No One Likes a Whiner
Can we all just take a breath?
The finger-wagging outrage over ABC’s debate on Wednesday is a bit over-wrought.
“Shoddy” and “Despicable” – The Washington Post
A “Train Wreck” – The Philadelphia Daily News
“Petty” and “Shallow” – The Atlantic
“Embarrassing” and “Shameful” – The Huffington Post
ABCNews.com has been inundated with thousands of angry e-mails from viewers upset over what many perceive as an overwhelming amount of below-the-belt questions directed at Sen. Barack Obama by debate questioners Charles Gibson and George Stephanopoulos.
Psychoanalysis is a popular parlor game in this our longest and strangest presidential nominating contest in recent memory. (Who hasn’t wondered if Bill Clinton is subconsciously – or consciously – attempting to sabotage his wife’s campaign?)
So perhaps some of this outrage is a manifestation of our collective raw nerves. The sub-prime collapse, skyrocketing health care costs, $1 trillion spent in Iraq, global warming, a recession: it’s enough to send even the most optimistic among us running for the medicine cabinet in search of the Xanax.
Obama has tapped into many voters’ desire for a new order by admirably rejecting the “politics of fear” in favor of unity and positive politicking.
But so much red-faced criticism of Gibsonopoulos, as Stephen Colbert tagged them, is a bit misplaced.
With all due respect to Obama’s campaign mantra to extract politics from the gutter, certain aspects of the process require one to finally take the gloves off.
Politics has always been a down-and-dirty pursuit cloaked in the mantle of civil servitude.
Bill and Hillary Clinton know this. As Hillary Clinton pointed out during the debate, people have been trawling through her laundry – dirty and otherwise – for decades.
The Republicans know this.
And the special interest groups know this with every fiber of their craven being.
Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, anyone?
And the Obama campaign knows it too. To pretend otherwise is disingenuous.
Wednesday night’s debate in Philadelphia was the first meeting between Clinton and Obama since both Clinton’s yarn about entering Bosnian airspace under sniper fire and the incendiary sermons of Obama’s former pastor the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr. hit the cable news loop. Expecting neither to come up at the debate is naïve.
As for the questions about Obama’s tenuous – at best – connection to former Weather Underground member William Ayers and the Illinois senator’s rejection of the ubiquitous American flag lapel pin, well these are exactly the type of sensationalistic non-issues the opposition can be expected to fashion into a club to beat him with in the general election.
Why not give Obama a practice run at deflecting these questions now?
And more to the point, no one likes a whiner.
By frontloading the debate with non-issue questions, ABC News opened itself up to inevitable (and some legitimate) criticism.
But affecting a peevish air is rather off-putting and plays right into the hands of those on both sides of the aisle who have contended that Obama is not battle tested to go the distance.
VBgreg commented:
Marisa, Talk about whiners, these folks "up top" should get a so-called life. The Clintons "will go over dead people" to get the prize. And yeah, it does seem that the Bill is a bit lack-luster (luster--hmmn?) these days. Messiah, schemiah Barack is a Man For These Times. And maybe we could use a little "political salvation" at the 11th hour.
Jamal commented:
He really has trouble disconnecting from his shady associations. They are bringing him down which will ultimately bring the democratic party down. Hillary has been trashed by the media, and the neocons for fifteen years and now obama. She's been hammered at the debates. He has one night of it and he whines. It's only fair that he should walk in her shoes for at least one night....even if he does walk kind of funny in them.
Judith commented:
Obama's arrogance is stunning. He shouldn't have to answer questions. He's the Messiah! If the American people hand him the presidency because he's charismatic, they are like children following the Pied Piper. I hope they wise up before it's too late.
Jay commented:
You could ask these two candidates to take their gloves off, pick up swords, brandish machine guns and have at it for a month.
HOW DOES THIS HELP PEOPLE THAT ARE BARELY GETTING BY DAY BY DAY?
I live in Pennsylvania. Unlike you, I work two jobs to feed three kids and have no time to follow the stupidity of politics. Still, I felt the need to watch this debate as I need to vote for someone that could correct the mistakes of George Bush.
ABC ROBBED ME AND MY NEIGHBORS OF THIS GOLDEN CHANCE TO LEARN WHERE THEY STAND AS IT PERTAINS TO PENNSYLVANIA.
I cannot afford 4 more years of Bush. I needed help to pick the right candidate when I vote next week. Because the debate was all about BS, I'm going to have to find time to do research on my own (probably at 3AM).
You people just don't get it. Lady, it's called D-E-M-O-C-R-A-C-Y.
You folks in the media failed your responsibility earlier this week.
Stop talking about stupid politics. Our country is going down the drain. People are being kicked out of their homes.
Please, take a look around when you're not going to some night-club.
Teresa commented:
No one was complaining during the times Hillary has taken the heat.It took a comedy skit on SNL before anyone would acknowledge it. They just don't like the fact that someone actually dared to pose direct heated questions to their "messiah".
The media has been down right nasty to her, just do a search for a video called "Hillary Clinton Mad as Hell" you can probably find it on youtube, it's documentation and proof of what I feel went beyond the border of bias against Hillary. The attacks shown on her in that video have nothing to even do with politics. Yet,there was no Media outrage then.
He gets a few tough questions and they go bonkers and this is nothing to what would happen if he had to face McCain.
More importantly,if he can't handle a few tough questions how could he ever handle being President, as President he would face much worse than a few heated questions, how could he face our enemies.
The Answer is : He Can't