The left-wing blogosphere's outrage against ABC ["Boycott Fig Newtons!"] over its allegedly unfair questioning of Obama during Wednesday's debate has seeped over into the MSM in the form of Derrick Z. Jackson's Boston Globe column of this morning. While the headline moots the matter in the interrogative "Tough questions or just plain bias?", there's no doubt as to the answer in Jackson's mind. Just two paragraphs in, the columnist unleashes [emphasis added]:
In some 1,600 words of transcript, Charles Gibson and George Stephanopoulos tried to eviscerate Obama in Philadelphia on Wednesday.
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So the perfidious ABC pair was trying to gut Barack Obama. Why? The closest Z comes to explaining is his assertion that Stephanopoulos failed to question Hillary Clinton as closely because he "was once a senior policy adviser to Clinton's husband." What's that? Pro-Dem bias in the MSM? Derrick, we could have a place for you at NewsBusters!
Jackson never did get around to explaining why Charles Gibson would want to field-dress Obama.
The essence of Jackson's beef is what he sees as a double-standard. Obama was hit with hard questions about Rev. Wright, but the media largely gave Republicans past a pass on their attempts to ingratiate themselves with Bob Jones and his university. Prediction: come the general, we'll be hearing lots of questions aimed McCain's way about his affiliations with the Reverends John Hagee and Rod Parsley.
Jackson ends thusly:
Obama instead is asked by the moderators to hand them either his former minister's head, or his own. Does your minister love America as much as you?Answer no, he disowns the man who officiated his marriage and baptized his children, diminishing the very complexities he spoke about in his speech on race. Answer yes, Obama destroys his campaign.
Well, guess what? Sometimes there aren't any good answers. But shouldn't the kinds of questions for which no simple response exists be precisely the ones a conscientious moderator should ask?
—Mark Finkelstein is a NewsBusters contributing editor and host of Right Angle. Contact him at mark@gunhill.net.
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Come on, Derrick, Obama
April 19, 2008 - 07:36 ET by motherbeltCome on, Mr. Jackson, Obama could have done the old "hate America two-step" like a lot of liberals: Wright loves this country as much as anyone; that's why it hurts him so much to see what is going on; the best measure of patriotism is to speak out against what your country is doing wrong...
He knows the routine...
Good grief! As for rough treatment, they all but wondered out loud if Dick Cheney should disown his own daughter, or was he a hypocrite on gay rights!!
Obama - married to an
April 19, 2008 - 07:27 ET by DontFeedTheTrollsObama - married to an America bashing, hate filled woman, friendly with racist hate mongers, terrorist bombers, and just plain criminals - irrelevant.
McCain - wife stole a couple recipes off the web, endorsed by a conservative minister - relevant.
No double standard here.
D
Keep the ILLEGALS out, join NumbersUSA to send free faxes to your reps.
DFTT...don't you know that
April 19, 2008 - 07:35 ET by motherbeltDFTT...don't you know that Obama is the only man in America who can lie down with dogs and not get up with fleas?????
He's sooooo above it all.
He is a self-fulfilling prophecy. Because he says he's going to "rise above" the old politics, the "gotcha" politics, his MSM sycophants portray him as doing that. It doesn't matter what little "digs" he gives Mrs. Clinton in his speeches, like a cocky high schooler, or what sly implications he makes about McCain's age... he is "the above-it-all" candidate. The only ones guilty of the "old politics" are the ones who criticize him.
Bias?
April 19, 2008 - 07:30 ET by jmad627Thank god some of his views are coming out in the open. B. Hussein Obama, gave a us a glimpse as to how ignorant he is about the effects of capital gains taxes, among other things. This guy scares me, & if he does get elected, I fear for our country. It was about time he got asked some tought questions, and shows that he does not do well w/o a teleprompter. In conclusion since we know so little about BHO what was Derrick Z expecting the media to do, continue to worship him.
McCain's problem area probably won't be Hagee
April 19, 2008 - 07:32 ET by sarcasmoIt'll be the lobbyists, and maybe the wealthy wife's mystery tax return. But I'd still love to see a Wright vs Hagee shouting match (where are you, Don King? "Only in America!").
JMR
The tax & spend drug war looks racist in the real world.
Derrick Z. Jackson's Boston Globe says....
April 19, 2008 - 07:51 ET by Uncle Don"they were so mean to Barack and he's trying so hard to be truthfull and everything....plus he's so Yummy!"
Being mean to Obama
April 19, 2008 - 17:28 ET by merlin61Guess what Barry Hussein-----the questions are
only going to get tougher, and tougher. When you
are President (hopefully never), you have to have
a thick skin. Hey, America, keep those questions
coming, and keep investigating this guy before
the convention. We need to know much more
about this dude!!!!
Derrick Z
April 19, 2008 - 07:54 ET by BlazerDerrick Z translation:
"Y'all jus' playa' hatin' on da' brutha, shawty !
