gibson and control ...

the questions themselves

[SidDithers]

13. Kerry can handle it...

He's been answering questions from hecklers at campaign stops all over the place. Kerry won't be surprised by whatever is thrown his way.

Bush, on the other hand...

Sid

[DemocracyInaction]

14. I had a post earlier this a.m. about him---I said I did not trust this guy

He will try to cover up for Bush and try to make Kerry look bad any chance he gets. I was afraid he would have "follow up questions" because he will go for Kerry's throat. Kerry needs to diminish him in the eyes of the audience.

[The Chronicler]

16. At least it's not Gwen Ifill!

[Thrill]

18. Are people confusing themselves with Charles and John Gibson

JOhn Gibson is a Bush Whore. Folks its totally unfair to say that about Charles. Charles Gibson HAS always been tough on BOTH Dems and Repukes. Lets stop being so paranoid.