AUDIO: Hannity Feeds Stephanopoulos Debate Question On Weather Underground
AUDIO: Hannity Feeds Stephanopoulos Debate Question On Weather Underground
Last night’s ABC News Democratic presidential candidates debate was co-moderated by George Stephanopoulos and Charlie Gibson, but the unseen influence of Fox News’ Sean Hannity was also on stage.
Hannity, who for months has been aggressively pushing a story about Barack Obama’s connections to a former member of a radical anti-Vietnam 1970s organization called the Weather Underground, interviewed Stephanopoulos on his radio show on Tuesday, where he pressed the ABC host to ask Obama about this:
HANNITY: There are two questions that I don’t think anybody has asked Barack Obama, and I don’t know if this is going to be on your list tomorrow. One is – the only time he’s ever been asked about his association with Bill Ayers, the unrepentant terrorist from the Weather Underground who on 9/11 of all days in the New York Times was saying “I don’t regret setting bombs. I don’t think we did enough.” When asked about it by the Politico, David Axelrod said that they have a friendly relationship, and that they had done a number of speeches together and that they sat on a board together. Is that a question you might ask?
STEPHANOPOULOS: Well, I’m taking notes right now.
HANNITY: September 11, 2001 of all days, there was an article in the New York Times. And there are a number of quotes about Bill Ayers. The Politico had in there the comments from David Axelrod.
Listen here:
In the debate last night, Stephanopoulos asked a question that mirrored almost word-for-word what Hannity pressed him to ask:
STEPHANOPOULOS: A gentleman named William Ayers, he was part of the Weather Underground in the 1970s. They bombed the Pentagon, the Capitol and other buildings. He’s never apologized for that. And in fact, on 9/11 he was quoted in The New York Times saying, “I don’t regret setting bombs; I feel we didn’t do enough.”
An early organizing meeting for your state senate campaign was held at his house, and your campaign has said you are friendly. Can you explain that relationship for the voters, and explain to Democrats why it won’t be a problem?
Watch it:
The Washington Post’s Tom Shales writes today, “ABC News, which hosted the debate from Philadelphia and whose usually dependable anchors, Charlie Gibson and George Stephanopoulos, turned in shoddy, despicable performances.” The debate moderators were heckled after the debate, prompting Gibson to react. “Oh…” he declared, hands raised in defense. “The crowd is turning on me, the crowd is turning on me.”
Not everyone was upset about the debate. The New York Times’ David Brooks writes, “I understand the complaints, but I thought the questions were excellent.” So does Hannity.
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There’s your librul media at work for you.
April 17th, 2008 at 10:24 amit was awful… like reading the national inquirer, i’m guessing…
and finally barack had to berate george, diplomatically and gentlemanly of course, that asking about inconsequential stuff is not helping…
jeez - flag pins… how the hell did THAT make it in there?
get real…
April 17th, 2008 at 10:26 amABC just set the standard for shoddy political reporting.
April 17th, 2008 at 10:26 amOf course conservatives like Brooks thought the questions were excellent, they were all “gotcha” questions. The Democratic party wants to talk about issues and problems facing this country and the Republicans’ moral, social and political footing is so completely in shambles all they can do is resort to the political equivalent of playground taunting.
April 17th, 2008 at 10:28 amHow horrible!! Isn’t it just so sad that someone actually asks these two morons some GOOD questions!!! And BOTH prove that they’re NOT even qualified to be Senators. Without a teleprompter, Obama is a stuttering idiot and we all know what Hill is - a pathelogical liar. And BOTH have done ABSOLUTELY NOTHING at all in their political careers!
What a joke both of these libs are!
April 17th, 2008 at 10:28 amIt’s shameful. I’ve long been disappointed in Stephanapoulos’s interview style. He seems to favor the gotcha questions over matters of substance. I think the Washington Post review of the debate described him as an over eager school boy rifling through his notes. The moderators are not supposed to “debate” the candidates at these events, but rather to give the candidates a chance to explain their views on a number of issues. In a real debate, the candidates would debate each other. Wouldn’t that be refreshing to see? I do appreciate that the audience booed at times when the questioning became particularly vapid.
April 17th, 2008 at 10:28 amabout the NYT article appearing on 9/11 - i’m guessing that was already in the presses, or at least prep, when those planes hit…
and didn’t duby’s grandpa try to overthow the government also?
April 17th, 2008 at 10:29 amAw, bummer. I missed the debate last night. Did the candidates decide who was the bigger elitist?
April 17th, 2008 at 10:30 amfletc3her Says:
It’s shameful. I’ve long been disappointed in every damn mainstream television so-called journalist’s interview style. The whole damn lot of them seem to favor the gotcha questions over matters of substance.
Fixed a few typos for ya. Hope you don’t mind.
April 17th, 2008 at 10:32 amABC really should have subscontracted with Pawn Vanity to be the moderator last night - it would have been more authentic.
April 17th, 2008 at 10:33 amGotta fix the article for the younger folks. Weather Underground is a web page that has all sorts of interesting stuff on the weather.
And as for the “association” which may or may not exist: When I think of my former high-school classmates, I’d hate to be accountable for what they’re doing now!
April 17th, 2008 at 10:35 amkaty Says:
and didn’t duby’s grandpa try to overthow the government also?
April 17th, 2008 at 10:38 amNah, he just sold equipment to the Nazis. That’s a totally different thing.
katy Says:
and didn’t duby’s grandpa try to overthow the government also?
No, Bush Jr.’s Grandpa just had his assets frozen by FDR, until after WWII, because he was financing the military buildup of the Third Reich, which I guess could have been considered a danger to the country. Funny thing about that, I don’t remember any moderators ever bringing it up in a debate.
April 17th, 2008 at 10:39 amThe biggest and most malign consequence of this year’s silly season has been to place responsibility for the public discourse in the hands of the CorpoRat media. They two Corporat Parties are equally at fault…
We forget at our peril that, in the CorpoRat state, CorpoRat media ARE the State Media.
April 17th, 2008 at 10:40 amI’m a huge fan of Senator Obama. I voted for him when he represented my area in the Illinois State Senate, I voted for him in the Primary for the U.S. Senate, I volunteered on his legal team for the U.S. Senate, and I voted for him in the Illinois Presidential primary.
THAT BEING SAID, it was a legitimate question. The question as asked was fair. Bill Ayers does have a record of what many would consider terrorism and he has made some very radical poltical statements. The question should be asked. The fact that it came from Hannity does not change things.
For people who know Bill Ayers though, the answer is also obvious. Although he was a political radical, as he aged he became more of an education radical, with some great and innovative ideas on how to reform our educational systems.
If you believe in the power of redemption, then you have to love the Bill Ayers story. He went from blowing buidlings up to building up American education. It is unfortunate that none of Sen. Obama’s opponents have looked at Ayers, since it is clear that education in America does need reform.
April 17th, 2008 at 10:44 amLet ABC News know how you feel about last night’s debate:
ABC News online feedback link
April 17th, 2008 at 10:44 amhttp://abcnews.go.com/ Site/ page?id=3271346&cat=ABC%20News%20Specials
Well Hillary was delighted with the questions asked at the debate. Of course it wasn’t so much a debate as enhanced interrogation of Obama. Couldn’t Stephanopolous interviewed him on his show if that’s all he wanted to do? Oh that’s right, nobody watches his show.
April 17th, 2008 at 10:44 amIsn’t that great. ABC took a debate between Democratic candidates vying for primary votes from Democratic voters and came up with a debate that Republican partisans roundly endorse, while it left Democrats infuriated and uninformed.
America is destroying itself with spin. Thanks so much ABC for doing your part to keep substance away from the electorate. When do you hire Karl Rove?
April 17th, 2008 at 10:44 amYes, Katy (#6) the NYT op ed on 9/11 was bad timing on the part of Ayers — it was submitted before 9/11, and unfortunately printed on that date. However, note that it would appear from the debate question that it was written in light of the 9/11 attack.
ABC, Stephanopolous and Gibson were despicable last night, delivering questions and arguments for their Republican leaders.
April 17th, 2008 at 10:47 amObama, however, remained calm under the storm and delivered a few zingers of his own. Sorta like a man I’d like to see in the White House — doesn’t react to multi-sided attacks while defending himself nonetheless.
steve benen, at C&L writes:
But the result was as dull as it was pointless, with a discussion that tells us nothing about the candidates, their visions, or their ability to govern. E&P’s Greg Mitchell called it “perhaps the most embarrassing performance by the media in a major presidential debate in years.” The Washington Post’s Tom Shales called it “step downward for network news,” and noted that the moderators delivered “shoddy, despicable performances.” Will Bunch noted, “Quickly, a word to any and all of my fellow journalists who happen to read this open letter. This. Must . Stop.”
good links there too…
April 17th, 2008 at 10:48 amBoBo:
We may not like it, but issues like Jeremiah Wright, flag lapels and the Tuzla airport will be important in the fall. Remember how George H.W. Bush toured flag factories to expose Michael Dukakis. It’s legitimate to see how the candidates will respond to these sorts of symbolic issues.
