Two stories behind the alleged Clinton debate success

A couple of intriguing--maybe even disturbing--postscripts to last night's Democratic debate. It wasn't so much a debate as a chaotic uncoordinated interview of a gang of candidates in front of a Las Vegas crowd accustomed to prize fights and cheering for their favorite (Hillary Clinton) and booing the bad guy (John Edwards, when he criticized their favorite).

If the point was to elicit illumination, the transcript shows more interruptions than anything else. The low point--and it's a very revealing low point--came right at the end when Maria Luisa Parra-Sandoval, a UNLV student, asked Clinton if she preferred diamonds or pearls. Talk about a softball question. It's not exactly "boxers or briefs," but it's close.

True to form, Clinton straddled the answer, saying she likes them both. We sure don't want to offend the pearl crowd, do we? But what the heck does that have to do with picking a president? The answer, of course, is absolutely nothing.

And the truth came out today when CNN, which is widely believed among Clinton opponents and others to favor the New York senator's candidacy, admitted that a producer allegedly seeking to end the "debate" on a light note gave the question to the student. (Does giving a question to a student to ask Hillary Clinton ring a bell for anyone?)

As an embarrassed Luisa explained on her MySpace today, everybody was told to submit days ago a list of questions, including light-hearted ones, for approval by CNN. Because of her interest and previous research into Nevada's Yucca Mountain as a potential repository for nuclear waste, she wanted to ask Clinton about that. (Marc Ambinder provides the actual question Luisa wanted to ask here.)

But at the last second a producer told Luisa that Yucca had already been discussed and instructed her to ask her pearls-diamonds question.

Any candidate, especially a female front-runner, would rather provide a non-answer to a jewelry question than discuss how to safely store nuclear waste in a desert state that doesn't see its future built around becoming a nuclear dump.

Now, Luisa has been subjected to criticism from friends and strangers about asking a dumb question. On her MySpace, she wrote: "Every question from the audience was pre-planned and censored. That's...

what the media does. See, the media chose what they wanted, not what the people or audience really wanted. That's politics; that's reality...If you want me to explain to you how the media works, I am more than happy to do so. But do not judge me or my integrity based on that question."

And while we're talking about integrity, what in the world was CNN thinking when it booked its post-debate "analysts" with Anderson Cooper?  One was J.C. Watts, the former GOP congressman from Oklahoma. Fine, a token Republican. Another was Gloria Borger, an experienced pro.

Here were the other two "analysts": James Carville and David Gergen. That's right, two former aides of Bill Clinton's are supposed to "analyze" the performance of the candidates opposing their friend's wife.

Here's how Anderson Cooper introduced them: "Let's dig deeper with the best political team on television with former presidential advisor to Democrats and Republicans David Gergen who joins me along with former Bill Clinton advisor and CNN Political Contributor James Carville."

Cooper neglected to mention that Carville wrote an e-mail fundraising letter for Hillary Clinton on Feb. 22--"Hillary is the strongest candidate Democrats have." And on "Meet the Press" last June 3 Carville announced that he was not only a contributor to the Hillary Clinton campaign, but he was going to vote for her too. Now, that's the kind of open mind you want analyzing her opponents.

So it's not too shocking that Politico.com today reported that these former Clinton employees had this to say about Hillary: "David Gergen had opened the coverage by declaring: 'The fire seemed to go out of Obama, and she regained her stride.' James Carville, a Clinton supporter, added: 'Senator Clinton's people … have to be pretty pleased tonight that they certainly reversed a trend.'"

Good news for the Clinton people from some other Clinton people.

A campaign worker for one of her opponents shrugged today. "That's what we're up against in the media," he said.

--Andrew Malcolm

Comments

[wallace]

I haven't been this shocked over something happening in Las Vegas since Celine Dion announced she was ending her show.

(Pssst! CNN told me to post that)

Next week: Our politicians don't debate. Instead, they settle this thing like real Americans: With a Celebrity Dance-Off!

God, I wish I was Canadian. But I can't stand the winters and that rule about punting on third down.

