In part to distract myself from just how lame the ABC "debate" was, I typed up my stream-of-consciousness notes as it went along. But I bounced them off some friends and family before posting because I thought I might have gotten too heated. (They said nope.) As a former journalist (and a citizen), I was not only disgusted -- I was embarrassed for Gibson and Stephanopoulos. I'd like to think that I would have been similarly disgusted if they had wasted the first hour or so aiming similarly issue-free questions at Sen. Clinton.
My notes are below, but first, President Andrew Sheppard, from 1995 (the link also has video):
We have serious problems to solve, and we need serious people to solve them. ... He is interested in two things, and two things only: making you afraid of it, and telling you who's to blame for it. That, ladies and gentlemen, is how you win elections. You gather a group of middle age, middle class, middle income voters who remember with longing an easier time, and you talk to them about family, and American values and character, and you wave an old photo of the President's girlfriend and you scream about patriotism.
My youngest brother was surprised in January to find out that he was watching a Democratic debate and I wasn't... well, after tonight, I remembered why I often skip these things until it's fall and the show (and anymore, it is a show!) stars a Democrat vs. a Republican.. it was mostly a waste of time. Here are my stream-of-consciousness notes on last night.
This first 20 minutes has been amazing -- amazingly bad. They haven't been asked about any actual issues like health care, jobs, energy, the Iraq war. Who the hell cares what Rev. Wright said? He's not on the ballot. Why are these guys asking about that and the "bitter" comment repeatedly PLUS a dumb process question like "why don't you pick each other for your running mate?" I did think Obama had a great bit when he reminded people of her "tea and cookies" remark and then said that stuff like that shouldn't matter...
It's 8:26.... 8:32.... now we get a question about her Bosnia sniper fire thing... Issues? Actual issues? Still waiting... Has Sen. Clinton been truthful about that or in general? Blah blah...Obama keeps trying to steer it back to actual issues.. And now it's 8:37 and why doesn't he wear a flag pin.. "manufactured" issue, yep -- and now it's 8:40 and what about the former Weather Underground guy Ayers...nice -- the guy "engaged in detestable acts 40 years ago, when I was 8 years old" -- "I'm also friendly with Tom Coburn" who said abortion doctors should face the death penalty -- and now Clinton is trying to revive this Ayers thing .. well, she wouldn't meet her own standard since President Clinton commuted sentences for or pardoned 2 Weather Underground people..
And now it's halftime at 8:45.. yargh, I had hoped it would be a decent debate since there was no Tim Russert.. thanks, ABC. Yikes. Oh, and the Harrisburg TV market gets treated to the Clinton ad about "people on the street don't like Obama's 'bitter' comment." God forbid she aired an ad about actual issues..
Ah, 8:51 and back from commercial. They show a clip of a voter asking about an actual issue, the Iraq war. HMM. About time. So Gibson tries to muddy it up with a hypothetical "what if the military said we shouldn't withdraw?" She gives a good answer - we have civilian control of the military and Bush has kept moving the goalposts on this war. The Iraqis would no longer have a blank check from the president of the U.S. Good. (Too bad you voted for the war, which would hand the Republicans a Kerry-2004-style bonanza in the fall in the form of "she was for it before she was against it" -- but good answer..) So Gibson pushes a right-wing follow-up, "you know better than the military?" She again gives a decent answer.
So Gibson tries the same BS with Obama and he gives a good answer too. "The president sets the mission... unfortunately, we have had a bad mission set by our civilian leadership.. I will always listen to our commanders on the ground about tactics once I have provided the mission.. ultimately the buck stops with me as commander-in-chief..." We're seeing Al Qaeda getting stronger in Afghanistan and Pakistan and anti-American sentiment throughout the region... "we're overstretched"... we don't have a strategic reserve of troops..
8:58: Stephanopoulos tries to push the Iran thing.. Obama says first step has to be keeping nukes out of Iran's hands.. we can offer them carrots and sticks.. "they should also know I will take no options off the table"... Obama sticks to careful language on such a volatile topic... Clinton tries to sound ALMOST like Obama on diplomacy ... 9:03, ABC plays a cheesy clip of McCain calling the Dems tax-hikers (duh John, only or mostly on the wealthy like you - time to pay your fair share like in the 90s!) and follows up with a cheesy question.. Clinton gives a decent answer... Obama: I was first to call for middle-class tax CUTS and I'd offset part of the payroll tax, which is the most regressive... seniors under $50,000 income would get a tax break... people's incomes have been flat.. brought up lobbyists and slipped in a mention of trade laws..
9:07 and Gibson pushes a right-wing claim that cutting the capital gains tax brings in more revenue (huh?).. Obama: Fairness is important... hedge fund managers are paying a lower tax rate than their secretaries.. (income is income)... you have to pay for health care, investing in education and not do it by "taking out a credit card from the Bank of China in the name of our children and grandchildren" as McCain would do ... "that is irresponsible"... so Gibson makes his claim again and Obama says that depends on what's happening on Wall Street but the mortgage crisis has hurt it and regular people and it took McCain 3 tries to get that ... Clinton tries to take credit for the 1990s.. although, hey, points for saying "good union jobs".. mentions Rendell.. (but hey, at least, they're talking ISSUES)...