We also remember how Bush Senior was flummoxed by the existence of check-out price-scanners. While some issues shouldn’t get such attention, others serve to demonstrate a candidate’s true mental condition and world-view.
April 17th, 2008 at 10:49 amDavid Brooks is merely another asswipe bush apologist.
April 17th, 2008 at 10:51 amNo, Bush Jr.’s Grandpa just had his assets frozen by FDR,
well, no, not actually: Prescott Bush was a member of the cabal that tried to enlist General Smedley Butler to lead a coup to overthrow FDR. Read about it HERE.
April 17th, 2008 at 10:52 amshayne - quoting from a commenter at C&L here:
there were no questions about mark penn, columbia trade, income taxes, clinton library donors…..but yet they harped on every frivolous charge against obama…
they sooo want to run against hillary… saving all that for this fall…
April 17th, 2008 at 10:53 amI was a student at the University of Illinois-Chicago when he was hired to teach there and I remeber all the hub-bub then in the local media about his hiring. A friend of mine who was the head of the department of my studies at the time was among those who brought him “in from the cold.” In his early days at the school Professor Ayers would spend a lot of time in his and mine friend’s office and so it was that I got to speak to him on several occasions. On one occasion he allowed me to ask him questions about his Weatherman days, not for an interview, just to satisfy my curiosity. That was nearly twenty years ago so even if I could remeber all the details of that conversation I still wouldn’t share them with you. But, suffice to say, I cam away with two distinct impressions that remain to htis day. 1) He’s definitely not ashamed of what he did back when and 2) He’s a walking lesson in rationalized radical behavior - proof positive that some people are capable of doing anything in the name of their beliefs, whatever they may be.
April 17th, 2008 at 10:54 amMeeting people like that has intrinsic educational value, in my opinion, that you just can’t get from books. Over the course of my education I met, spoke with and questioned people like Timothy Leary, Senator Paul Simon, Justice Ruth Bader-Ginsberg, (who actually politely refused to answer my question about a case that no legal scholar at the time thought the Supreme Court would take-up but they did. The question was about a gay marriage case from Hawaii and since Ginsburg had just finished speaking about her plight as a woman coming up in the field of law, well, I thought she’d be more sympathetic to that cause than her eventual vote on the case - another great lesson learned), chased Ed Meese with a group of students down the Capital steps while after he blew us off for our scheduled meeting, and met Sugar Ray Leonard by chance the same day. He’d just won the Hagler fight thanks to “ducking and weaving,” - his own words. So, anyway, I took something from each of these encounters and many more not listed and all were part of my education - a valuable part.
So, anyway, I’m sure Senator Obama took away some lessons form meeting and knowing someone like Bill Ayers just like me. I’m sure that whatever he learned was shaped by his own world views, experiences and values just as it is for every person. I don’t think it means every student and colleague ever associated with Bill Ayers shoud be held responsible for what Bill Ayers has done.
Yes, the same applies to John Yoo. Contoversy and controversial people belong in the academic environment because, and this is not the only reason, students benefit from meeting these people in ways they simply cannot benefit from merely reading about them. IMO.
Bullsmith: Thanks so much ABC for doing your part to keep substance away from the electorate. When do you hire Karl Rove?
It’s impossible for them to hire Karl Rove. They already work for him!
April 17th, 2008 at 10:57 ammarie - not sure how “the NYT op ed on 9/11 was bad timing on the part of Ayers“, as he had no control over ANTthing that happened that day…
it was the SOP of george to frame it as such though…
just another example of dumbing down the populace…
April 17th, 2008 at 10:57 am…
Indeed, Marie (@ 18), the article in the NYT on 9/11 was written about Ayer’s book. I was not even an op-ed by him. The 9/11 reference is the flimsiest of connections. His book was quoted in an article on 9/11 written by someone else.
Hillary seemed prep’ed for the question, though. Nice.
Obama’s background must be pretty clean if all they can dig up is this sort of ’someone you know once said …’ type of lame crap.
Also, the idea that Obama’s ties to Ayers are closer than McCain’s to some like, say, Keating of the savings and loan debacle, …
April 17th, 2008 at 11:03 amSean Hannity: you’re a great American - thank you for your service!
April 17th, 2008 at 11:06 amtokin librul Says:
Prescott Bush was a member of the cabal that tried to enlist General Smedley Butler to lead a coup to overthrow FDR.
Wow! It was even worse than I thought! I guess it shouldn’t be too surprising that Prescott Bush and friends tried to overthrow the government and set up a fascist dictatorship, since he was financing Hitler and Mussolini anyway.
Did this ever come up in Bush’s debates against Gore and Kerry?
I didn’t think so.
April 17th, 2008 at 11:07 amI was glad to see ABC get over 10,000 complaints and counting. They are going to lose many of their regular viewers because of how badly they handled this debate. I hope their ratings tank; that is the only way to teach them a lesson. Of course, I’m sure the emails that are calling for Charlie & George to be fired will be ignored.
ABC just got an eye opener that not all of America is into “Fluff”. The public expected a real debate. What we received was a disgrace. I agree with many of the people that emailed and said ABC owes Clinton and Obama an apology. Especially Obama, because of having George as a moderator and the attacks he made. I couldn’t agree more. If the executives at ABC have any respect they should issue a public apology for that debacle.
April 17th, 2008 at 11:11 amNeocon Says:
Sean Hannity: you’re a great American - thank you for your service!
Who did he service? Jeff Gannon? Larry Craig? Karl Rove? Ken Mehlman? Ted Haggard? Mark Foley? Oh no, not Foley, he only likes young boys.
April 17th, 2008 at 11:11 amNeocon Says:
flagged. Don’t whine about it, you know why.
April 17th, 2008 at 11:12 amI used to watch ‘This Week’.
No ‘mo!
24, Lawyer Smith, thanks for that insightful post. I’ve rubbed elbows with more than one radical or radical cause in my life, and have always come away more rich from the experience. In fact, my life’s course has a core belief that to judge others, I must experience their ’side’, even if it’s not the path I choose to walk myself.
‘Judge not, lest ye be judged thyself’ seems apropos…
April 17th, 2008 at 11:14 amShoeless….ya forgot Lindsay Graham ;)
April 17th, 2008 at 11:16 amSTEPHANOPOULOS has more than embarrassed himself. I will never watch another ABC News program. They might as well be FOX News!
April 17th, 2008 at 11:16 amtokin librul Says:
No, Bush Jr.’s Grandpa just had his assets frozen by FDR,
well, no, not actually: Prescott Bush was a member of the cabal that tried to enlist General Smedley Butler to lead a coup to overthrow FDR. Read about it HERE.
__________________
It is my understanding that the Feds actually seized Proescott’s assets for doing business w/ the Nazis.
From Wiki:
“Roosevelt’s Alien Property Custodian, Leo T. Crowley, signed Vesting Order Number 248, seizing Bush’s property under the Trading with the Enemy Act.”
Wiki goes onto to say the assets were returned after the war.
Fruit of the poisoned tree?
April 17th, 2008 at 11:22 amWhat did you expect from the folks who brought you the revisionist history lesson, “The Path to 9/11″?
April 17th, 2008 at 11:22 amI used to think that George Stephanopoulos and Charlie Gibson were pretty straight reporters, a cut above the cute faces and empty minds at other networks. But, after last night’s charade, there’s no other choice but to remove ABC from available choices on my TV.
April 17th, 2008 at 11:25 amBad on you, ABC, you have sold out to trash.
Lindsey has recorded love songs about Alito and Petraeus. I think he’ll need about 10 more to make it an album.
April 17th, 2008 at 11:26 amYou know 3 mill was kinda saying the same thing on the think fast thread, you know, that we can influence these things with emails and our purchasing power.
I’m not so sure they care anymore. They pretty well decide what you will see and what is advertised. They are huge corporations with monopolies in place.
I think its a political wind that blew this corporate mentality here starting with Reagan and then newt with his contract on America.
Corporations are now telling us how it is, not the other way around. I do believe the direction of that wind has changed and we will see changes but they will not come fast because regulations will have to be re-implemented and enforced for a change before that happens. The fairness doctrine will help a lot.
I think America at large has gotten a good look inside the conservative agenda for America and decided that it’s not all it was cracked up to be.
Conservatives have never been good managers or financiers despite what they would have you believe. That is why they were the minority for 40 years and now it looks like that is where they are headed again.
We can only hope for the good of all Americans that the American people now see them for what they are and that is not as good Americans.
