ANALYSIS/OPINION:
HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. — Another debate, another debacle for America’s media.
In the runup to the second presidential debate, CNN’s Candy Crowley declared that she would not just be a “fly on the wall” as she played the tiny role of moderator, that she would step in whenever she chose to say, “Hey, wait a second, what about X, Y, Z?”
And boy did she, cutting off Republican Mitt Romney repeatedly and often throwing the floor to President Obama with an open “let me give the president a chance here.”
More, she alone decided the topics for the debate, picking questions from the 80 so-called “undecided” voters chosen by the Gallup polling organization. Her selections were tailor-made for Mr. Obama — Mitt Romney’s tax plan, women’s rights and contraception, outsourcing, immigration, the Libya debacle (which gave Mr. Obama to finally say that the buck stops with him, not, as Hillary Clinton said, with her).
She even chose this question, directed to both men: “I do attribute much of America’s economic and international problems to the failings and missteps of the Bush administration. Since both of you are Republicans, I fear the return to the policies of those years should you win this election. What is the biggest difference between you and George W. Bush, and how do you differentiate yourself from George W. Bush?”
Miss Crowley, who called Mr. Romney’s selection of Rep. Paul Ryan as running mate a “ticket death wish,” asserted her unilateral power at the outset, telling the audience before the cameras went on that she planned to “give the debate direction and ensure the candidates give answers to the questions.”
After both candidates answered Question One, she blurted: “Let me get a more immediate answer” — whatever that means. But when Mr. Romney sought to correct falsehoods told by the president, she cut him off: “We have all these folks here.” In the end, Mr. Obama would get 9 percent more time.
At Question Two, Mr. Obama, asked by Mr. Romney how much he had cut federal oil permits, took over the floor — with Miss Crowley’s silent approval. “Here’s what happened,” he said as he filibustered for a full minute. Mr. Romney sought to get the last word — as the president had the question before — but the moderator shut him down: “It’ doesn’t quite work like that.”
When Mr. Romney sought to counter Mr. Obama’s assertion after Question Three, Miss Crowley again cut him off: “Before we get into a vast array….” she said before asking a completely different question.
The next question was pure Obama — workplace inequality (the president mention at every stop his Lily Ledbetter legislation). But the querie gave him the platform to demand Americans pay for contraception for all women, saying the governor “feels comfortable having politicians in Washington decide the health care choices that women are making.”
For the record, Mr. Obama spoke for two minutes, then Mr. Romney, then Mr. Obama again. Miss Crowley then rushed into the next question.
When the immigration question came up, both candidates gave their answers. Then the moderator once again butted in, ordering Mr. Romney to “speak to the idea of self-deportation.”
By then, Mr. Romney had had enough, and talked over her demands. “No, let — let — let me go back and speak to the points the president made and — and — and let’s get them correct.”
At the next question, the moderator lost all control. “Candy,” Mr. Obama said. “Hold on.” “Mr. President,” the governor said, “I’m still speaking.” They mixed it up for a bit, then Miss Crowley said: “Sit down, Mr. Romney.”
The most shocking exchange took place on the Benghazi attack that left the U.S. ambassador to Libya and three others dead.
ROMNEY: “You said in the Rose Garden the day after the attack, it was an act of terror? It was not a spontaneous demonstration, is that what you’re saying.”
Mr. Obama made no defense. “Please proceed, governor.”
“I want to make sure,” Mr. Romney said. “Get the transcript,” the president said. Then Miss Crowley jumped in to do her own fact-check, on the spot. “It — it — it — he did in fact, sir. … He did call it an act of terror.”
The truth is, he didn’t. The day after the attack, he said only this: “No acts of terror will ever shake the resolve of this great nation, alter that character or eclipse the light of the values that we stand for.” It took another two weeks before the White House would label the attack an act of terror.
Second Presidential Debate
Moderator: Super Moderators
I watched the replay on CSPAN this morning. Sad.........
I liked the non-partisan question from the woman in the audience "Tell me how you're not like GW Bush?"
It's been four years already. Time to move on............
We haev a saying the the private sector. It goes something like thuis "At some point, you have to own it" which implies some sort of accountability. OK, Bush saddled the country with a lot of debt and a couple of unfunded wars. Wasn't happy about it then, and I'm not happy about it now. But, Obama's been running the show for the past four years now. Can't keep hiding behind the Bush boogeyman.....
I liked the non-partisan question from the woman in the audience "Tell me how you're not like GW Bush?"
It's been four years already. Time to move on............
We haev a saying the the private sector. It goes something like thuis "At some point, you have to own it" which implies some sort of accountability. OK, Bush saddled the country with a lot of debt and a couple of unfunded wars. Wasn't happy about it then, and I'm not happy about it now. But, Obama's been running the show for the past four years now. Can't keep hiding behind the Bush boogeyman.....
His answer to that question was very good.