[American for Peace]

Cry me a river! And you in the LAT completely ignored the fact that in the Philly debate, Russert was pummeling Hillary was tough questions, which is fair, but then asking Obama and Edwards to comment upon it; this is not "meet the press" for political digestion; it is a debate.

Also, what about the fact that Hillary was focused on the debate in Philly; stop complaining and Cooper mentioned that Gergen and Carville used to work for Clinton. Have we all forgotten about FOX? Roger Alies and Rudy?

[styxxlenay]

Last night's debate was a joke that shouldn't have taken place!!!!!!!!!!!!! How can you say with a straight face that Hillary won, when she and the rest of the panel knew what the questions were going to be. Not only was it a farce but she continues to be fake as ever in her non-answer to the questions. Also what nerve she has calling out Edwards and Obama of mudslinging and not answering the questions, simply because they are not giving her a free pass on that foolish platform she is trying to sell the american public. She is just as dangerous as W in those crazy rants!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Styxxlenay

[Wallace]

Dear American for Peace (if, in fact, that is your real name),

So let me get this straight: Basically you're justifying CNN's actions above by calling out the name of Fox. In a sense, "Fox does it so why can't CNN do it?"

Thank you. You just made the entire point that CNN leans left. I'm absolutely sure that for the Republican debates, CNN will hire Karl Rove.

Wait. Did Roger Ailes tell you to ask that question?

XOXOXO

[gravel kucinich paul nader]

Gravel kucinich paul nader perot carter [conyers?rangel?] united for truth elicit fear smear blacklist.

The people know too much,
democracy rising democracy now.
Rage against the machine.

Honesty compassion intelligence guts.

No more extortion blackmail bribery division.
Divided we fall.

[Larry from Purdue]

It's sad how every big media outlet in the country took their analysis from Clinton News Network.

I'm an Obama guy and that was one of his worst performances, but not very pretty for Hillary either. This election cycle would be so much more enjoyable without her magnetic negativity. Imagine Obama, Edwards, Richardson, Biden, Dodd, and Kucinich with no Hillary - we could really turn the page!

[portlandval]

This CNN debate was an OUTRAGE. Beneath a democracy that is supposed to be about its people. Excuse me for wanting less of a production and more of a debate. Frankly, this was not a debate but a Clinton rescue mission. As a Democrat (probably a former one) I cannot believe how much is rigged against genuine change. This was a very sad moment in my lifetime of watching debates that go all the way back to Kennedy vs. Nixon. Unless we change this, the people of our country will continue to suffer at the hands of corporate interests with little to balance it.

[..]

I must express my gratitude to CNN for choosing not to show the swimsuit portion of this pageant. While I did not hear any responses that started out with "I personally believe that U.S. Americans....." the question and answer round was particularly painful.

The burning question has been answered, however, we know the tiara that will crown the winner of this farce will contain both diamonds and pearls.

Now if only they would tell us when the Presidential debates will be on......

[TrulyWicked]

Woah, hold on a sec. Have you completely forgotten in the Oct. 30 debate, the final question to Barack Obama was, "What are you going to dress up as for Halloween?" I mean, come on. If we're going to claim the media is biased, let's not be so obviously biased ourselves.

This debate has made one thing obvious about both you and Barack Obama, you're both hypocrites. Thank you and have a nice day.

[Ronald Loui]

LOOK AT THE FANTASTIC BACKLASH AGAINST CNN! IT'S EVERYWHERE in the blogs and in the news. Just as Fox has soiled its pants, I mean, its reputation, now CNN is looking like the bottom of the fast food barrel. Stickeeeeeeyyy. It's just amazing how many people noticed how bad it was. I tell people overseas that if there is anything that unites Americans, it is our ability to sniff out an unfair game. I actually praise the resource-bounded appellate review system in the NFL for this, but that's another story... (Gotta love it when you can take away time outs...)