April 17th, 2008 at 11:28 amI can never watch that network again. What a joke of a moderation of a debate. It was disgusting. They played a McCain “Democrats will raise your taxes” smear as a “question”. Then Charlie Gibson keeps repeating misleading statistics about tax cuts increasing tax revenues. Gibson at one point asks them if they “think they are better than the generals” because they want to pull out of Iraq. He ignores the long line of Generals who were forced into retirement for disagreeing with Bush policies, including the recent retirement of Admiral Fallon, CentCom Commander. Gibson ignores that the Iraq Study Group, which Bush put together, recommended a phased withdrawal, just like the Democrats are advocating.
ABC can go to hell. I will never watch any of their shows again. I hope their advertisers all fail, and their ratings tank.
April 17th, 2008 at 11:30 amThe question for Fox execs, is, how are they now going to set themselves apart from the other news networks, since it’s apparent ABC is poaching in their herd, and using their tactics to draw viewers? Move further into 28% territory?
April 17th, 2008 at 11:31 amfreedomless Says:
April 17th, 2008 at 11:32 amAre you not going to whine when the democrats take over this government in November? Your efforts are transparent and really foolish. The people you support are out of favor for good reasons. Not even the media moguls can save them this time.
STEPHANOPOULOS VAST RIGHT-WING TOOL!!!
April 17th, 2008 at 11:32 amActually, leekinny, George is a rather small right-wing tool.
April 17th, 2008 at 11:34 amDoes anyone even question why we have descended into electing such incompetent officials to lead the government of the United States? Does anyone feel utter shock and dismay at the fact that there is a close race between the Democrats and Republicans for the White House in this election year?
Last nights debate questions just highlight what our national political process has become. It is no longer about complex issues involving foreign policy, war and peace, the economy and health care. The MSM and Republican/conservative elite have deemed these policies to complex for the American people. Instead, the citizens of this country are treated to a casting call to hire an actor to serve as our commander-in-chief with an appropriate cod piece. Symbolic issues substitute for substantive issues. God knows that whether one takes a proffered coffee, can bowl, went to the right church, has a shrill voice or a husband with an affair are all more important than corporations shielding taxes off shore, health care, national security and such other issues.
The MSM is complicit in this conspiracy. Jack Welch noted after GE purchased NBC that he expected the NBC news division to further GE’s business strategies. Sure enough, Phil Donahue’s most highly rated program left immediately before the Iraq invasion even though his was the only real program discussing opposition to the war. FOX news and Rupert Murdoch, Clear Channel, the Moonie Times all prove the conservative control and bias in the media. The Newseum in Washington DC talks about the liberal bias in the media. How many decades ago did such a bias ever exist, if at all?
We saw the media discuss how poorly Gore had been treated by the media, how the press over emphasized the Swiftboat story to Kerry’s detriment and how there needed to be more substance. Then we see these debates. Last night’s tribute to form over substance with an obvious right wing bias and the previous Republican debates with their religious praise of the demi-God Regan.
When will the people learn and demand a change? Probably never.
April 17th, 2008 at 11:34 amCNN has been moving in on Fox’s territory for some time now and as far as I’m concerned CNN is more conservative than ABC, though thats really not much of a compliment for ABC.
And thanks to Couric, CBS is now irrelevant as a news organization.
April 17th, 2008 at 11:36 amRight on, Brian. I’m sick of this media carrying themselves as if democrats need to pledge to upholding failed republican policies. The talking points never die, no matter how often they’re debunked.
This f ucking media thinks democrats still have something to prove to neocon smut.
April 17th, 2008 at 11:36 amfreedomless Says:
_________________
Is there anyone here who can translate this idiot’s comment INTO English? I’d love to know he’s muttering about.
April 17th, 2008 at 11:37 amDoes anyone even question why we have descended into electing such incompetent officials to lead the government of the United States?
No. History is replete with American examples. But you know this.
April 17th, 2008 at 11:37 amdim wit Says:
It’s like ascending a peak. The farther right, the smaller the audience.
The bus to Permanent Republican Majority has thrown a rod, and it’s passengers have all started walking to their destinations.
April 17th, 2008 at 11:41 amExit Stage Left Says:
Shoeless….ya forgot Lindsay Graham ;)
I tried, but his name keeps coming up.
April 17th, 2008 at 11:57 amThey may have well called that piece of shit debate. “Swiftboat Obama Night”.
What a slimy hit job that was. Stephanopoulos was a insider Clinton adviser and this was an obvious setup to smear Obama, you could just see the evil glee in Clinton’s eyes and they attacked him all night long.
Don’t ask anything about any issues that matter, no, just Swiftboat him all night long.
At this point I hate Clinton as much as Bush. (I was an Edwards supporter and did not have an opinion on Obama and Clinton when the race started)
April 17th, 2008 at 11:58 amA wonder they didn’t ask Obama how long the fuses were on the bombs he set off.
April 17th, 2008 at 12:04 pmI’m still wondering, what are the odds of Clinton gaining the needed superdelegates to get the nomination?
April 17th, 2008 at 12:09 pmThanks And Yet for the link, I did give them a piece of my mind for that Swiftboat Obama Night piece of crap. They are now blocked on my TV.
April 17th, 2008 at 12:10 pmGood old George Stenographopolous! The man is a muppet.
The Ayers/Weather Underground question would have been a legitimate inquiry into Obama’s associations, but for the manner in which it was so carefully framed.
It was also a biographical question completely inappropriate to a “debate”. Of course this farce was never going to BE a debate of any kind—none of these dog-turd and pony shows have ever met the definition of the word.
I didn’t watch the debacle myself because I’m trying to keep that whole cutting-myself thing under control.
I did however check out some of the comments at ABC which between 2.30 and 3 AM went from 9849 comments to 10070. Out of about 100 comments I viewed, 38 described the event as “a waste of time”. “crap”, a “travesty”, the “worst debate by far” etc.
Another common reaction is exemplified by this actual comment: “I was an avid viewer of ABC News, GMA and This Week. No longer. This is disgusting.”
Losing audiences for three shows at once? Way to go, ABC! Advertisers must be thrilled!
Of those who opined on how their preferred candidate performed, bizarrely quite a number would reference the exact same question to argue that their favorite was being unfairly treated. Even the most rabid, prejudiced, stupid, confused and ill-informed of the Clinton and Obama camps still managed to express their utter disgust with the ABC circus in general—so that was encouraging.
Oh and two out of 100 comments I viewed thought it was an excellent “debate”
I think ABC’s efforts last night are going to go down in history.
April 17th, 2008 at 12:15 pm“Obama, how could someone on your salary afford to make all of those bombs?”
April 17th, 2008 at 12:16 pmtokin librul Says:
The biggest and most malign consequence of this year’s silly season has been to place responsibility for the public discourse in the hands of the CorpoRat media. They two Corporat Parties are equally at fault…
Never forget that under Bush we have ceased to be the “United States of America” and have instead become the “United Corporations of America”. “We the people” are no longer relevant and have nothing to say about how our government is run. Why, because we don’t give big bucks to the politicians.
April 17th, 2008 at 12:16 pmFreedom Rebel Says:
ABC owes Clinton and Obama an apology. Especially Obama, because of having George as a moderator and the attacks he made. I couldn’t agree more. If the executives at ABC have any respect they should issue a public apology for that debacle.
April 17th, 2008 at 11:11 am
It does seem a bit of a conflict-of-interest to have the guy who was press secretary for the Clinton I campaign moderating a debate between Clinton II and her rival. It’d be almost exactly like Karl Rove or the reanimated corpse of Lee Atwater moderating one of the Obama/McCain debates this fall.
April 17th, 2008 at 12:18 pmMcWars Says:
I’m still wondering, what are the odds of Clinton gaining the needed superdelegates to get the nomination?
After her performance last night, I believe they are worse than they were before the “debate”. I heard on the news the other night from someone who is close to the Democratic Party insiders that the super delegates are furious with Hillary for the negative tone she has taken and for the fact that she is trying to knee-cap Obama.
April 17th, 2008 at 12:19 pmfreedomless Says:
I will only complain if they raise my taxes! I think its going to be how Obama or Hilary will make all their promises come true!
It’s so nice for you that you make more than $250,000/year.
Oh course, McCain won’t raise your taxes to pay for his 100 years of war in Iraq and Iran. He’ll let your grandchildren and great grandchildren pay for that.
April 17th, 2008 at 12:23 pmI’m hoping that the sage voters of PA will reward Clinton justly, by voting for Obama. The polls are showing them in a dead heat at this time.
April 17th, 2008 at 12:24 pmPerhaps a smack down message about negativity needs to be sent at this point in time.
That’s great news, Bilbo, thanks for answering. At this rate, May 4th (Indiana and NC) is doomsday for Clinton. Obama could then clear his schedule to take on McCain.
April 17th, 2008 at 12:25 pmIs there going to be a North Carolina debate?
If so, what are the chances that perhaps one, maybe two ISSUES !!! might get brought up?
April 17th, 2008 at 12:25 pmThe United States of America is bigger than any one President, any one Congress or any one Supreme Court. The success of this nation has been, is, and always will be the PEOPLE of this nation.
