By:
SilentPatriot on Friday, April 18th, 2008 at 9:00 AM - PDT
Jon Stewart does what he does best and demolishes ABC debate moderators Charlie Gibson and George Stephanopoulos for the pathetic questions they asked on Wednesday.
Download | Play 
Download | Play (h/t Heather)
The first hour of last night’s debate was a 60 minute master class in questions that elevate out-of-context remarks and trivial, insipid miscues into subjects of natural discourse…which is my job! Stop doing my job! That’s what I’m here for! I’m the silly man!
Filed Under: ABC, Barack Obama, Debates, Election 08, Hillary Clinton, This Week/George Stephanopoulos
Tags: Media Criticism, The Daily Show
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117 Responses for “Jon Stewart Eviscerates ABC’s Hacktacular Debate”
I truly miss Peter Jennings.
Hey ABC:
Stick to crime dramas and re-runs of Disney movies. Your days as a serious news organization are over.
I also miss Peter. One of the last great ones.
The sad thing is that even as Stewart tries to point out the train wreck through humor … there’s really very little that’s funny about it.
And broadcast media wonders why it keeps losing market share to the internet …
I missed this but I do remember thinking when I watched the debate that Boy George was doing a Stephen Colbert impersonation.
Thanks for this - FYI, a typo: Transcript should read “subjects of national discourse,” not “subject of natural discourse” - I’m pretty sure I heard Stewart correctly.
(I’m an English teacher, and you know how we are ;-) )
I could care fucking less if Obama got tougher questions. He’s a bright guy and can handle himself with those two goofs. Gibson and Stephanopoulos totally pissed on their credibility with worthless questions to both candidates.
ABC claims they did what they did because those were the items most evident in the news.
Would it not have made more sense to come up with something new, something that has not been made hash of over the last few weeks.
How to strengthen the dollar? How to keep the the housing fiasco from happening again? Should the Feds keep raising and lowering interest rates causing the huge fluctuations in variable rate mortgages and personal bank loans, and higher earnings on savings, which are all counterproductive to the economy? Since republicans claim that McCain is not conservative enough, are Obama and Hillary liberal enough? What have conservative ever done for this country besides the obvious deficits, huge increases in the national debt, regressive policy in medical and economical research, ignore global warming, deny women control over her reproductive system, denying gays equal rights. and on and on.
Where do these Craptacular Doofusses get off calling this a ‘Debate’?
Face it, the moderators acted like Hannity neo-clones.
Well, I missed it and guess I didn’t miss much.. I now I have some idea on why a friend of mine said he tuned out about 10 minutes into the thing… Stewart is, as always, soda snortin thru nose halarious, and spot on in his take on it all from what I gather watching this clip… Yea, pretty pathetic as debates goes evidently.. Sounds like watching Eddie Money’s MTV vid, two tickets to paradise on and endless loop would have been a better investment of ones time… You know, if MTV actually showed music videos anymore… and how sad is that??? Way to go ABC…Way to strike a blow for honest serious political debate…ha! What a bunch of lame-oos!!…JD
That debate has to be the most negatively reviewed debate in history. Gibson and Stephanopoulos must be ashamed to pass their colleagues in the hall.
Gibson And Stephanopoulos: The Keystone Flops
Another case of reality trumping comedy.
ronhohn @ 7:
ABC thinks that Faux is news? No wonder the MSM is in the toilet.
Enough already with the catalog of symtoms. What is the disease? What is the cure? It’s gone to take much more than another stupid election (stolen or otherwise) to cure that…
But they were very important questions, frankly I’m surprised they didn’t ask Obama about his pandering to the California and Florida orange growers what with him preferring oj over coffee. Like, seriously. Ok I’m being sarcastic, just saw a headline on Google news about Hillary whining that Barrack was whining about the supposed “tough” questions. I didn’t watch the debates, but from the clips I saw it was just shameful.
OMG that was f-ing hilarious :D! John could have hosted the debate with his hand puppet and given it more dignity!!