"You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. We must be cautious. "
- Ben Kenobi on Liberals, and the MSM.
" The Cake is a lie."
I'm falling further down the rabbit hole.
April 19, 2008 - 08:50 ET by dronetekEmail I sent to Derrick Z. Jackson:
I find it more than a little funny that we've been through 8 years of Bush bashing. The likes of which have NEVER been seen. Now suddenly a couple democrats get tough questions and obama supporters in the media scream bias! Oh of course there was no bias when it came to Bush, but here we have a clear cut case of bias! Give me a break! You're a fool if you think anyone other than Obama supporters are buying this.
You have a point drone, but
April 19, 2008 - 15:13 ET by ConservativeRexYou have a point drone, but I might add that if the Uh-bama people think that those were tough questions they really are in trouble. Take a good look at what may be our next president. A thin skinned, socialistic, cry baby.
And that sums up Uh-bama. Responsible for nothing, it's everyones elses fault. We're just "mean" people for asking him, and a America hating wife who enables him. Great. This ought to be fun
Could it be?
April 19, 2008 - 08:52 ET by Indiana JoeIs it possible? Has ABC decided to finally get in the news reporting business? To stop being a knee-jerk shill for all the liberal politicians and actually be even-handed? Has the bias finally become so blatant that even they can't keep it up?
This is about the third time that ABC has done something like this recently. Are we witnessing a new trend? Has anyone checked the temperature in Hell lately?
And, judging by the comments here, the Kos Kids are ready to go to war over it. Delicious insanity!
You had to wonder what the
April 19, 2008 - 09:32 ET by krendlerYou had to wonder what the reaction was going to be from the Obama moonies once somebody FINALLY (after 8 months) put a tough question or two to the guy. Now we see it. A complete freak out with words like "lynching" and "evicerate" being thrown around in amidst of calls for a nationwide boycott. Absolutely hysterical but not the least bit surprising given the disposition of the Obama Worshippers.
And Derrick Z is accusing George and Charlie of "bias"? Seems that his own bias in favor of Obama is completely off the charts, to put it mildly.
All of this complaining...
April 19, 2008 - 09:48 ET by D. S. Hube... is beyond pathetic. The Left's crying is akin to that during the meteoric rise of Fox News -- their monopoly is gone! And when they thought they had allies in Gibson and Stephie, OOPS! Those two finally ask some tough questions and the Left has a paroxysm of disgust.
I LOVE it.
Our long, national comedy show continues.
April 19, 2008 - 10:00 ET by tomchrisLet me get this straight:
Obama is friendly with Bill Ayers, an avowed terrorist.
Fact.
Obama attents a church with a pastor who spews racist and anti-american sentiments.
Fact.
According to Derrick Z, should we bring this up during a presidential debate?
No.
...just checking.
Here's What I Want
April 19, 2008 - 10:39 ET by BourbeauLet's leave Obama alone for a couple of weeks (is that asking too much?). I want Obama to win the Democrat nomination; and then I want McCain to shove every one of these issues down his liberal throat, non-stop. I don't care how long it takes, I don't care how many ads it takes, or how many debates it requires. For that to occur, I want to see the right leave the Dems alone to wallow in their own misery - they have earned it. I don't want any of us to stop them from nominating this man for president. For that to happen, I don't want sympathy for Hillary; I don't want Rush's "Operation Chaos"; I don't want Hannity giving questions to Stephanopolous; I don't want McCain agreeing with Hillary on anything; I don't want Conservative commentators and columnists offering ideas to Hillary on how to "bring him down". I want the Democrats to nominate him and wrap their liberal arms around him, and for us to beat him head-on. But most of all, I don't want Hillary, Bill and Chelsea Clinton anywhere near the White House ever again. I think that's being fairly reasonable; and yes, now I feel better.
Those Poor, Poor, Put Upons...
April 19, 2008 - 10:43 ET by ThalpyThose Poor, Poor, Put Upons are all richly deserving of what they have received. One principal issue of this campaign has been allegiance. While I have questions about John McCain's judgement, I have never questioned his allegiance to the United States of America. I am quite sure that Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Obama have allegiances as well, but I don't know what they are.
Because
April 19, 2008 - 12:02 ET by Sventhe Dems have never had to answer any questions of substance, when they are asked these hard questions, they simply do not know how to answer them...or debate. The GOP on the other hand has had to learn ALL the issues and intelligently debate them.
When Bill and Hillary were asked some hard questions (by Chris Wallace and college students) that they weren't able to answer, they attacked the person asking the question. When BHO (or his cronies) can't answer hard questions, they attack the person asking the questions.
This is what happens when you've been thrown softballs for over 40 years...I love it!!
Jackson never did get
April 19, 2008 - 13:02 ET by MidAmericaJackson never did get around to explaining why Charles Gibson would want to field-dress Obama.
So now instead of just calling obama an empty suit we can also call him an empty pelt?