Hillary looked more Presidential last night. Obama looked rattled at the pointed questions. He looked exposed. Does anyone know the ratings for the debate?
April 17th, 2008 at 12:27 pmBuckie Boy, I couldn’t agree more. That smirk on Hillary’s face said she knew what was coming. I don’t believe in physical violence but I wouldn’t have minded if somebody slapped that smirk off her mug. She knew every question that was coming, that was so obvious. It’s a good thing she didn’t need to make a living as an actress because she’d have starved.
April 17th, 2008 at 12:29 pmThe Republic of Stupidity Says:
freedomless Says:
_________________
Is there anyone here who can translate this idiot’s comment INTO English? I’d love to know he’s muttering about.
No need, he went “poof”.
April 17th, 2008 at 12:30 pmHillary whispered that in his ear during the break.
April 17th, 2008 at 12:30 pmI wonder how much the RNC paid ABC for that charade last night? It must have been a considerable amount for ABC to trash their reputation like they did.
April 17th, 2008 at 12:31 pmSODA POP Says:
Hillary looked more Presidential last night. Obama looked rattled at the pointed questions. He looked exposed. Does anyone know the ratings for the debate?
Of course she looked “presidential” since it was obvious she was fed the questions ahead of time.
And it’s no wonder if Obama looked rattled (I didn’t watch it so I don’t know if this is true), he had no idea he was walking into an ambush.
April 17th, 2008 at 12:32 pmGod forbid someone running for the highest office in the country get asked a straight forward question. What is a debate for? A photo-op? The conventions are for that.
April 17th, 2008 at 12:34 pmSure SODA POP, Hillary looked more “presidential” in the GW Bush fashion of presidency. You know smirking pompously just like he does.
April 17th, 2008 at 12:35 pmABC News’ Hatchet Job On Obama and the American Voters
http://bigdanblogger.blogspot.com/ 2008/ 04/ big-dans-big-news-apr-17-2008.html
April 17th, 2008 at 12:37 pmBilbo,
I was actually shocked at the questions to Obama. He has known about these issues being on conservative radio and websites. He should have been more prepared.
April 17th, 2008 at 12:37 pmStraight forward like “Why won’t you wear a flag pin and the one you wore yesterday when a veteran asked you to doesn’t count.” Like that. Or the one where they said Ayers was bragging about bombing on 9/11 even though he didn’t write the article which was about the book he had just had published and that obviously that article was submitted previously SINCE IT WAS PUBLISHED ON 9/11.
April 17th, 2008 at 12:38 pmLike an episode of ‘Desperate Housewives‘ less the T & A. Like Disney-ABC channeled Faux or sumptin’. Pathetic.
April 17th, 2008 at 12:38 pmRootBeerguy,
April 17th, 2008 at 12:39 pmThose aren’t issues. Those are smears. Why can’t you tell the difference?
You might find this hard to believe but only a small percentage of the population, less than 30% listen to the right wing nutjobs on the radio. And most of us discount what we hear from them as delusional, apparently Stehanopolous and Gibson listen to it like you do though.
April 17th, 2008 at 12:40 pmShayne
I’d rather see her smirk than to here her freaking “screech laugh”.
April 17th, 2008 at 12:40 pmWell SODA POP, I’d rather she’d stop digging up crap and feeding it to the Republican smear machine. Actually I’d rather she follow Lieberman and become go join the Republicans that she so adores.
April 17th, 2008 at 12:42 pmShayne
30% of the population is roughly 90,000,000 Americans.
I agree about the flag pin question and your point on Ayers is well taken. But he did make the comments. Rev. Wright did make the comments. Obama did make the comments in San Francisco. He is falling apart. Hillary has the best chance in the fall. If you thought the questions were too hard on Obama last night, just wait until the general election debates held on Fox News, ABC, CNN ect.
April 17th, 2008 at 12:45 pmCharlie Gibson & George Steph = Hannity’s “tools”. This was so patently clear during this ridiculous line of questioning that anyone with a room temperature IQ had them “pegged” and looking like totall asshats. Gibson & Stephanopoulus have become mere cypher’s of their former selves - puppets and “tools” of the GOP. Hit men against this democracy.
April 17th, 2008 at 12:47 pmLet’s face it: If John McCain was held responsible and accountable for every criminal act of his cronies in this administration, as they are holding Obama accountable for the notions of another person, McCain would not only NOT be a candidate, John McCain would be in jail.
Let’s play fair here or is that asking too much of the pimpjob, buttlicking, reichstep press these days?
April 17th, 2008 at 12:48 pmBoycott abc and disney, make them pay, show that Americans really are willing to stand up for themselves. Otherwise stop whining. The sad part is that this country is in real trouble and all we can do is squabble about the price of eggs.
April 17th, 2008 at 12:48 pmFrom what I watched of the debate (not all of it), I wouldn’t say Hillary looked any better than Obama. From my standpoint, Obama seemed to be much more genuine while Hilary was attempting to throw in some obscure bumblefu(k Pennsylvania town into everyone of her comments.
And I agree with Obama. Stupid people love guns and religion, but the reality of the situation is a presidential candidate is not allowed to say that. So he had to bumble around the issue when asked.
April 17th, 2008 at 12:49 pmMaybe we need to hold Johnny boy accountable for the 4,000 deaths of our military in Iraq? Maybe when that ludicrous comparison is made (blood of our patriots versus the sermon of a pastor) people will begin to see what a total charade this has become.
I disagree with the flagpin bullcrap. Who gives a flying crap about whether someone likes to wear pins or not. Frankly, wearing pins is a bit feminine if you ask me. However, wearing a pin on one’s lapel as a condition of “patriotism” when compared to pulling us into an illegal, amoral war which has resulted in the deaths of thousands, overturning the constitution of this country, condoning torture, and illegally wiretapping americans…..I’d say this is about as “unpatriotic” as anyone can get.
Let’s move beyond the cockamamie bull$hit about wearing flag pins, shall we? Or is that asking too much of some of the smaller minds here at TP?
April 17th, 2008 at 12:51 pmdim wit: I don’t see how Hillary will get beyond the obvious “lie” about the sniper fire. If she’s willing to lie about something this small, what will she do when confronted with the bigger things of a presidency? Her excuse was implausible and ridiculous. What can she say though? I lied in people’s faces? This is just another reason why Hillary is unelectable.
When she lied and was caught in this lie, no doubt all the Repukes in Pa. who have changed their party just to vote for her cringed. The GOP is not very worried so they will move to Plan B: The easy hacking of DRE’s and/or the use of the Diebold “magic pen” on paper trail ballots which will be skirted off to the warehouse that night and with a few simple chemicals, will be erased by the thugs.
April 17th, 2008 at 12:54 pmObama should have laughed in their faces and told Gibson those infamous words: Only “girly-men” wear pins, dude!
April 17th, 2008 at 12:56 pmSODA POP Says
April 17th, 2008 at 12:27 pm
Obama looked annoyed at the idiotic questions.
__________________________________________
There — fixed it for you.
April 17th, 2008 at 12:56 pmThe fact is that this entire debacle (er debate) was “set up” by the lockstep nazis and their neofascist bosses who own the station. Let’s boycott the hell out of Disney and ABC beginning today.
April 17th, 2008 at 12:58 pm14,839 and growing. Almost ALL negetive complaints on last night’s debate all to ABC at ABC’s site….
April 17th, 2008 at 12:58 pm14,839 and growing. Almost ALL negetive complaints on last night’s debate all to ABC at ABC’s site….
link ,,,
April 17th, 2008 at 12:59 pmhttp://abcnews.go.com/ Politics/ DemocraticDebate/ story?id=4666956&page=1
Did I say “their pimp gal hillary”? She knew ALL of the questions beforehand and stood there smirking and looking like an “attack cat”. What she fails to realize is how Republican she began to look when Obama refused to “play dirty” with her. She tanked herself.
April 17th, 2008 at 12:59 pmMR. STEPHANOPOULOS: Let me pick up on this. When these comments from Senator Obama broke on Friday, Senator McCain’s campaign immediately said that it was going to be a killer issue in November.
Senator Clinton, when Bill Richardson called you to say he was endorsing Barack Obama, you told him that Senator Obama can’t win. I’m not going to ask you about that conversation. I know you don’t want to talk about it. But a simple yes-or-no question: Do you think Senator Obama can beat John McCain or not?
SENATOR CLINTON: Well, I think we have to beat John McCain, and I have every reason to believe we’re going to have a Democratic president and it’s going to be either Barack or me. And we’re going to make that happen.
And what is important is that we understand exactly the challenges facing us in order to defeat Senator McCain.
He will be a formidable candidate. There isn’t any doubt about that. He has a great American story to tell. He’s a man who has served our country with distinction over many years, but he has the wrong ideas about America. And those ideas will be tested in the cauldron of this campaign.
