ABC Gets Shut Out Of Presidential Debates

[Me.]

Presidential Debate Moderators Set: PBS Gets Two, ABC Shut Out, Lehrer, Brokaw, Schieffer, Ifill Get The Call

“PBS will host two of the four debates this presidential cycle, with Jim Lehrer hosting the first Presidential debate and Gwen Ifill hosting the only Vice Presidential debate, it was announced Tuesday. NBC's Tom Brokaw and CBS' Bob Schieffer will host the remaining two Presidential debates.

ABC News is noticeably left without a debate, perhaps a response to what many perceived as a "Gotcha!"-style debate hosted by Charlie Gibson and George Stephanopoulos”

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/08/05/presidential-debate-moder_n_117048.html

[BeyondGeography]

1. Fuck 'em

:thumbsup:

[NatBurner]

69. right?

with a big green donkey dick

[nancyr]

2. That is good news.

[flor de jasmim]

3. WOO-HOO!!!

[Richardo]

4. Hope you enjoyed your 'gotchas' and flag pin questions, George and Charlie

Because you blew it big time. :patriot:

[kurtboss]

40. I Agree, That Debate Was Like McCain's Politics Last Week

Ugly. Shallow. Stupid.

[speedoo]

5. Nice.

Up yours, Charlie and George.

Fucking dipshits.

[SoonerPride]

6. I mailed them a flag pin.

Maybe they got the message.

But I doubt it.


Screw ABC.

[hlthe2b]

7. Sends the message that ABC = Faux

I detest Charlie Gibson.... I hope he is feeling the embarrassment (and pressure)

[woolldog]

8. did the candidates have any say in the selection?

[Hope And Change]

9. Yay

:woohoo:

[whistle]

10. That is good, they can cover sports instead

[waiting for hope]

24. Maybe they will reply this:

The Path to 9/11

[whistle]

72. Oh yes, the Josef Goebbels ad hominem production

[cbc5g]

11. I noticed that and I'm very glad..but I'm still wary of Schieffer

[MR. ELECTABLE]

28. Schieffer has been really decent, worry about Brokaw

Schieffer was really fair with Obama during the primary, and he actually had Reed and Hagel on after the trip to rebut McCain's bullshit about not visiting the military hospital. Brokaw however seems to be a neo-con when it comes to foreign policy, so I'd expect more slanted questions from him than Schieffer.

[bunkerbuster1]

76. Hey, any corp. media stooges are likely to suck.

And while you're being unduly kind to Bob Schieffer (did you forget how he set up Wes Clark to make it appear that Wes was "attacking" McCain's military record?), yeah, Brokaw's a damn GE corporate tool. I'm sure he'll fluff McCain like a porn stand-in.

[Justitia]

73. you should be, Schieffer is a tool. His family is very entrenched w/the Bushies. -eom

[Whisp]

12. nice! (I think)

does that mean mcCain agreed with this then? that he didn't want the gotcha style either?

I'd read the link but my comp goes funny at that site.

I really really really like the idea of ABC being punished for their lack of journalistic integrity during that debate. That is SWEEET. as long as it was made clear to them why.

[Lucky 13]

13. Choke on it Gibson!

No one wants to see a debate moderated by him or that little troll. Everyone knows those questions were bullshit and no one wants to see a replay of that.

[David Zephyr]

14. Not one debate in the West? What a myopic crowd the East Coast can be.

Gee.

[Sanity Claws]

15. Fox also shut out!

Yippee!

[KansDem]

16. F*ck 'em! Mickey Mouse cannot be trusted to moderate debates...

But...but...I wanted to ask about flag-lapel pins, again!!!

[ForeignSpectator]

45. No, it cannot...

"Fuck Mickey Mouse, fuck him in the asshole with a big rubber dick" George Carlin


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXX4Qa3m2YQ

at 2:37

[Radical Activist]

59. Neither can GE.

Brokaw will steer things but it will be subtle enough that he won't get called on it. Just like Brian Williams' shit debate in the primary.

[Colobo]

17. Great news!

[Alter Ego]

18. As bad as Scheiffer and Brokaw are, they are nowhere near

as awful as Stephanopoulous and Gibson. Those two were an embarrassment.

[valerief]

20. They were such obvious WH hos, I'd have expected them to be wearing

stiletto heels and thongs.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

44. That "debate" was so bad, it got coverage in England.

[valerief]

19. ABC will host their own mock Flag Pin Debate with lookalikes.

The flag pin debate show they had earlier this year was the best comedy on their lineup.

[FrenchieCat]

21. Thank God, CNN is out too!

Give it to the Obama team's Debate negotiator.

I'm sure that the compromise was that McCain and Barack will debate sitting down.
Don't want to tax the old man by forcing him to stand.

Stools would be funny too......to watch McCain's legs dangle from one. :rofl:

[BklynChick]

22. good message.