But agreed, this was the worst moderating yet. Absolutely appalling. But her attempt to aid Obama will inadvertently keep attention focused on Benghazi.
But agreed, this was the worst moderating yet. Absolutely appalling. But her attempt to aid Obama will inadvertently keep attention focused on Benghazi.
Last edited by HB3 on 10-17-2012 06:01 AM, edited 1 time in total.
http://newsbusters.org/blogs/matthew-sh ... z29Ykg6rT8After embarrassing herself with her incompetently biased attempt to “fact check” GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney during the second presidential debate, CNN correspondent Candy Crowley has already began trying to save her shattered credibility. In a panel discussion afterward, a fast-talking Crowley tried to spin away her offensive conduct by admitting that Romney was indeed correct in casting blame on the Obama Administration for falsely blaming an anti-Islamic video for attacks on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya.
“It was one of those moments, and I could even feel that here, you know, when you say something you’re not expecting,” Crowley insisted, admitting she simply couldn’t help herself from unprofessionally inserting herself into a heated dispute that Obama and Romney were having. Video and transcript below the fold.
“He was right in the main, I just think he picked the wrong word,” Crowley said, echoing the extremely legalistic reading of the facts about what President Obama meant when he said “acts of terror” in reference to the Benghazi attack.
Knowing that she is facing a tremendous amount of backlash for her outburst, Crowley tried to play down the Libya discussion in the debate, insisting it wasn't really important:
"They’re going to parse and we all know about what the definition of is is, but, I, uh, you know, in the end, I think John [King]’s probably right. I think this has a lot more to with jobs and the debt crisis and all of that kind of stuff.
If her unprofessional conduct had not been so highly visible, Crowley's sad attempts to excuse herself would be amusing since she's almost literally admitted she has a knee-jerk liberal bias. Instead they are only ironic.
kbot wrote: I watched the replay on CSPAN this morning. Sad.........
I liked the non-partisan question from the woman in the audience "Tell me how you're not like GW Bush?"
It's been four years already. Time to move on............
We haev a saying the the private sector. It goes something like thuis "At some point, you have to own it" which implies some sort of accountability. OK, Bush saddled the country with a lot of debt and a couple of unfunded wars. Wasn't happy about it then, and I'm not happy about it now. But, Obama's been running the show for the past four years now. Can't keep hiding behind the Bush boogeyman.....
I truly groaned and rolled my eyes when that woman posed that question - I wanted to ask her if she believed in the boogie man as well.
A man's character is his fate
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Cherry Kelly
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I was on a live politics chat during the so-called debate.
1> It was predicted before the debate began that Obama would "win" no matter what.
2> Figures given by Obama - fact check - totals show that he made them up.
3> The moderator - gads... terrible.
4> Again with more time to DEM than GOP.
5> Romney had one or two slight gaffs as well.
6> Obama was smirking a lot.
7> Everyone knows that Obama did the Apology bit when he first went to other nations, matter of fact and discussed a lot.
8> hmm why not hit on the debt increase more? (oh ya town hall bit).
Results very split ... Obama's lies ... Romney not being aggressive enough ... but main question now is Will the last debate - again by yet another pro dem moderator result in equal time or not?
1> It was predicted before the debate began that Obama would "win" no matter what.
2> Figures given by Obama - fact check - totals show that he made them up.
3> The moderator - gads... terrible.
4> Again with more time to DEM than GOP.
5> Romney had one or two slight gaffs as well.
6> Obama was smirking a lot.
7> Everyone knows that Obama did the Apology bit when he first went to other nations, matter of fact and discussed a lot.
8> hmm why not hit on the debt increase more? (oh ya town hall bit).
Results very split ... Obama's lies ... Romney not being aggressive enough ... but main question now is Will the last debate - again by yet another pro dem moderator result in equal time or not?
Cherry Kelly wrote: I was on a live politics chat during the so-called debate.
1> It was predicted before the debate began that Obama would "win" no matter what.
2> Figures given by Obama - fact check - totals show that he made them up.
3> The moderator - gads... terrible.
4> Again with more time to DEM than GOP.
5> Romney had one or two slight gaffs as well.
6> Obama was smirking a lot.
7> Everyone knows that Obama did the Apology bit when he first went to other nations, matter of fact and discussed a lot.
8> hmm why not hit on the debt increase more? (oh ya town hall bit).
Results very split ... Obama's lies ... Romney not being aggressive enough ... but main question now is Will the last debate - again by yet another pro dem moderator result in equal time or not?
I would like to see Bill O'Reilly moderate - he would cut thru the ***&%%%.
A man's character is his fate
Translated: her bias was alive and well.
Remember her quote about a Romney/Ryan ticket being a death wish?
If nothing else can't people just admit the MSM is biased as all get out and why, why, why would you have a Candy Crowley as a moderator - clearly she has an agenda.
But then you have to ask - so who would you ask to moderate these debates.
A man's character is his fate
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Raggedyann
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