During a live edition of the Late Show following Tuesday night’s chaotic Democratic Debate, host Stephen Colbert applauded the candidates for ignoring moderator and CBS Evening News anchor Norah O’Donnell throughout much of the raucous event. He also ironically warned that “you can’t listen to a TV person.”
Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie was on the show to analyze the debate and remarked that Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren “should have got put in the penalty box tonight” because “she ran over on every answer, just ran right through the stop sign” and refused to stick to her allotted time to speak.
Colbert shot back: “If you’re going to be the President of the United States, you’re not gonna let Norah O’Donnell stop you from talking.” As the liberal audience cheered the comment, the host looked right at the camera and attempted to smooth things over with his CBS colleague: “Love you, Norah. Love you!” He then added: “But if you want to be president, you can’t listen to a TV person.”
Christie then quipped: “That means everybody on the stage, except for Joe Biden, could be President of the United States, because Norah O’Donnell didn’t stop anybody tonight.”
Many have pointed out how poorly handled the debate was by moderators O’Donnell and CBS This Morning host Gayle King, CNN even mocked the mess during it’s post-debate analysis.
Here is a transcript of the February 26 exchange:
12:09 AM ET
(...)
STEPHEN COLBERT: Elizabeth Warren talks about ideas.
CHRIS CHRISTIE: No, she doesn’t.
COLBERT: Yes, she does.
CHRISTIE: No.
COLBERT: She talks about all the same ideas that Bernie talks about.
CHRISTIE: No, no, she used to talk about all the same ideas, then she backed off of it and now everybody doesn’t like her because the people who are the real progressives don’t think she’s genuine anymore and the people who are moderates don’t trust her. So she’s in no-man’s-land.
COLBERT: I disagree, I disagree.
CHRISTIE: She – her tonight, I mean, seriously, she should have got put in the penalty box tonight.
COLBERT: Why? What did she do?
CHRISTIE: She ran over on every answer, just ran right through the stop sign.
COLBERT: If you’re going to be the President of the United States, you’re not gonna let Norah O’Donnell stop you from talking. (Cheers and applause)
CHRISTIE: Well –
COLBERT [LOOKING TO THE CAMERA]: Love you, Norah. Love you! But if you want to be president, you can’t listen to a TV person.
CHRISTIE: That means everybody on the stage, except for Joe Biden, could be President of the United States, because Norah O’Donnell didn’t stop anybody tonight.
(...)
