What Pittsburghers (and others) think of the debate

[livetohike]

Here is a link to the reader's forum of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

http://www.pittsburghpostgazette.com/pg/08108/873884-457.stm

Interesting comments. As a Pennsylvanian, I am disgusted that our state debate was such a farce. We have many intelligent citizens in our state. This was shameful that "someone" decided all we would be interested in was garbage politics.

[C_U_L8R]

1. Garbage politics.

You hear that Hillary?
If not yet, you will on Tuesday.

Utter Garbage.

[livetohike]

3. I think the Clinton campaign will be surprised

at the backlash.

[eleny]

2. Stephanopoulos sure was Hannity's bitch

[livetohike]

6. I've sent several e-mails to the network

Really, I hope George and Charlie lose their jobs.

[eleny]

11. Or at least be forced to live it down in front of an audience

On a recent Steph show I had to laugh at George Will accusing Obama of being elitist. He doesn't get the stink of his own a**. So I don't have any hope for the network.

What I'd like to see is the League of Women Voters take back managing political debates. Then the networks can go on without us feeling the need to pay attention to them ever. Some old days actually were the good old days.

[redqueen]

17. I'd love for the LWV to take over again...

but in order for that to happen both parties would have to stop trying to control what questions can and cannot be asked.

[eleny]

27. Silly me, thnking that we really can have some control if we demand it

No sarcasm there, either. It's the sad truth.

[redqueen]

30. Well we can keep trying to reform the party...

so... there's that. :)

[livetohike]

21. Great idea!

Some intelligent moderators would change the entire debate process.

[PA Democrat]

12. Christ, you should have heard Hannity BRAGGING about the fact that Stephanopoulis

used some of his suggested questions. I know, I know, why was I listening. It was very instructive though.

[Faygo Kid]

15. Thanks for listening.

Seriously, you saved me from looking it up. Oh yeah, Hannity has got him now. Look for Georgie to guest host for the spewfest that is Sean Hannity, on TV and/or radio.

[nxylas]

18. Hannity really did write the questions?

I thought that was a rhetorical flourish. Jeez.

[PA Democrat]

26. Steph was a guest on his show sometime before the debate

and Hannity suggested the specific questions. When Hannity was talking about the Ayers story, Steph said something like, "I'm writing this down and I'll check it out." Then low and behold the question came up in the debate almost exactly as it was originally posed by Sean Hannity. Georgie S. is a pathetic little right wing puppet.

[Usrename]

28. Not only that, he fed them to him on the air.

George was on his show, and he was feeding him all these questions to ask Obama, like the Weatherman bullshit.

While they were on the air, in public, in front of God and everybody! It's unfuckingbelievable.

[eleny]

24. I have a friend who gives me Hannity updates

She can listen for about 10 - 15 minutes and that's about it. Today was certainly a day to want to listen and hear his gloat for a few minutes.

[Faygo Kid]

14. Yep, he will NEVER live it down.

His idea of a credentialed journalist is Sean Hannity. Just going on that cretin's hatefest radio show is enough to damage Georgie's credibility; to take marching orders about questions from Hannity destroys it.

Utterly.

[eleny]

25. Yes, for sure he's gotten the big taste of a toxic relationship

I hope he has nightmares for some time to come.

[Windy]

4. This seems to be general public sentiment. Obama was ambushed and ABC ended up looking ridiculous.

At least maybe after this fiasco and the backlash, we won't see any more of this sort of garbage in the general. One can hope at least.

[livetohike]

8. I hope it changes forever

I believe that's why so many people were turned off from voting over the past two decades.

[npincus]

5. This comment sums it up:

11 Minutes devoted to the "bitter" comments.

10 Minutes devoted to Reverend Wright.

9 Minutes devoted to a flag pin and Obama's supposed lack of patriotism.

5 Minutes devoted to Clinton's Bosnia flap.

3 Minutes devoted to gas prices.

I REST MY CASE!