But I also know, having now gone through 16 years of being on the receiving end of what the Republican Party dishes out, how important it is that we try to go after every single vote everywhere we possibly can to get to those electoral votes that we’re going to need to have the next president elected.
MR. STEPHANOPOULOS: But the question is, do you think Senator Obama can do that? Can he win?
SENATOR CLINTON: Yes. Yes. Yes.
time to move on.
April 17th, 2008 at 1:00 pmOne big red flag that I haven’t seen anyone mention, Stephanopoulus was in Bill Clinton’s administration. Maybe he was thanking the Clintons with his questions to Obama last night.
However you say it, the luster is gone from Obama, and he has himself, partially, to blame. Hillary and Obama’s campaigns are ripping apart the party. The GOP is loving every second of it. A third option needs to be considered by the super delegates. Gore? Edwards? If not, Hillary stands the better chance in the fall.
April 17th, 2008 at 1:03 pmWow, nearly 15K posts about the debate on ABC’s (the new Faux Noise) site now, people are really, really pissed about it. Here is what I posted.
You just might as well call this piece of crap debate “the Republican Swiftboating of Obama Debate”. You have lowered the bar on debate to a new low. This was an obvious setup by the George Stephanopoulos and Charlie Gibson on a smear campaign against Obama. And I believe that Stephanopoulos (who was an insider with the Clintons) and Hillary organized this Swiftboat propaganda debate, you just see the evil glee in her eyes as the slanted attack questions that had nothing to do with what Americans deserve to hear were asked.
You are now blocked from my TV, I don’t need to see another Faux Noise network at my home, Far from Balanced should be your new slogan.
April 17th, 2008 at 1:10 pmApril 17th, 2008 at 1:10 pm
Poor baby - had to answer some hard questions (actually the ones most people were interested in). And very nice to see the lapdog MSM get up on its hind legs occasionally and surprise everybody. All the lefty Obama-lovers are in shock. If BO thinks Charlie and Snuffaloupoulos are tough, wait till he has to deal with the real world. Being a community organizer isn’t going to hack it. Sniffle, sniffle.
April 17th, 2008 at 1:12 pmWow, 15,000 complaints in a country of 300,000,000 people. ABC must be shaking in their shoes. Maybe they should appologize to Obama like CNN did to the Chinese. Obama was sliding BEFORE this debate.
April 17th, 2008 at 1:15 pmboadiea - it’s people like you who focus on the non issues therefor idiots like bush get elected. Our country is falling apart and you think asking questions that have nothing to do with policy that can change our lives for the better is relevant. This has nothing to do with the canditates, it has to do with our resourse in providing us information to make informed decisions in life. What do we get now? Fluff , tabloid tv and lies all in the name of ratings and corporate control of the agenda. Do you not see the picture? How about you check out http://www.zeitgeistmovie.com for the complete story of our control and destruction.
April 17th, 2008 at 1:18 pmReally SODA POP, Hillary has the best chance of winning. You forget that if she steal the nomination she won’t be going up against somebody nice like Obama. she’ll be going up against McCain. And all those new registered Democratic voters will evaporate into thin air which won’t help the congressional candidates will it?
April 17th, 2008 at 1:21 pmboadicea Says:
Poor baby - had to answer some hard questions (actually the ones most people were interested in).
How did you tear yourself away from the non-stop Fox News coverage of Britney Spears and the latest missing blond in order to watch a debate on ABC?
April 17th, 2008 at 1:23 pmDear NOLIESPLEASE
Try SpellCheck and a Valium.
April 17th, 2008 at 1:23 pmHey ‘boadicea’, post #100, that junk you wrote where you typed:
Tell ya what, let’s cut ALL the crap and get serious. If you really think that kindda junk is what the majority of people care about, put your MONEY where your mouth is … how can I get a bet down with YOU on this race?
Coz, my bet is the only mouth-breathing nimrod sheep and lemmings, who’ve been slurping down too much right-wing Kool-Aid, gave a rat’s rump about some 60s Vietnam Protester turned college professor, and some retired church pastor’s comments. Maybe the sound of sniper-fire has ya deaf-dumb-and-stupid or sumptin’. Sheez. Ridiculus.
April 17th, 2008 at 1:26 pmSODA POP Says:
Obama was sliding BEFORE this debate.
He gained in the polls, idiot, of course you don’t look things up before you pull them out of your ass.
And he will gain in the polls again after this, because more and more Americans are waking up to this sort of smear campaign.
April 17th, 2008 at 1:28 pmRight after you try a frontal lobotomy and electroshock therapy.
April 17th, 2008 at 1:28 pmCome on PA vote your values, honesty, hard work and sincerity.
April 17th, 2008 at 1:29 pmPut the final nail in the Clinton Candidacy’s coffin next Tuesday.
Shayne, would you recommend, say, Dr Marvin Monroe?
April 17th, 2008 at 1:31 pmboadicea didn’t WATCH the debate last night shoeless. Everything he know about the debate he learned from Rush Limpdick and Fux News.
April 17th, 2008 at 1:31 pmCALL New York ABC News: 212-456-5100 and ask For Stephanopoulos’s VoiceMail.
April 17th, 2008 at 1:32 pmRight now call the ABC TV Switch Board: 212-456-7777 and Ask for the Direct News bureau Voicemail of George Stephanopoulos.
For ABC TV Los Angeles Dial 818-460-7477 press 2 then 6 then 639
ABC NEW YORK NEWSROOM: (212) 456-5100 newsradio@abc.com Newsroom Fax Machine 212.456.5150
Peter Salinger (THE MAN IN CHARGE OF ELECTION COVERAGE) Director, Special Events & Sports 212.456.5105 peter.salinger@abc.com
Cristi LandesManager, Programming 212.456.5107 cristi.d.landes@abc.com
Wayne Fisk Director, Programming 212.456.5327 wayne.fisk@abc.com
Jeff Fitzgerald Executive Director, Operations 212.456.5554 jeffrey.t.fitzgerald@abc.com
Heidi Oringer Executive Director, Entertainment 212.456.5541 heidi.b.oringer@abc.com
Jon Newman News Coverage 212.456.5100 jonathan.m.newman@abc.com
Joyce Alcantara Assignment Manager 212.456.5106 joyce.a.alcantara@abc.com
Jim Kane Deputy D.C. Bureau Chief 212.222. 6604 james.f.kane@abc.com
Andrew Kalb Executive Director, Programming 05.567.2269 andrew.l.kalb@abc.com
Robert Garcia Executive Director, News & Sports 212.456.5103 robert.garcia@abc.com
Sure RUC, or somebody less competent than Dr. Marvin Monroe. There’s not much to work with there after all.
April 17th, 2008 at 1:34 pmAll the complaints ABC got, I bet, were from Obama supporters.
April 17th, 2008 at 1:35 pmObama got what HRC has been getting for months. Did anybody complain then? No.
That said
The MSM is hardly worth tuning into anymore.
Also Obama picked up an endorsement of a large Philadelphia newspaper today. Good call SODA POP.
April 17th, 2008 at 1:36 pmI’m not surprised at all. Anyone who has been watching the nightly news shows on any channel realizes that the smear campaign against Obama started in ernest about a month ago, and is continuing to pick up steam. Every talking head (except Keith Olberman) is now giving Obama the Al Gore/Howard Dean treatment, and we can expect another 6 months of this news media feeding frenzy.
April 17th, 2008 at 1:36 pmnellre, most of us weren’t Obama supporters until recently. It’s Hillary’s dirty tricks that turned us to Obama when our candidates dropped out. Hillary’s been dishing out way more than she’s been receiving this entire primary. Or haven’t you seen here attack dogs on the news. She doesn’t need us to defend her.
April 17th, 2008 at 1:38 pmInteresting how all of these repugs have come to embrace hillary. Do they still really hate african-americans that much?
April 17th, 2008 at 1:40 pmThat and they know they can beat her easier than him. She has way more baggage and she doesn’t have all those new voters that registered to support him.
April 17th, 2008 at 1:41 pmBuckie Boy
Obama has been on a constant slide for six weeks now. First was the Rev. Wright issue, then came calling his grandmother “a typical white person” issue, and then came the “bitter people, guns and religion” issue. He now trails McCain in most national polls after leading by near double digits two months ago. That my friend is considered a SLIDE, and all of that happened before the debate. Last night will continue his slide, if not in the DNC, it will in the general election. Hillary is the stronger candidate.
April 17th, 2008 at 1:43 pmShayne,
How many newspapers endorsed Kerry in 2004? The vast majority.
April 17th, 2008 at 1:45 pmWell we’ll never know will we SODA POP? And I guarantee if Hillary is the candidate she will lose.
April 17th, 2008 at 1:45 pmNewsflash SODA POP, if Hillary is the candidate many of us long time Democratic voters won’t be voting.
April 17th, 2008 at 1:47 pmShayne
If Obama wins many Hillary supporters (21%) say they will not vote for Obama. That is the problem and that is why a third person needs to be considered. Can you say Al Gore? John Edwards? It could happen.
