Shameful
What an absolute fucking embarrassment that debate was for ABC. Were Charlie Gibson and George Stephanopoulos vying for stupidest fucking debate hosts this year or what? If you missed it, well you didn't miss anything. It was a trainwreck.The first 55 minutes were spent entirely on the fake media controversies that distract from issues. They pestered Obama about Rev. Wright, flag lapel pins, William Ayers, and the bitter comment. Seriously, for the entire first hour. Sen. Clinton managed to distinguish herself by ripping off her remaing shreds of dignity (yes, I mean that) and throwing them to the floor in a desperate attempt to cling to those phony stories. Tonight she gave all of us strong reason why this should end now, and why she shouldn't be the Democratic nominee for president.
But to focus on Sen. Clinton's insincerity and duplicity would be a mistake, because the real losers of tonights debate were ABC news, and Gibson and Stephanopoulos specifically. They wasted the first hour of prime time national television by channeling Sean Hannity, and the second half talking about affirmative action, gun control, and 60's radicals. Straight out of 19-fucking-88.
The only answer I want to highlight was this response by Obama. He called out the stupid media controversies for what they were, exactly like I always wished someone would.
George, but this is an example of what I'm talking about.
This is a guy who lives in my neighborhood, who's a professor of English in Chicago, who I know and who I have not received some official endorsement from. He's not somebody who I exchange ideas from on a regular basis.
And the notion that somehow as a consequence of me knowing somebody who engaged in detestable acts 40 years ago when I was 8 years old, somehow reflects on me and my values, doesn't make much sense, George. ...
[T]his kind of game, in which anybody who I know, regardless of how flimsy the relationship is, is somehow -- somehow their ideas could be attributed to me -- I think the American people are smarter than that. They're not going to suggest somehow that that is reflective of my views, because it obviously isn't
I may expand on this tomorrow, but I'm too upset with ABC to do anything more than just link to what the other, smarter bloggers are saying.
If you feel like it, call ABC at 212-456-7777 to let them know what you thought of that.
Oh, and Taylor Marsh is still a fucking idiot.
