I’m still fuming. Just got into the office and went into an extended rant. I just can’t believe it; I’ve never seen a more complete and abject failure on the part of a major news organization. But it’s of a piece, isn’t it? Doesn’t it go hand-in-hand with the Maureen Dowd business I linked yesterday? This is the decision by some in the mainstream media, at least, to consciously elevate style over substance. At a time when the country is plunging headlong into recesssion, where we’re mired in a war in Iraq and may get into one with Iran, with the subprime mess continuing to spread, prices up at the grocery store and everywhere else - this was Charles Gibson and George Stepanopolous, and by extension ABC News, declaring that they thought all of this was less important than the Wright issue; than lapel pins.
Stunning. It was just stunning.
Obama seemed stunned - or maybe tired. And I have to say, it gave me pause. If he can’t deal with it now, how’s he going to deal with it in the fall, against the well-oiled GOP machine? How would he deal with the pressure as president? But I don’t think Hillary comes out of it with a leg up, either. If anything, McCain wins.
But wins what? Control of a country where the plebes are allowed to concern themselves with “issues” the weight of tissue paper, their attention drawn away from the things that actually matter? How does any country, much less a democracy, function where there is such a concerted effort at misdirection by those who are supposed to inform?
Not a single question on healthcare. Not a single question on interrogations/torture. Nothing on education. The blogosphere is almost unanimous in its disbelief and disgust; thankfully, even the media itself is noticing:
In perhaps the most embarrassing performance by the media in a major presidential debate in years, ABC News hosts Charles Gibson and George Stephanopolous focused mainly on trivial issues as Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama faced off in Philadelphia.
Oh, and Stephanopolous actually got a couple of his questions from Sean Hannity.
Tell you what - next time they should just let Hannity himself run the debate. He couldn’t possibly have been any worse.