[Youphemism]

23. Apparently CNN is getting a well-deserved cold shoulder as well. /nt

[DevonRex]

25. Payback, heh heh. Good news. nt

[Triana]

26. GOOD! After that televised political lynching of Obama ....

....with Gibson and Snuffaluffagus - they OUGHT to be excluded. That was the most piss-poor excuse for a "debate" I've ever seen from a purported "news" channel.

[FogerRox]

39. Its good to see someone exercising power against the press.

Word to ABC, better start taking your fourth Estate responsibilities considerably more seriously. Or it'll cost ya...... again.

[truebrit71]

27. Good, screw Charlie Dipshit and George Stephashitmyself..

...both of those right-wing stoolies can go pound sand...

[uponit7771]

31. lol!!

[Pisces]

29. Fuck them!!

[uponit7771]

30. THIS IS GREAT NEWS!!!

[ericgtr]

32. Amen.. Not more hit jobs from those bastards

Obama was alone in that debate, when you are tagged teamed by both of the moderators AND your opponent it's time for a policy shift. I could not understand how, when none of the three (especially Hillary) have ever been recorded wearing a flag pin that they could spend a goddamned half out asking why Obama wasn't wearing it. That was by far the worst debate ever televised.

Thank you for this post. K&R

[StevieM]

63. Yeah....the media was just so fair to Hillary all through the primary. She certainly doesn't

have any complaints about getting demagogued or mistreated.

Steve

[Hope And Change]

33. Debate Moderators Announced

Getty

Debate Moderators Announced

Tuesday, August 5th, 2008

The Commission on Presidential Debates reveals http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/08/05/1247445.aspx">who’s asking the questions this fall.

Sept. 26: Jim Lehrer

Oct. 7: Tom Brokaw

Oct. 15: Bob Schieffer

Vice presidential debate Oct. 2: Gwen Ifill. http://thepage.time.com/release-on-2008-debate-moderators-2/">Read release here.


http://thepage.time.com/2008/08/05/debate-moderators-announced/">Link

[City Lights]

34. HA!

Suck on it, chuck and steph. :rofl:

Excellent news! :bounce: :applause:

[tbyg52]

35. Serves those jerks right. nt

[Major Hogwash]

36. Why do they always use news anchors as moderators instead of people that don't have an agenda?

I don't like any of these moderators, except Lehrer.
Gwen Ifill was not "fair and balanced" during the Kerry-Bush campaign when she moderated the debate she moderated.

And I don't think there is a snowball's chance in hell that Brokaw or Schieffer are going to be this year either.

Brokaw thinks he is so clever, he is bound to interrupt Obama when he is giving his answer to the questions, because that is what Brokaw has been doing to Democrats on Meet the Press.
Brokaw needs to shut the fuck up and let the candidates give their answer after he asks the question, even if he doesn't like the answer he is getting.
Mark my words, it will be more like an interrogation of Obama than a question and answer session between the candidates with Brokaw moderating.

They might as well have chosen Chris Matthews rather than choose Brokaw.

[Alexander]

50. What was wrong with Gwen Ifill?

She moderated the Edwards-Cheney VP debate. I didn't think she was particularly bad, at least not like Schieffer or Gibson. Did I miss something?

[Gabi Hayes]

53. there are plenty more about this....she's a fricking LIAR, for starters:

.......How else to explain comments by PBS' Gwen Ifill's this month about the 2004 vice-presidential debate she moderated?

As Media Matters' Duncan Black pointed out on his personal blog, during a July radio appearance, Ifill described Democratic vice-presidential candidate John Edwards' mention of Vice President Dick Cheney's daughter this way:

Ifill: And ya know the funny thing? I didn't even ask about Mary Cheney they obviously the candidate, the Democratic candidate, Senator Edwards, just felt the need to bring it up apropos of nothing and then claim later that he was just trying to express his sympathy and solidarity with the vice president's daughter.

But that wasn't true. Edwards didn't "bring it up apropos of nothing" -- Ifill brought it up! Here's her question to Dick Cheney during that October 5, 2004, debate:

IFILL: The next question goes to you, Mr. Vice President.

I want to read something you said four years ago at this very setting: "Freedom means freedom for everybody." You said it again recently when you were asked about legalizing same-sex unions. And you used your family's experience as a context for your remarks.

Can you describe then your administration's support for a constitutional ban on same-sex unions?

Cheney answered, then it was Edwards' turn. So -- since Gwen Ifill had brought the topic up -- Edwards said:

I think the vice president and his wife love their daughter. I think they love her very much. And you can't have anything but respect for the fact that they're willing to talk about the fact that they have a gay daughter , the fact that they embrace her. It's a wonderful thing. And there are millions of parents like that who love their children, who want their children to be happy.

