Letters to the Editor
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Keep the heat on at ABC
Over in the Kos diaries, Billery Redux posted a great list of ABC contacts, load up their in-boxes. Then get ready to lobby our next Congress for a new FCC with real teeth. Here's Billery Redux's list. I just sent e-mails to all of them.
212-456-7777---(Midwest Meg: I've called their main switchboard three times and been "transferred" each time into a yawning silence followed by a dial tone. I guess ABC really doesn't want to hear from us serfs.)
Also: dial 818-460-7477 press 2 then 6 then 639. ( I keep getting a busy signal on this one.)
ABC NEW YORK NEWSROOM: (212) 456-5100 newsradio@abc.com Newsroom Fax Machine 212.456.5150
Peter Salinger (THE MAN IN CHARGE OF ELECTION COVERAGE) Director, Special Events & Sports 212.456.5105 peter.salinger@abc.com
Cristi LandesManager, Programming 212.456.5107 cristi.d.landes@abc.com
Wayne Fisk Director, Programming 212.456.5327 wayne.fisk@abc.com
Jeff Fitzgerald Executive Director, Operations 212.456.5554 jeffrey.t.fitzgerald@abc.com
Heidi Oringer Executive Director, Entertainment 212.456.5541 heidi.b.oringer@abc.com
Jon Newman News Coverage 212.456.5100 jonathan.m.newman@abc.com
Joyce Alcantara Assignment Manager 212.456.5106 joyce.a.alcantara@abc.com
Jim Kane Deputy D.C. Bureau Chief 212.222. 6604 james.f.kane@abc.com
Andrew Kalb Executive Director, Programming 05.567.2269 andrew.l.kalb@abc.com
Robert Garcia Executive Director, News & Sports 212.456.5103 robert.garcia@abc.com
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Where was the cage?
The next ABC debate should be in a caged ring--UFC politics--we could call it "ultimate fighting debates."
Target the lowest possible audience and most visceral instincts. Remember, deep down everyone is an animal. I bet the noise machine would priase that as great step forward in "conservative" journalism.
This country gets exactly what is deserves.
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Candidates need to push back
As I've said elsewhere on Salon, if either Candidate had looked offstage or up at the cameras and said "Can we get some questioners out here that know what they're talking about?" or "I think you're a little confused. This is a presidential debate, not an American Idol interview" or generally mocked the questioners along these lines it'd go a long way to stopping this kind of questioning. They have to stop playing along and treating these questions seriously. John Stewart went on Crossfire and said repeatedly "You're hurting America" and the show soon went off the air. I don't think it is a coincidence.
And speaking of miserable media reports, the AP is claiming today that McCain has closed the gap in polls. This has to be the fifth or sixth time in the last month or so that he's closed the gap and is now in a tie. If this is true, why does he keep closing the gap? Wouldn't he just be maintaining his position by now? They're either lying outright or using rigged polls to get the results they want to keep it a horserace so their ratings will stay up.
I don't believe McCain is doing anywhere nearly as well as the MSM is reporting. Every other question suggests he's far behind. How can we push back against this nonsense? Is there an address for the AP that'd make a difference?
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What do we do?
Granted I've only watched 3-4 of the 23 debates so far, but the one last night was hands-down the most pointless. The question about the flag pin was absolutely unbelievable. ABC embarrassed themselves. Not surprisingly, the New York Times reporting said
"The result was arguably one of Mr. Obama’s weakest debate performances. He at times appeared annoyed as he sought to answer questions about his former pastor, his reluctance to wear an American flag pin on his lapel and his association in Chicago with former members of the Weather Underground. . ."
I'd be angry with anyone who was not annoyed that ABC news thought lapel pins were significant issues for the next President to have to comment on.
Aside from writing easily-ignored letters of complaint to ABC, what can be done? Is there any movement to pressure candidates into entering a debate sponsored by a more responsible media source?
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Maybe it's time for a revolt.
Someone, anyone who knows how to do these things, get organized to have one set of narrator consisting of three objective, and I mean objective, humans that will keep the subject matter centered on the issues and not the personalities. From what I have read there are huge differences between the GOP and Dem platforms. Lets lay that and only that out for all to comprehend. Lord knows that will be more than enough for american voters to discern....
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The Echo Chamber has become a Feedback Loop
It's gotten to the point that shills like Gibson and Stephanopoulos get their talking points from Mallard Fillmore.
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the debate is a reflection of corporate domination of discourse
it was inevitable that once the consolidation of all media reached it's peak that the only media people who would be left in places of influence or power would be complete numbnuts and knobs. look at the disgraceful way ted koppel was pushed down the stairs to leave Nightline. jim lehrer and his show are probably the last decent major media TV show on today. the majority of the public has always been half asleep anyway, so most people don't even notice/care. just give them their football and keep the porn flowing.
thankfully, on the upside, the internet is where the real sparks fly and truths are brought to light. keep at it glenn, there is an audience for real substance, it's just smaller. but it's always been so.
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what a sham !
You expect this petty crap from Fox News but ABC?????????? David Brinkley is turning in his grave.
These moderators had an opportunity(and duty)to address the major issues of our time with the likely next president of the USA,and they squandered it on lapel pins,a Chicago pastor,a member of a 1960's radical(and marginal) political group,and what the word "bitter" means.
SHAME !!!!!!!!!!!
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I saw a little bit of this ...
... while I was picking up take-out pizza. The TV in the pizza shop was tuned to the "debate". What little I saw reminded me of a celebrity gossip show.
It's disgusting that the people who produced this crap are making wads of money while the rest of America is lining up for unemployment checks (while they last).
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Two choices
It seems that those of us who value our nation and understand how the corruption of the current MSM by the NEOConCorporateGOP is setting us up for national/international disaster have two options. 1)We can locate and encourage wealthy folks with a less biased perspective to buy up media outlets (if there are any wealthy folks left whose perspective is not entirely corrupted by their balance sheets,
And/or 2)We do what so many of us are already doing: we completely desert the MSM and seek our information in other places (the internet, perhaps). I suspect last night's debate may have pushed thousands more of us onto the net since it made abundantly clear that there's nothing worth watching or listening to on any MSM "news" program, nor in any MSM "news" paper, nor is there anything worth reading on any of their web sites. Even MPR is trying mightily, right now, to tow the GOP line because congress is debating funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and Bush wants major cuts in that funding.