I must not be the only one

I have commented on the so-called ABC News debate between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. I am not the only one who thought that the debate stunk.

Media Matters had a nice write up.

Summary: Numerous media figures have criticized George Stephanopoulos and Charles Gibson, moderators of the Democratic presidential debate on ABC, or the subject matter of the event, in part or in whole, as “shoddy [and] despicable,” “specious and gossipy,” “cringe-worthy,” “banal,” consisting of “tabloid trivia,” “flat-out repulsive,” “embarrassing,” “seem[ingly] slanted against [Sen. Barack] Obama,” “shameful,” and “an outrage.”

Following the April 16 Democratic presidential debate on ABC, moderated by ABC News senior political correspondent George Stephanopoulos and World News Tonight anchor Charles Gibson, numerous media figures have criticized the moderators or the subject matter of the event, in part or in whole, as “shoddy [and] despicable,” “specious and gossipy,” “cringe-worthy,” “banal,” consisting of “tabloid trivia,” “flat-out repulsive,” “embarrassing,” “seem[ingly] slanted against [Sen. Barack] Obama,” “shameful,” and “an outrage.”

Washington Post television critic Tom Shales, in an April 17 article headlined “In Pa. Debate, The Clear Loser Is ABC,” described the debate as “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.” Shales added that the debate “dwelled entirely on specious and gossipy trivia” and “seemed slanted against Obama.”

Time magazine’s Michael Grunwald, in an April 17 article headlined “The Democrats Play Trivial Pursuit,” wrote, “Obama’s memoir dripped with contempt for modern gotcha politics, for a campaign culture obsessed with substantively irrelevant but supposedly symbolic gaffes,” and added, “Last night at the National Constitution Center, at a Democratic debate that was hyped by ABC as a discussion of serious constitutional issues, America got to see exactly what Obama was complaining about.”

In an April 16 article on Editor & Publisher’s website, Greg Mitchell wrote, “In perhaps the most embarrassing performance by the media in a major presidential debate in years, ABC News hosts Charles Gibson and George Stephanopoulos focused mainly on trivial issues as Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama faced off in Philadelphia. They, and their network, should hang their collective heads in shame.” [...]

Huffington Post Weighed in as well:

In perhaps the most embarrassing performance by the media in a major presidential debate in years, ABC News hosts Charles Gibson and George Stephanopoulos focused mainly on trivial issues as Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama faced off in Philadelphia. They, and their network, should hang their collective heads in shame.

Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the health care and mortgage crises, the overall state of the economy and dozens of other pressing issues had to wait for their few moments in the sun as Obama was pressed to explain his recent “bitter” gaffe and relationship with Rev. Wright (seemingly a dead issue) and not wearing a flag pin — while Clinton had to answer again for her Bosnia trip exaggerations.

Then it was back to Obama to defend his slim association with a former ’60s radical — a question that came out of right-wing talk radio and Sean Hannity on TV, but was delivered by former Bill Clinton aide Stephanopoulos. This approach led to a claim that Clinton’s husband pardoned two other ’60s radicals. And so on. The travesty continued.

More time was spent on all of this than segments on getting out of Iraq and keeping people from losing their homes and — you name it. Gibson only got excited complaining that someone might raise his capital gains tax. Yet neither candidate had the courage to ask the moderators to turn to those far more important issues. Talking heads on other networks followed up by not pressing that point either. The crowd booed Gibson near the end. Why didn’t every other responsible journalist on TV?

To top it off, here is David Brooks’ review at the New York Times: “I thought the questions were excellent.” He gives ABC an “A.” Of course, “A” can stand for many things.

MoveOn.org sent out an e-mail flyer:

Dear MoveOn member,

If you missed the Democratic presidential debate on ABC last night, Editor & Publisher called it “perhaps the most embarrassing performance by the media in a major presidential debate in years.”1 (Click below to see video excerpts.)

Moderators George Stephanopoulos and Charlie Gibson spent the first 50 minutes obsessed with distractions that only political insiders care about-verbal gaffes, polling numbers, the stale Rev. Wright story, and the old-news Bosnia story. And, channeling Karl Rove, they directed a video question to Barack Obama asking if he loves the American flag or not. Seriously.

Enough is enough. The public needs the media to stop hurting the national dialogue in this important election year. Can you sign the petition to ABC and other media outlets and pass it on to friends who are also fed up? Click here for our must-see video with excerpts from last night-and to sign the petition.

The petition says: “Debate moderators abuse the public trust every time they ask trivial questions about gaffes and ‘gotchas’ that only political insiders care about. Enough with the distractions-ABC and other networks must focus on issues that affect people’s daily lives.”

We’ll deliver petition signatures to ABC and the networks hosting future debates. And if we reach 100,000 signatures, we’ll reprint the petition in an ad campaign targeting the networks on this issue.

ABC’s natural inclination will be to ignore their critics, so we need to go above and beyond to show them that the public is truly outraged. So, please, think about some friends who may be fed up with 2008 media coverage and forward them this email. If thousands of us do that, it’ll make a huge difference.

The reaction to last night’s debate has been very consistent:

“A stinker, an absolute car crash-thanks to the host network ABC…[It] ran the gamut from banal to inane. At the end of the debate members of the crowd appeared to be booing moderator Charlie Gibson.”-The Guardian’s Richard Adams2

“Halfway through the debate, not a single question on any policy issue had been asked.”-OpenLeft.com’s Chris Bowers3

“For the first 52 minutes…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.”-Washington Post TV critic Tom Shales.4

“We’ve revisited bitter. We’ve gone back to Bosnia. We’ve dragged Rev. Wright back up onto the podium. We’ve mis-spent this debate by allowing Charlie Gibson and George Stephanopoulos to ask questions that skirt what in my mind is what we need to know now.”-Philadelphia Inquirer’s Daniel Rubin5

Shame on ABC for letting voters down with last night’s abysmal debate. Bad debates aren’t just painful to watch-they actually hurt the country by distracting voters and politicians away from big issues of the day.

Please send a message to ABC and other media outlets that we need our national dialogue to focus on the real issues facing Americans. Click here to sign the petition.

http://pol.moveon.org/enoughdistractions/?id=12458-5716678-M7bLlp &t=5

Thanks for all you do.

-Adam G., Patrick, Anna, Peter, Justin, and the MoveOn.org Political Action Team
Thursday, April 17th, 2008

Sources:

1. “Clinton-Obama Debate: ABC Decides Top Issues Facing Americans Are Gaffes, Flag Pins and ’60s Radicals,” Editor & Publisher, April 16, 2008
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=3580 &id=12458-5716678-M7bLlp&t=6

2. “Worst. Debate. Ever.” The Guardian blog, April 16, 2008
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=3582

3. “Philadelphia Debate Thread,” Chris Bowers, OpenLeft.com, April 16, 2008
http://www.openleft.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=5195

4. “In Pa. Debate, The Clear Loser Is ABC,” Washington Post, April 17, 2008
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=3581

5. “The Debate Debacle,” The Philadelphia Inquirer blog, April 16, 2008
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=3583