That said, I find myself amused that Democrats are crying foul over the rought handling the debate moderators applied to the candidates.
Early in the debate, ABC’s moderators asked for a pledge that the nomination fight’s loser would be the vice presidential candidate (they wouldn’t) and whether each candidate thought the other could beat Republican John McCain (they did).
Besides those questions, the first three issues raised concerned comments made by Obama’s former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright; comments that Obama made about the draw of guns and religion to some rural Americans; and Clinton’s false claim that she had been under sniper fire in Bosnia while first lady.
Obama was asked about why he hasn’t worn an American flag pin on his lapel, and his relationship with a former member of the Weather Underground.
All of these issues were raised before Iraq and the economy came up.
Will Bunch, a Philadelphia Daily News writer, posted an open letter to Gibson and Stephanopoulos on his blog. He wrote that he was so angry that “it’s hard to even type accurately because my hands are shaking.” He said the ABC newsmen spent too much time on trivial matters that didn’t concern most voters.
In other words, Senators Obama and Clinton were, for once, treated the same way conservatives are treated every single day by the mainstream press. They are so used to being handled with kid gloves and lobbed softball questions that when actually challenged, Democrats think the sky is falling.
If Charles Gibson and George Stephanopoulos can ruffle the feathers of the Democrats with a few fastballs, how can we expect either of these two lightweight candidates to stand up to foreign thugs, dictators, and terrorists? Thanks goodness the U.S.S.R. doesn’t exist anymore. Can you imagine Clinton or Obama going eyeball-to-eyeball with Khrushchev?
Related links:
MoveOn’s definition of “hurting the country”
Fact check: Obama, Clinton and the Weather Underground
Obama Compares Pro-Life Republican With Domestic Terrorist
Backlash–And A Response