But maybe this is not so bad. The best way to show Hillary supporters is to let her rule. (Also, the best way to quiet the conservatives is to let a conservative "rule" for a while. See what a gift George Bush has been? It's like a pimple that finally pops.) To show people that they are hasty in their endorsement of Mrs. Clinton, just let people see what it would be like to live under her yoke. And I am thinking of that insidious insider feminism, wink-wink, Campbell and Hillary, that whatever-it-takes-suburban-upper-middle-class-spoiled-daughter-deep-dish-soccer-mom-highly-consumptive-my-son-first-scorched-earth-man-hating-monologue-producing-take-no-prisoners-brook-no-dissent-recognize-no-merit-and-consider-no-opposing-arguments kind of hard feminism that has turned even the Maria Luisas of this country and her college friends away from the otherwise historic and noble cause of claiming equality for women. Hillary is a great example of where gross inequities are created, by some, in the name of claiming equality. That, my friends, is a yoke harder to bear than her ill-timed facial expressions. I have to admit it's a lot of fun when she sticks it to a common enemy. But when she's standing in the way of progress and healing, not so much fun. I draft Hillary for Supreme Court and we can split the box office proceeds for future Scalia-Clinton bouts. Move Room 5 (the Supreme Court) to the Sands or the Mirage.

The best way to test a candidate is to put him or her to the fire. Yeah the night was rigged, but it wasn't so grossly unfair that we didn't learn things. We learned how Obama and Edwards can handle the hecklers (they did a better job than Seinfeld's Kramer, right?). And we learned that Biden can be superman when there is someone there to help him from running his mouth. I firmly believe you have to TEST those candidates in the primaries, to see how they will stand against the swift boat ads.

I'm actually kind of sad Wolf Blitzer didn't try to play gotcha with BIraq SaddamHussein Oussama's name, or the flag pin brouhahaha. If he's going to throw decorum out the window, let's have at it and see who has the fight in him. I may even have to forgive WolfB for past transgressions (which probably should be on CNN's account anyway), since he was really rather civil and self-conscious of the pro-Republican ways he was framing the questions. Do you support [insert favorite wedge issue here]? Do you prefer to burn your flags on Tuesdays? Have you stopped beating your wife? These questions lend themselves to Yes or No answers, man! Not that many people in America are that naive about rhetoric these days, I suspect.

CNN, have you stopped rigging your debates yet? YES or NO?!!!!

[Charles Ellis]

cnn soft ball girl's presidential debate
The cnn network should be renamed the Clinton network! Oh sure ask Billary if she has been playing the gender card, which her campaign has used. Billary says no and then proceeds to play the gender card by telling the story about having lots of 95 year old women, tell her that they hope to see the first woman President before they die. Then she tells about fathers driving for hours so their daughters could meet her and the reason was to show their daughters that they could grow up to be President. If you think that wasn't playing the gender card, then I have some swamp land that you should buy. Billary was given slow pitches all night by cnn. Then she tells us that she can take the heat. Well she didn't, when questioned about her double talking on issues, she accuses Edwards of using Republican mud slinging tactics, instead of defending her double talking. Typical Clinton redirection of truth about her record of taking different sides of issues depending on who Billary is talking to. She is the pander queen and was unable to intelligently defend her multiple positions, so she falsely accused Edwards of mud slinging. Suggesting that a candidate who takes 5 positions on drivers licenses, for illegal aliens, in a 2 week period, is not decisive and forth right with the voters, is not mud slinging. Asking Billary is she has stopped throwing glass ware at Bubba, is mud slinging. Billary thinks most of her supporters can not tell the difference, she insults the intelligence of educated voters and cons the vast majority of her supporters who are relatively under educated. After taking 5 positions on an issue in a 2 week period, Billary tells a bald faced lie when she says that every one knows where she stands on issues based on her 35 year record. She "stands where she has always stood" she says, which is just plain silly and only believable with "a willing suspension of disbelief."

[Rudolfo F. Acuna, PhD]

I read your article but who cares whether Hillary Clinton is a success
or not. The polls are part of the hype that sell newspapers and attract
audiences. Debates are sponsored to create controversy not to educate
readers or viewers. It all comes down to Coke or Pepsi. As an educator I
am supposed to be searching for the truth; as a journalist you should be
searching for the truth. Truth be told, very few people do. I believe
that the Jon Stewart's interview with Chris Matthews says it all.

Rodolfo F. Acuna, PhD

[madison]

and the machine keeps on rolling no matter what, and no cnn did not tell me to say that