9:13... Does Gibson have a lot of capital gains income or plan to sell some stock soon? He won't drop this. Clinton says she wouldn't raise it above the 20% tax rate that her husband signed into law (a cut from 28%, and then Bush Jr. cut it to 15%)... Obama highlights raising the cap on the Social Security payroll tax, which would affect only the top 6% of people... Gibson whines "that's a tax"... Hey Gibson, we GET IT: you're rich...Obama highlights an apparent Clinton flip-flop on from Iowa on how to shore up Social Security... Obama says we should raise the cap to preserve Social Security. Ooh, Clinton mentioned the Iraq war as a major cause of blowing the surplus her husband left for Bush Jr. .. (Um, Senator Clinton, you voted for that war) .. Obama: the 1980s commission Clinton wants to use as a model raised the retirement age and the payroll tax.. "She can't have it both ways." Nice!
9:18... commercials again. 9:21.. Jamie Lee Curtis touts yogurt that's supposed to stabilize your digestive system... does it deal with nausea from watching Very (Self-)Important "Serious" media people waste Americans' time?
9:23.. ABC narrator reads the Second Amendment. Gibson: It's the Virginia Tech anniversary. You're both supported gun control and why aren't you emphasizing that now? Um, duh. Clinton mentions the COPS program, good. Mentioned the assault weapons ban that expired. (Of course, the delegate math means she won't be the nominee, so what's Obama going to say?) Clinton says she'll bridge this polarizing debate (Someone as polarizing as Clinton is the person to do that? ooookay). Obama: it's an individual right but rights have limits, like zoning ordinances affect private property (thank God he didn't say eminent domain). Shows respect for people's gun and hunting traditions AND says we need to do something about the violence in Philly, Chicago, etc. Gibson interrupts and tries to call Obama a flip-flopper but Obama's not having it.
9:29 - George S. - Sen. Clinton, you have a home in DC, do you support the DC ban? She says the case is dividing the Bush administration. Steph interrupts. She again stays away from the specifics. Wow, Steph interrupts again. She says what works in a local community matters. Upstate New Yorkers are OK with our rules and they work.
9:32 What is this, wedge issue night? Steph asks Obama about affirmative action. Says race is a factor but shouldn't be the only thing a university looks at. "If they look at my child.. they've had a pretty good deal." Does believe in a.a. as a way to overcome past discrimination and provide opportunity, but we have to look at the whole person and not have a quota system. Clinton broadens the scope to talk about No Child Left Behind, predatory student loans, etc. Good. And a good line about we have a gap in achievement and (I missed the other word), but we don't have a gap in potential.
9:35 Gibson: What will you do about gas prices? Clinton - we can investigate possible market manipulation, stop filling the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and release some, and if there's a gas-tax moratorium, there should be a windfall profits tax on these "outrageous" oil company profits, and long-term we need an energy strategy. Obama - people are cynical on energy independence because it hasn't happened and same is true on health care. Has many of same responses as Clinton, plus says we need to raise fuel efficiency on cars to reduce demand and have an Apollo/Manhattan project.
9:38 - How would you use George W. Bush as a former president? Clinton: I'd have to think about it. Tries to borrow Obama's unity message with comments like "we've got to come together." Obama: I'm probably more likely to ask advice from first Bush than second. Hits his unity theme and in my opinion does it better.
9:40 - More commercials (Geez, ABC - this is supposed to be a public service), to be followed by one more question... Haven't seen any Obama ads (MIGHT have missed it if there was one, and although I've muted the TV through most of the ads, I do keep looking up)..
AN ASIDE ON WHAT'S IN MY MAILBOX
and anyway, I've seen PLENTY of Obama ads on Harrisburg-area TV for the last couple of weeks, and gotten 7 pieces of pro-Obama mail in the last 2 weeks... (I wonder if the Clinton database looked at me and said "yeah, he's a Democrat who votes all the time and he's 36, not 18, but he doesn't have a land phone line -- don't send mail to him!" :-) Or maybe the mail vendors have read how she's run up millions of dollars in campaign debt (except to TV stations, because they demand cash up front) and maybe the mail vendors don't want to wait in line behind Mark Penn to get paid.
9:45 - ABC narrator reads part of the First Amendment. Why should the Dem delegates consider you more electable? Clinton goes first. Says she's a fighter who will take on the special interests and the person to lead us out of Iraq (um, you helped get us in). Obama: mentions Dems, independents and Rs are disillusioned and want honesty, and I don't take PAC money or money from federal lobbyists... the American people have responded in record numbers.. a 70-year-old woman in PA told him she's never voted before but will this time..
And it's 9:50 and it's apparently over. Gibson says they'll be back after more commercials. 9:55 - back briefly, Gibson chats VERY briefly with Jake Tapper and then it's back to.... commercials!!
9:57 - Finally! An Obama ad, his education ad that includes parents should turn off the TV. (Which always makes me grin, because it's -- on TV.)
9:58 - Back to the program. Gibson thanks everyone blah blah. And it is mercifully over. If this is what is going to pass for a debate, spare us until the fall -- please!