Edward A. Owens, Pittsburgh
webmaster Red Raider Nation http://redraidernation.com/ "Where Champions Live"

[livetohike]

7. The public isn't as stupid as the networks think we are

:-)

[Ian_rd]

10. ... or want us to be.

:D

[TexasLady]

16. How Could ANY Democrat be proud of that?

thanks for the summation.

[ShortnFiery]

9. Oh but "the expert" par excellance about all things PA, Chris Mathews lives for

"stirring up shit" for the political elites within the beltway ... he attempts to tell us "little people" how to think.

Further Joey the Scar (Joe Scarborough) just told Rachael that "she's too young to remember" the antics of George Bush Sr. and his trusted sidekick Lee Atwater. :wow:

Newsflash M$M: Our beloved Nation's going into a DEEP RECESSION. Therefore, all those bullshit wedge issues that Lee Atwater and Karl Rove helped you to foment don't mean SHIT now that we are actually paying attention.

Dumba** pundits are now doing a circle jerk and ignoring THE CONCERNS of average Americans.

Dammit! We don't give a shit if our President wears a flag pin. We want a President who has integrity and will SERVE average Americans before Corporations. Further, Obama will represent the USA well for the rest of the world.

Obama is truly "a uniter" when we're not sliming him.

[livetohike]

19. Good post!

Chris Matthews may know the Philly area, but he doesn't have a clue when it comes to W. PA.

[democrattotheend]

22. Have you talked to anyone out there who saw the debate?

If so, what are the reactions you are getting?

[livetohike]

23. No I haven't talked to anyone but my Mom

and she thought it was sad. She lives on social security, but has good healthcare thanks to being the widow of a retired steelworker (she also has medicare). She didn't think the first hour was productive at all. She wanted to hear solutions about the economy and the health care problems.

She was going to vote for Hillary, but I think she may vote for Obama since he visited the steel mill that my Dad worked in a couple of weeks ago. That made points with her :-).

[WinkyDink]

29. If he thought his Republican brother could become Lt. Gov., he doesn't know much.

[Voice for Peace]

13. The debate was an opportunity for small minds to have their questions answered

directly by Obama. He did a beautiful job and I think he probably won more people over.
Even the narrowest minded people with the biggest prejudices have the right to vote.
He has no difficulty facing their questions, even if they become tiresome thanks
to the MSM.

[livetohike]

20. Exactly!

I love your sig line picture, too :-)

[Freida5]

31. most of us were watching the penquins beat ottawa. great evening.

[zulchzulu]

32. Rachel Maddow had a great point on the debate format and style

Each commercial break had Ashton Smith voiceovers and patriotic music doing segments from the US Constitution and then the trashiest garbage for a debate in recent memory.

As a former Philadelphian, I would have been really pissed that my city was being represented by such an embarrassing lack of journalistic standards. Even the building where the debate was needs to be cleaned after such a bad performance by ABC.

[livetohike]

35. I'm sorry I missed Rachel Maddow

ABC trashed our state - that's for sure.

[MagickMuffin]

33. Thanks for the post livetohike, and the link

I read every response and I'm glad the people saw this for what it was a Scambate.

I was soooo disappointed they didn't ask Barack what color his underwear is, I really wanted to know. Or how often he has to shave.

They really missed an opportunity.

[livetohike]

34. Thanks for the laugh MagickMuffin

:-). I'll bet Michelle Obama would tell us too! :-)

[Coexist]

36. I cannot believe Steph. would suck up to Hannity like that.

[livetohike]

37. It's pitiful

I wonder what kind of polls they look at that indicate the viewers enjoy watching this playground bullying.

[TML]

38. Garbage

The one commenter who liked the debate was from California. From one small town Cali resident to a middle-upper class Cali resident, how "elitist" of you.

[TragedyandHope]

39. It's good to see a lot of thoughtful Americans

speak out against this kind of Mole Hill Politics. Thanks for posting.