So, in 2004, Ifill brought up Mary Cheney; Edwards responded by speaking very favorably of the Cheney family's relationship and of the vice president's comments about it. In 2006, Ifill misstated her own role in the exchange, falsely claiming that she hadn't brought up the topic and that Edwards's comments were "apropos of nothing."

Once upon a time, Ifill obviously knew that wasn't true. That's how powerful these anti-Democrat, anti-progressive media narratives that have dominated public discourse for years are: Ifill told a tale that conformed to the storyline that Edwards and Sen. John Kerry somehow did something wrong in speaking of Mary Cheney -- even though doing so required her to speak falsely about her own role in the matter!

http://mediamatters.org/items/200607220005

want more?

[Alexander]

55. Damn, didn't know that. Thanks.

At least we will have Jim Lehrer.

[Flying Dream Blues]

37. Good...at least a little justice. nt

[bullwinkle428]

38. BEST NEWS I'VE HEARD ALL DAY!!

:thumbsup: :thumbsup:

[flpoljunkie]

41. Charlie Gibson is a disgrace to the profession, acted like a total ass at the debate he moderated.

[Occam Bandage]

42. Well, I sure hope they enjoyed their last shit-flinging party, because it was the last one they get.

[Supersedeas]

43. Chuck Gibbie and Stephie might cry -- then demand: where is your flag pin

[Kahuna]

57. Or: 'Senator Obama. Do you think Rev. Wright loves America as much as you do?'..

Reason enough to leave them out of any serious discussion.

[GoForTheJugular]

46. YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

fuck those clowns...

[Me.]

47. Evening

:kick:

[sfam]

48. Its nice to see ABC's performance so justly rewarded!

Most awesome!

[my3boyz]

49. Yay! The @ssholes deserve it! Go to hell Charlie G and George S. nt

[DangerousRhythm]

51. HAHAHAHAHA. EAT IT, CHARLIE AND GEORGE!

Man, this warms my heart.

:dem:

[bunkerbuster1]

74. I agree with this post.

[mucifer]

52. Go PBS! I wish the League of Women Voters could do one. But, I guess that's too risky.

The truth could get out.

[Gabi Hayes]

54. so instead of a load of horseshit, we get a load of dogshit

if you google all of these 'moderators', cause they didn't moderate anything last time......they all clearly slanted their questions toward Bush (I'm not crazy) in many instances

just check media matters or somerby, for starters

I already linked one about Ifill upthread

have fun

amazing how they can't do any better than this, how they've got be as blatant as Gibson to not be considered

[Faygo Kid]

56. Does this mean Hannity won't be coming up with the questions?

Hannityophoulos and Gibson are ruined. Ruined.

Fools. Let them both go to Faux News.

[IndianaGreen]

58. Charlie Gibson and George Stephanopoulos without a flag pin

asking Obama about his not wearing one, while Hillary stood there without one. Peter Jennings stuck it to Dean when ABC had its debate 4 years ago. Why would anything change?

[JerseygirlCT]

60. Good. That was a terrible debate. nt

[Willo]

61. I would have preferred PBS get the last two

but either way, Obama was blindsided once so he'll be better prepared this time.

[mopinko]

62. thank fucking god.

abc is as bad as fox.

[Arnold Judas Rimmer]

67. Sometimes I swear it's the same company

And when you follow the history of the "ABC Family Channel", it looks even stranger.

First owner: Pat Robertson. Second owner: Rupert Murdoch/FAUX. Current owner ABC/Disney. 700 Club remains the "flagship" program of the network.

[Raine]

64. GOOD!

Karma bite them in the ass!

[reflection]

65. Good. It was warranted.

I haven't been steamed in a while as bad as I was during that "debate." It was insulting and embarassing for our whole country. I burned up ABC's phone lines and email inboxes the next day.

[NorthCarolina]

66. Including CBS is as disturbing to me as ABC though

based on their creative editing of the McCain interview by Katie Couric. It's apparent to me that CBS has an "agenda" not dissimilar to that of ABC.

CBS News Edits Out McCain’s Gaffe on Iraq
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/07/22/mccain-makes-false-claims_n_114405.html

[workinclasszero]

68. baHAHAHA! A big FU to ABC "news" (nt)

[mistertrickster]

70. Damn right. Whoever decided to have that grandma ask about the flag pin

ought to be fired.

This is a crucial election and they dig up shit like that?

No second chances. Good for Obama.

[progressoid]

71. fuckinA

[bunkerbuster1]

75. Bob Schieffer is worrisome, but overall, not a bad outcome.

I have to wonder if Schieffer will continue his "LEAVE MCCAIN ALONE!" routine.

[CoffeeCat]

77. That debate was complete disgrace...

Both Steph and Gibson looked like complete tools.

There aren't enough words to describe how inane that debate was.

Rome is burning, and the boys are wasting our time with flag pins.

It's beyond bizarre.