April 17th, 2008 at 1:50 pmPeter C (#27) said:
Hillary seemed prep’ed for the question, though. Nice.
Former Clinton aide (Stephanopolous) asked the question, prompted by Hannity — perhaps with a nudge from her as well.
Katy
April 17th, 2008 at 1:58 pmThe bad timing I meant was that the article only appened to appear that day - whenever it was written, it was just bad timing (for Ayers, not by Ayers) to have occurred on that date. :(
#40 Fred Says:
Conservatives have never been good managers or financiers despite what they would have you believe. That is why they were the minority for 40 years and now it looks like that is where they are headed again.
We can only hope for the good of all Americans that the American people now see them for what they are and that is not as good Americans.
I agree, Fred, I think this election will show that many people are not going to take it anymore. People are fed up with the news media, our government, & healthcare to name a few.
Every generation is suppose to do better than the generation before it. That is turning around fast in this country. I think enough people have been effected by this and have seen the light, so to speak.
I know I will be out there campaigning for people to register to vote. I will also continue to boycott companies Like Victoria Secret and WalMart where greed is the bottom line. If more people did this, our world would truly be a much better place to live.
April 17th, 2008 at 1:59 pmConcernedParent Says:
Interesting how all of these repugs have come to embrace hillary. Do they still really hate african-americans that much?
Of course they do. They just hide better than they used to because racism is no longer acceptable to the great majority of Americans. However, misogyny and chauvinism are much less distasteful to many people, including many women. That is one of the main reasons the bigotted Republicans would much rather run against Hillary.
April 17th, 2008 at 2:03 pm#61 hussein toasterhead Says:
It does seem a bit of a conflict-of-interest to have the guy who was press secretary for the Clinton I campaign moderating a debate between Clinton II and her rival. It’d be almost exactly like Karl Rove or the reanimated corpse of Lee Atwater moderating one of the Obama/McCain debates this fall.
It made the debate so unfair. I can’t believe ABC allowed that to happen. There are so many other people they could have choosen. MY VOTE-Keith Olbermann. Now that would have been a great debate then. He is fair and honest.
April 17th, 2008 at 2:06 pmRootbeerguy
Gallup Poll daily tracking. Five-day rolling average. N=approx. 4,400 registers voters nationwide. MoE ± 2.
General Election Trial Heats:
McCain (R) Obama (D) Other (vol.) Neither (vol.) Unsure
Survey end date
4/15/08
43 46 1 5 4
4/14/08
44 46 1 5 4
4/13/08
44 46 1 5 5
4/12/08
43 46 1 5 5
4/11/08
43 46 1 5 5
4/10/08
43 46 1 5 5
4/9/08
44 45 1 5 5
4/8/08
44 46 1 5 5
4/7/08
44 45 1 5 4
4/6/08
45 45 1 5 4
4/5/08
45 45 1 5 4
4/4/08
45 45 1 5 4
4/3/08
46 45 1 5 4
4/2/08
46 45 1 4 5
4/1/08
46 44 1 4 4
This is a slide?
April 17th, 2008 at 2:06 pmNo it can’t happen. I was a Gore and an Edwards supporter so I wish it could. Voters should have thought of this problem in the primaries but everybody wanted their own way instead of worrying about the general election then. If the Super Delegates decide to play king maker by picking Hillary or somebody else this country is going to be in even deeper crap.
April 17th, 2008 at 2:18 pmOh no freedomless got zapped. Bye, bye loser.
April 17th, 2008 at 2:22 pmSuch inane drivel freedomless. As i do recall the same thing happened to the economy after bush became president. But when are facts really important when you can just make it up .
April 17th, 2008 at 2:31 pmI am guessing after the next election the republican party will no longer exist as we know it today. They have failed to deal with the core problems that cost them congress in 06, and will lose even more seats in 08. Time to face reality, ideology only goes so far.
Thanks RUCerious for posting FACTS, something Soda only has in his mind.
April 17th, 2008 at 2:37 pmAll this wailing and gnashing of teeth because pretty Obama had to answer uncomfortable questions. The lefties have had it so easy for so long in the MSM, they’re shrieking like banshees at the “unfairness” of it all. Gawd, I love it.
April 17th, 2008 at 2:49 pmSODA POP Says:
However you say it, the luster is gone from Obama, and he has himself, partially, to blame. Hillary and Obama’s campaigns are ripping apart the party. The GOP is loving every second of it. A third option needs to be considered by the super delegates. Gore? Edwards? If not, Hillary stands the better chance in the fall.
Exactly how is Obama to blame for Hillary going negative on him and trying to knee-cap him? And your contention that Hillary stands a better chance in the fall is wishful thinking on your part. Hillary has a 37% approval rating and she loses most head-to-head polls against McCain. Why do you think that the Republicans are working so hard to get Hillary nominated.
April 17th, 2008 at 2:51 pmHow about listing the polls your running and how about comparing polls from December to now. Any one can type numbers.
April 17th, 2008 at 3:16 pmSODA POP Says:
If Obama wins many Hillary supporters (21%) say they will not vote for Obama. That is the problem and that is why a third person needs to be considered. Can you say Al Gore? John Edwards? It could happen.
First of all, if they are really liberals and progressives, they will vote for Obama. I will vote for Hillary if I have to, even though I detest her. And any of those people who won’t vote for Obama need to take a long hard look in the mirror because what they will see looking back is either a bigot, a traitor or both.
Any Democrat who would vote for McCain or not vote at all would simply be sentencing this country to it’s death. Because this country cannot survive another four years of Republican rule. Can you imagine what would happen to this country of there were two more very conservative activist judges on the Supreme Court?
April 17th, 2008 at 3:17 pmSODA POP Says:
Republicans Hate Facts….is that you? I wondered where you went.
April 17th, 2008 at 3:20 pmBilbo,
I’m working also and getting a little busy. I just wanted to know which polls your looking at. I’ve seen Gallup, Zogby and Reuters. Obama has fallen big time from two months ago.
April 17th, 2008 at 3:25 pmAs long as corporate press attacks and smears are against Hillary, or anything Clinton it’s a-okay with you O! supporters, and you even cheer them on with glee.
Now that they’ve turned (as you should have known they would) and the attacks are on your golden boy, you’re finally waking up that we have a disgusting, piece of chit press in this country? Glad you’re waking up. What took you so long?
April 17th, 2008 at 3:54 pm16,081 ABC comments - still almost all negetive, no matter what a person’s preference of candidate.
http://abcnews.go.com/ Politics/ DemocraticDebate/ story?id=4666956&page=1
Keep drinking the Kool-Aid trolls, just stop throwing it up on us. America (The Giant) is waking up, corruption from this current and many past administrations will be looked upon as treason - forever, no matter what happens.
April 17th, 2008 at 3:55 pmHow come no one’s talking about how, during Obama’s final statement, everyone’s TV’s went black/silent for about 10 seconds??? I have DISH and that happened to me. Then I checked today at work, and people with cable had theirs go black/silent, too. So it was from ABC!!! Not local!!!
April 17th, 2008 at 3:59 pmReal Clear politics takes an average of all national polls.
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/ epolls/ 2008/ president/ us/ general_election_mccain_vs_obama-225.html
In early March it showed Obama 48% and McCain 42.3%
April 17th, 2008 at 4:02 pmThe lastest, not counting last nights debate it shows Obama
45.6% and McCain 45.4%. Obama goes from being up 6% to a dead tie in a matter of a few weeks. All of this started with the Rev. Wright story and has gone consistently down hill since, and remember, Obama got destroyed in last nights debate which had the largest audience of any of the debates so far. The new polls aren’t in yet. Hillary would be the stronger candidate against McCain, but she has high negatives. The super delegates need to pick a different candidate and start things fresh. Or, get used to saying President McCain.
I noticed the blackout as well but it didn’t seem to have a long enough duration to miss much, but still, it was bad timing.
April 17th, 2008 at 4:06 pm16,000 people write ABC news? 10,000,000 watched the debate last night. Looks like most weren’t upset with Obama getting asked tough questions. Hillary looked far more presidential.
April 17th, 2008 at 4:06 pmSODA POP Says,,,
Obama got destroyed in last nights debate,,,,,,
Destroyed? Are you reading/watching anything today? I might be wrong but all I have seen is opposite.
April 17th, 2008 at 4:08 pmJustJohn,
Go to MSN.com, one of many, and they basically call McCain the winner last night. Obama was shaken the first 40 minutes of the debate. Hillary was asked about Bosnia and she said she was humiliated. Obama stuttered. Looked uneasy. Looked angry while Hillary piled on (who would blame him). Not a good five weeks for Obama. Hillary could still pull this bad boy out. But, the party would be the strongest with someone else chosen at the convention.