Kerry’s error was that he did not fight back fiercely enough against the fake swift boat attacks…
Obama has to address the most stupid charges on the stump…
Patriotism: Soldiers sacrifice the most for their country. But theirs is not the only form of patriotism there is. Opposing a dumb war is patriotic. Community service is patriotic. Working hard in a factory, as a teacher, as an engineer is patriotic. Demanding that government serve the interests of hard working americans is patriotic. Voting is patriotic. Running for pres, because he believes the american dream and a fair shake belongs to all americans, all races and classes, is patriotic. all these are more important than who wears a flag pin
Associations: He should say, that he believes in talking to people he does not agree with on all things. Just because some people have bad qualities and controversial qualities, does not mean there is no good in them. No one is perfect. Some people have said and done some crazy things in their life. But it does not benefit the country to have them thrown under the bus and ignore the good work they have done. Working with people on where there is common ground, is what he is about.
A divided house cannot stand. He should be judged by his record and his words, if inartful
he needs to face these fake issues directly while trying to keep the high ground
cburell @ 5:
Transcript should read “subjects of national intercourse,”
Were they trying to outstupid Katie Couric?
ysbaddaden @ 17:
Because we’re all getting intercoursed up the ass?
ABC has become a laughing stock. An object of ridicule. Congratulations, ABC, you’re halfway along in a race to the bottom, to being just another Faux News. Catering to the under-50-IQ crowd, with a cast of Sean Hannity’s.
The woman that asked the “question” about flag pins is exactly who Obama was talking about when he mentioned people voting against their own interests.
And to think…I used almost like stephanopolous….I always though gibson was a schwance.
His clip showing Obama’s performance going down in flames was horrible.
Amazing how folks ignore that meltdown.
A sure loser in the general.
ummm that should be…”used to almost like” ….gah! can I go home now?
That beer ain’t gonna drink itself ya know!
We didn’t watch, two older voters with high blood pressure, and I’m glad. If that McCabe woman wasn’t evidence of a set-up, I don’t know what would be.
Does the expression “YELLOW JOURNALISM” ring any bells?
That’s exactly what we have now in this country. In fact, it’s practically the only kind of journalism we have left.
getalife @ 23:
You got that just from this clip? Boy, it just goes to show that people will believe what they want to believe.
nochickenhawk @ 26:
Absolutely a plant
Stewart nailed it as usual. ABC owes Senators Obama and Clinton and most of all the American people an apology for this despicable and utterly stupid performance by its moderators.
Hannity Brags Of Influence Over Stephanopoulos: ‘I Suggested The Question’
So much for that librul media myth.
Doesn’t anybody find it kind of ironic and funny that “fake news” like Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert actually report actual, real news than the other news channels?
I would be embarrased if I were ABC, CBS, and others. I’m not including Fraud News, since they are propaganda.
the three guys from “Top Gear” would have done a better job.
and they’re not even Americans.
Embittered American named Janet Says: The woman that asked the “question” about flag pins is exactly who Obama was talking about when he mentioned people voting against their own interests.
Exactly.
Gee, where were all of you Democrats when Edwards and Clinton were being raped by the media? Punkin’head anyone?
Dr. Biitter Hussein Matt @ 31:
Has anyone aske Stephy why he went on Shammity’s radio show???
Stewart and Colbert, the best One-Two punch since Peanut butter & jelly.
Dr. Acula @ 36:
That wouldn’t be a legitimate question….it doesn’t deal with middle names, bowling scores, or flag pins.
John’s pretty pissed. Gibson and Stepha-whatever were working HIS SIDE of the street.
Pimp-slap they ass, John!
I fully expect Jerry Springer to moderate the next debate.