April 17th, 2008 at 4:15 pmThis is why I do not pay any attention to the MSM. It is a joke. If George Stephanopoulos is taking his cues from Sean Hannity, then he’s more stupid than I thought. Sean Hannity is surely BRAINDEAD MEDIA. He lies. He has no facts to back up his claims. He’s just a loudmouthed lout…like the rest of the right wingers (read: Rush Limbaugh, Bill O’Reilly, and the ever charming Ann Coulter). Losers all. Now George and Charlie can joint the ranks. If people really want to know what’s going on in America, they are not listing to mainstream media, that is for sure.
http://www.opednews.com/ articles/ opedne_deb_dell_080414_the_selling_of_the_m.htm
April 17th, 2008 at 4:28 pmIsn’t that convenient, MSM is saying McSame won a debate he wasn’t even in (or wasn’t supposed to be)….
April 17th, 2008 at 4:36 pmMeanwhile, ABC is taking a huge negative hit from its childish and obvious line of questioning and it’s coming from all directions.
The ‘look, a shiny object’ method of getting things over the American people is failing. Well it is with most, obviously not all, yet.
A JOHN PRINE TUNE
While digesting Reader’s Digest
In the back of a dirty book store,
A plastic flag, with gum on the back,
Fell out on the floor.
Well, I picked it up and I ran outside
Slapped it on my window shield,
And if I could see old Betsy Ross
I’d tell her how good I feel.
Chorus:
But your flag decal won’t get you
Into Heaven any more.
They’re already overcrowded
From your dirty little war.
Now Jesus don’t like killin’
No matter what the reason’s for,
And your flag decal won’t get you
Into Heaven any more.
Those lapel pins are important!
April 17th, 2008 at 4:39 pmStephanopoulos defends debate performance: ‘We asked tough but appropriate questions’
Despite criticism, ABC’s George Stephanopoulos defended his performance in last night’s Democratic debate, which he co-moderated with Charles Gibson.
“We asked tough but appropriate questions,” Stephanopoulos told me by phone this afternoon.
When I asked whether questions about flag pins or Bosnia are actually relevant to voters, he replied: “Absolutely.”
“The vote for the president,” Stephanopoulos said, “is one of the most personal” decisions that someone makes.
“When people make that choice, they take into account how candidates stand on the issues,” he said, but also are concerned with “experience, character [and] credibility.”
“You can’t find a presidential election where those issues didn’t come into play,” he said.
Especially with media hacks like you, making sure we hear an amplified and distorted version, that just coincidently helps the media’s candidate, McCain.
April 17th, 2008 at 4:41 pmNOLIESPLEASE -
For real news, BBC World, CBC , Reauters.
don’t forget McClatchy …
…
i had this idea, reading the comments, and listening to randi, thinking about how this pile on happened…
it occurred to me that, what with hillary’s cozy relationships with FOX, MURDOCH, SCAIFE et al. (the very people who abused HER not too long ago!), the reason why the righties - upper crust ones, anyway - are ok with a hillary administration… either she or mcSAME will keep them all in the monies and all the things they’re used to…
and now this, in colusion with ABC… the fix is in - at least they THINK it is - and obama isn’t playing by their rules … they are not gonna let it go, easy, if at all…
brent budowski on randi, reminds that even with all the crap they’re hitting obama with, he keeps getting better numbers, he keeps getting more popular,
and he keeps getting more delegates…
i worry that even pennsylvannia won’t seal the deal… oh, it will legitimately…
… but… …
that’s all i’ll say, at this time…
April 17th, 2008 at 4:56 pmand, TP, i just want to say thank you, for bringing this up on this blog…
’bout damn time… but thanks :-]
April 17th, 2008 at 4:58 pm.
It is truly clear that the Sean Hannity’s, Rush’s and ABC are not smart at ALL. Knowing that Obama is Mr. Teflon (nothing sticks to him), why bring out the little dirt that he might have, if you want to call it dirt. There would be nothing left in November, and this is a good time so he can put it behind him. Save it guys, he got this cat in the bag. Bye Hil-Liar-ry.
April 17th, 2008 at 5:02 pmAyers was part of the Weather Underground, a radical group that claimed credit for explosions at the U.S. Capitol, the Pentagon….
In 1970, a bomb the group was making … exploded at a New York town house, killing three members. Ayers fled and spent years as a fugitive. He met and married fellow fugitive Bernadine Dohrn during that period.
The two surfaced in 1980. Ayers had been charged with various offenses stemming from demonstrations in Chicago in 1969, but those charges had been dismissed for prosecutorial misconduct.
He never faced any charges related to the town house explosion.
Dohrn pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated battery and two counts of bail-jumping in connection with a 1969 anti-war protest.
Ayers now teaches at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and Dohrn heads the Children and Family Justice Center at Northwestern University. Ayers has advised Chicago Mayor Richard Daley on education issues.
Ayers and Obama both served on the board of directors of the Woods Fund, a Chicago-based charity that focuses on developing community groups to assist the poor. A variety of business executives, journalists and academics serve on the board.
When Obama was organizing his first race for the state legislature… (an) introductory event took place at the home of Ayers and Dohrn.
Ayers contributed $200 to Obama’s legislative campaign in 2001, but there is no other sign that he has actively aided Obama’s political career.
During Wednesday’s debate, Obama argued that if the candidates are to be held responsible for distant connections to the Weather Underground, then Clinton would fail, too. He pointed out that her husband, just before leaving the White House, commuted the sentences of two members of the group who had been convicted of weapons and explosives charges.
April 17th, 2008 at 5:03 pm(at TPM)
Soda Jerk:
Here’s a poll from January…
National Public Radio Poll conducted by Public Opinion Strategies (R) and Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research (D). Jan. 29-31, 2008. N=1,000 likely voters nationwide.
“Now let me ask you again about your vote for president but with the candidate names. I know it is a long way off, but if the election for president were held today and the candidates were Democrat [see below] and Republican [see below], for whom would you vote?” N=500 likely voters. Results include leaners.
McCain (R) Obama (D) Other (vol.) Unsure
1/29-31/08
48 47 3 2
So where’s this big slide you’re talking about?
April 17th, 2008 at 6:06 pmSoda jerk: Real Clear includes the slanted Rasmussen polls, look at the gallup poll for the same period.
——————————————————————————–
White House 2008: General Election See also: Rating the contenders
——————————————————————————–
Polls listed chronologically.
? STATE POLLS are in our subscriber area. INFO
.
Gallup Poll daily tracking. Five-day rolling average. N=approx. 4,400 registers voters nationwide. MoE ± 2.
.
General Election Trial Heats:
.
McCain (R) Obama (D) Other (vol.) Neither (vol.) Unsure
Survey end date
% % % % %
.
4/16/08
44 46 1 5 4
4/15/08
43 46 1 5 4
4/14/08
44 46 1 5 4
4/13/08
44 46 1 5 5
4/12/08
43 46 1 5 5
4/11/08
43 46 1 5 5
4/10/08
43 46 1 5 5
4/9/08
44 45 1 5 5
4/8/08
44 46 1 5 5
4/7/08
44 45 1 5 4
4/6/08
45 45 1 5 4
4/5/08
45 45 1 5 4
4/4/08
45 45 1 5 4
4/3/08
46 45 1 5 4
4/2/08
46 45 1 4 5
4/1/08
46 44 1 4 4
3/31/08
46 44 1 4 4
3/30/08
46 45 1 5 4
3/29/08
47 44 1 5 4
3/28/08
46 44 1 5 4
3/27/08
46 44 1 5 5
3/26/08
45 44 1 5 5
3/25/08
46 44 1 5 5
3/24/08
45 44 1 5 5
3/22/08
47 44 1 5 4
3/21/08
46 44 1 4 4
3/20/08
47 44 1 4 4
3/19/08
47 43 1 4 4
3/18/08
47 43 1 4 5
3/17/08
46 44 1 4 5
3/16/08
46 44 1 4 5
3/15/08
47 44 1 4 4
3/14/08
45 45 1 4 4
3/13/08
45 45 1 4 4
3/12/08
44 46 1 5 4
3/11/08
44 46 1 5 4
Where’s your slide?
April 17th, 2008 at 6:09 pmAre you people upset that Democrats are actually getting difficult questions from the press or that Hannity is involved?
This story was also on Politico.com a while back.
April 17th, 2008 at 7:08 pmHannity is NOT a journalist and he isn’t even a commentator, he is a loud mouthed propagandist. Stephanopoulos went on Hannity? Why? Just toss all integrity out the window George.
Boycott ALL FOX, it supports the propaganda. F*&K the Simpsons. That’s how they get the money to propagandize 24/7. You watch FOX and you are a traitor.
April 17th, 2008 at 10:25 pmI’m glad someone finally asked Obama about Ayers although its largely a fluff issue. But what I’m more concerned with is his comments about raising the Capital Gains tax. He wants to raise it not because the government needs more money but because its the fair thing to do? The man is a communist, pure and simple. He doesn’t want anyone, except for him and some of his friends, to make more money than anyone else. Great way to help stimulate the economy and spur innovation. Yeah, why should anyone try to do anything to get ahead in this world when any money you earn above what the government thinks you should have ends up going to the government. If Obama gets elected we’ll be living in the equivalent of communist Russia. Wake up, people. Obama is bad news for the USA.
April 18th, 2008 at 7:28 amRUCerious,
No one on here has complained about ABC in the past. They ask a few tough questions and BAM!!!! THEY ARE BIASED. Rasmussen’s polls don’t agree with you and BAM!!!!!! THEY ARE BIASED. Real Clear takes ALL of the polls and takes an average. Not just the polls you or I agree with, Real Clear uses ALL of them. So, instead of just using 500 voters from NPR, we have thousands of voters surveyed.
April 18th, 2008 at 7:48 amCBS is supposed to get the next debate with Katie Couric asking the questions. Is she biased?
Prediction: Obama will back out of the CBS debate, thus making him look more feeble.
Yesterday afternoon Obama was whining about the debate questions. If you can’t handle questions from Charles Gibson and George S., how in the hell are you going to handle China, global warming, the economy, health care, Bin Laden, ect?
April 18th, 2008 at 7:59 amA debate this far into the season should have focused on policy issues. Neither candidate nor audience was well served by the first hour. In order to help assure future debates focus on issues of importance we need to send a strong message. May is a sweeps month for television ratings, ratings that determine what advertisers pay to air ads. Boycott ABC News AND entertainment for the entire month. If enough of us do it and ratings drop the debates in the general election may be more focused on what matters to most in the electorate.
April 18th, 2008 at 10:35 amObama bombed on policy issues.
He got rattled in the first 40 minutes on….
2nd Amendment
Capital Gains Tax
Gas prices
Those are issues that middle America cares about.
Newsweek is using the “wimp factor” describing Obama and this article compared him to John Kerry’s loss in 2004.
http://www.newsweek.com/id/132566
Hillary is the way to go. If not her, then the super delegates need to explore the Gore or Edwards option.
April 18th, 2008 at 10:52 amHow can anyone really be surprised at ABC-Disney..I’ve been boycotting them for Disney’s disparaging portrayal of indigenous people since the Road to El Dorado movie-cartoon, and ABC since their radio talk show hosts thought it was a great idea to spew racist and xenophobic comments about Spanish speaking immigrants. ABC (another bs corp), CNN (corporate news network), and FOX News (faux news) are all run by the same ilk. I have long been extremely disappointed with Stephanopolous’ lack of journalistic inquiry when it comes to asking the tough questions - always pussy-footing.
April 19th, 2008 at 3:51 pmHannity sickens me. If he is so concerned about Obama and Ayers, did he ever criticize Bush and his normalizing relationships with Qaddafi and Libya? Qaddafi has been responsible for and been behind so many terrorist activities, including the deaths of people…..1972 Munich Olympic massacre, Pan Am 103, relations with Carlos the Jackal, etc., etc. Hannity’s hero Ronald Reagan bombed Libya and attempted to kill Qaddafi (but instead killed one of his daughters)….Reagan thought the guy was really bad. Ayers didn’t kill anyone, but Qaddafi did….if Bush can normalize relationships with a known terrorist, then certainly Obama shouldn’t be criticized for knowing Ayers. Hannity and these repugs just make me sick.
April 19th, 2008 at 3:58 pmI’m generally in agreement that the ABC debate questions sucked and all that, but the point of the article to which these comments are attached is that Stephanopoulos took Hannity’s question and passed it off as his own.
That seems as flimsy as anything else people are accusing each other of these days. Argue the usefulness of the question if you want, but come on — do you think that unless a debate moderator tells you during a debate that the question was inspired by someone else, they are passing the question off as their own?
All he has to do is like the question and want to know the answer himself, and the question becomes his own. He wasn’t keeping it a secret that he took notes when Hannity was talking. Word-for-word is fine — if he likes Hannity’s phrasing, there’s no reason not to use it, because Hannity was clearly offering the question to be asked.
If there is a debate moderator that you respect, think about whether anybody ever offered them a question. I’m sure a lot of people inspire moderators with their idea of what to ask. You know, if you send Scott Adams an idea, it might very well end up in a Dilbert cartoon, but is it a crime if he doesn’t attribute it right there in the strip? Nope.
April 19th, 2008 at 5:09 pmTo those who ask why Obama should be questioned about the Bill Ayers connection:
Why should he not be asked those questions?
It is a legitimate concern, whether he has been friends (as he himself claims) with someone like Ayers, who obviously is an extreme radical.
Secondly, is it really fair that Obama should be exempt from such questions when “on-the-spot” questions can be presented to Hillary Clinton and even McCain?
My point is that no one is of such privilege that they become exempt from a number of questions of a concern regarding the presidency. It is not as if he is running for Student Council, you know! Therefore, if he is going to run for the Office of President, he better darn well be prepared for anything that is going to be thrown at him in the process!
There is no reason that anyone should have to walk-on-eggs when it comes to questioning Obama, anymore should they have to with the other two incumbents.
No matter how you cut it, it was Stephanopoulos’ decision as to whether he should have presented that question to Obama. Sean Hannity may have suggested it, but George Stephanopoulos made the decision to use it, when he could just as well opted to omit this issue from his list of questions.
April 28th, 2008 at 5:35 pmI only have a little time to educate all the morons on here I see spouting the Democrap fictitious mumbo-jumbo, so fasten the straps to your baby seats, I’m gonna go through it
so fast it will seem like you are applying for the federal government wealth redistribution program(welfare).
I’ll just go by number to make it easy.
#4- you are just a plain old idiot. Talk is very cheap in comparison to actions. Yep, the Democraps are all talk.
#5-AMEN, that’s not used in a religious connotation, although after reading that, the Democraps will no doubt say it’s proof I am a vast right-wing religious whacko.(as if religious whackos are only right-wing?)
#13- educate yourself before you speak. owning 1 share in a company does not equal monetarily building up the 3rd reich, here is a place you can stumble over figuring out what it says and what the words are. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prescott_Bush
#15-not punished and not repented(here come the vast right-wing religious whacko comments) for crimes and murders, but since he has great and innovative ideas that makes him ok? According to that thought process, hell any criminal with an innovative idea is ok and shouldnt be punished. WHAT A DOPE!
#18- Of course you are so right, you Democraps are ALWAYS right! Democraps are candidates and Republicans are partisans. ROFL you are a stooge my friend.
#19-WHOA! It just couldnt be possible that Georgie S. asked that question because Hillary wanted him to? He WAS the Clinton spin machine until his head nearly exploded. Hell, if he hadn’t of asked that question, Hillary probably would have made sure his head did explode(just ask Vince Foster).
#23-SWEET JESUS! You read some dumb-ass blogger and take it as fact? Do some damn research. Life is too short to go through it fat and stupid, loose the weight because you’ll never loose the stupidity.
#27-Yep, the liberal media does exactly what George B. wants, that’s why they put that there. Hey stupid, this is the same paper that has been blasting him with all the democrap fantasy and rumors. You would make a nice Vice-Idiot under #49
#30-yes, you learned how to read a biased and to use the Democrap word PARTISAN blog. Now use your new-founded skill to read fact not fantasy.
#32- maybe it was Barney Frank, He likes ‘em young boys and has ‘em move in with him and run young boy prostitution rings. Maybe it was Bill Clinton, He likes to rape women, maybe it was Ted Kennedy. His chicken shit ass let one die. STFU, you Dems got NO room to talk(hell, not just NO room, but NEGATIVE room)
#38- The history lesson here is that Bill Clinton attacked an aspirin factory because he had Military intelligence that Iraq was making chemical weapons of mass destruction. People died in that attack. It was an ASPIRIN FACTORY! Hillary Clinton stated she had researched all this on her own and she agreed we needed to take Hussein out and stop their production of weapons of mass destruction. Hell, the first black president and his co-biatch were obviously both too stupid to see thru the intel Geroge Bush must have planted 2 years BEFORE he became president. You are a bonofide short bus rider.
#49-If it doesnt agree with the Democraps policies and agenda, in your 1 cell mind, then it must be a failed Republican policy. Kind of like the failed Democrap national health care.You are a socialist and deserve everything the Government takes from you to give to the non-deserving and freeloading.(p.s. You’re KING of the Idiots!)
#60-If the Democraps control congress, and the Democraps submit bills to pass into laws, and the Democraps get to set Policy by vote, Its nice to know that when even the Republicans are in the minority in congress that they weild SO much power of the Democraps. What does that say about Democraps? Even in masses they still can’t fathom a logical thought or policy? Yes, I agree with that.
That is all the time I have for now. Please children, come back soon and I will take a few more minutes out of my busy day to open your mind to the truth.Now, I’ve got to make money to redistribute to the freeloaders and baby machines.
God Bless the USA and protect our Military
June 5th, 2008 at 3:53 pmLong Live the Patriots of the United States.