We need to send more e-mails and phone calls asking about Mrs. Nash McCabe involvement with ABC mafia hit job, I mean this is so evil even by FAUX NEWS standard. They went looking for Mrs McCabe because she gave an interview with Times say she hated Sen. Obama, remember she’s the only person from the outside given the chance to ask a question,and they knew it would be directed toward Sen. Obama.(mafia preplan hit job)
Dr. Biitter Hussein Matt @ 31:
The Hannity influence was pretty obvious. Not just anyone can come up with questions that stupid and irrelevant.
Dr. Acula @ 34:
There should be, at least, a minimum IQ to be allowed to vote. She actually said “How can I vote for a president who won’t wear a flag pin?” Idiots like this, fuck us all.
10 Debate Questions John McCain Will Never Be Asked:
1. Do you agree with Pastor John Hagee that war with Iran is the fulfillment of biblical prophecy?
2. Doesn’t your legendary temper make you too dangerous to be trusted with the presidency of the United States?
3. Doesn’t your confusion regarding basic facts about the war in Iraq, including repeatedly citing a nonexistent Al Qaeda-Iran alliance, make you unfit for command?
4. Given your past adultery, should Americans consider you a moral exemplar of family values?
5. Doesn’t your flip-flop on Jerry Falwell being an “agent of intolerance” show your opportunistic pandering to the religious right?
6. Given your wealth and privileged upbringing, aren’t you - and not Barack Obama - the elitist?
7. What is your religion, really? And has the answer in the past changed as the South Carolina primary approached?
8. Didn’t President Bush betray you with his signing statement on the Detainee Treatment Act? You claim to be against torture, but aren’t you a hypocrite for voting “no” on the Senate waterboaring ban?
9. Why did you flip-flop on the Bush tax cuts you twice opposed? Why do you now support making them permanent for the wealthiest Americans who need them least?
10. With the economy tanking, shouldn’t Americans be concerned over your past statements that “the issue of economics is not something I’ve understood as well as I should?”
For the details and background on each, see:
“10 Debate Questions John McCain Will Never Be Asked.”
The first hour of last night’s debate was a 60 minute master class in questions that elevate out-of-context remarks and trivial, insipid miscues into subjects of natural discourse…which is my job! Stop doing my job! That’s what I’m here for! I’m the silly man!
Hey “Journalists”!
When the comedians are telling you you’re f*cking silly, listen up!!
Despite criticism, ABC’s George Stephanopoulos defended his performance in last night’s Democratic debate, which he co-moderated with Charles Gibson.
“We asked tough but appropriate questions,” Stephanopoulos told me by phone this afternoon.
When I asked whether questions about flag pins or Bosnia are actually relevant to voters, he replied: “Absolutely.”
“The vote for the president,” Stephanopoulos said, “is one of the most personal” decisions that someone makes.
“When people make that choice, they take into account how candidates stand on the issues,” he said, but also are concerned with “experience, character [and] credibility.”
“You can’t find a presidential election where those issues didn’t come into play,” he said.
ya see, everyone, we just don’t know what we really want to hear about. the public reacts in anger to the bogus “debate” on abcdisney and, wouldn’t you know, we are all wrong!
thanks george snuffalufagus for telling us what we are really concerned about, despite the fact that we say we aren’t concerned about such trivial and unimportant issues.
this is why the pundit/mediawhore class is so important to our democracy. the people, too dumb and ignorant to know what they want/need/care about, need father figures, like snuffalufagus, to guide us like sheep, to ensure that we don’t stray too far from the media’s narrative and the major imperative and prime directive of our national elections (that being that nothing may disturb the status quo, nothing)
getalife @ 24:
I’m really starting to worry about you. Your hatred for Obama is causing you to hallucinate. Ginko may help.
SassySandy @ 30:
Or at least a barbecue
Embittered American named Janet @ 43:
I’m sorry, did American soldiers start dying for this country only AFTER 9-11-01 ??
Was the American flag just a piece of cloth prior to 9-11 ?
I’m wondering because NO BODY wore a lapel pin prior to 9-11, not even George W. Bush, and no one was offended by it.
Geno in Ptwon @ 32:
A classic example of only the court jesters being allowed to tell the truth.