CNN's Debate Performance Was Villainous and Shameful

[Uncle Joe]

(snip)

Sanders denied it, then listed the many reasons the story makes no sense: He urged Warren herself to run in 2016, campaigned for a female candidate who won the popular vote by 3 million votes, and has been saying the opposite in public for decades. “There’s a video of me 30 years ago talking about how a woman could become president of the United States,” he said.

Phillip asked him to clarify: He never said it? “That is correct,” Sanders said. Phillip turned to Warren and deadpanned: “Senator Warren, what did you think when Senator Sanders told you a woman could not win the election?”

That “when” was as transparent a media “fuck you” as we’ve seen in a presidential debate. It evoked memories of another infamous CNN ambush, when Bernard Shaw in 1988 crotch-kicked Mike Dukakis with a question about whether he’d favor the death penalty for someone who raped and murdered his wife, Kitty.

(snip)

If the network doesn’t see trouble in this, it’s delusional. Voters on both sides of the aisle have changed since the Bernard Shaw days. They pay more attention to media manipulations, and it doesn’t get much more manipulative than punching above the facts to advance transparent political narratives, which is a new and accepted habit in the commercial news landscape.

We’ll find out in Iowa and New Hampshire what Democratic Party voters believe about that Warren-Sanders meeting, but that grimy story pales in comparison to the bigger picture: Episodes like this are why people hate the media.

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/political-commentary/january-democratic-debate-2020-cnn-bernie-sanders-elizabeth-warren-938365/

[still_one]

1. Good ole Matt Tabai, who believes Russian interference in 2016 was made up too

[redqueen]

2. He said it was made up?

[still_one]

4. .........

https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2019-04-01/no-russiagate-isn-t-this-generation-s-wmd

Tabai views are listed toward the end. I will find his original piece and post it

https://washingtonmonthly.com/2017/04/04/matt-taibbis-skepticism-of-the-russian-hacking-coverage-is-all-wrong/

[redqueen]

7. Thanks. I don't understand people who dismiss Russian interference entirely.

I get that the extent of the influence is arguable, but it's existence is not

Edit to add: that said, I agree with him here. The moderators seemed to be looking to start fights and focus on triviality at the expense of issues that concern most Americans.

[still_one]

11. As for the moderators trying to stir sh*t up, I don't need Tabai to tell me that. That is what they

subtly or not so subtly have been doing in all the debates. Not sure why he didn’t express equal outrage withe similar types of baiting in the other debates?

Personally I do not like the debate format at all, and prefer the town hall type venue

The debate format IMHO is waiting for a gotcha moment, and where the candidates are on the issues seems to get lost

[sammythecat]

25. I wouldn't even call these debates anymore

It's a tv show. Two or more candidates brawling on the stage before police came to break it up would be a dream come true.

[still_one]

26. Good point

[Cha]

16. Thanks for showing who matt taibbi

is, still_one

[still_one]

22. ...

[Thekaspervote]

5. I used to like Tabai...the guy has lost it

[Cha]

17. I never liked him so I'm good.. he was always dragging

President Obama.

[Eliot Rosewater]

8. WE are going to see a repeat and we are going to permanently lose our country maybe our lives

[BannonsLiver]

69. That's because he is a Putin devotee

And also a misogynist pig.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

3. Yeah, I caught that too during the debate; callin CNN villainous & shameful for that is bein kind!!

Bernie/Elizabeth or Elizabeth/Bernie 2020!!
Either way, they're stronger together & can't be bought!!
Jump on the Bernie Bandwagon & join the revolution!!

[mvd]

9. Hi

I am so happy Sanders and Warren did not take the bait. We progressives need to stick together!

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

12. ABSO-FUCKIN-LUTELY!! As I've said all along, Bernie & Elizabeth are stronger TOGETHER!!

Why are some people trying to drive a wedge between them? What possible motive could they have? (Obviously, these are rhetorical questions only.)


Bernie/Elizabeth or Elizabeth/Bernie 2020!!
Either way, they're stronger together & can't be bought!!
Jump on the Bernie Bandwagon & join the revolution!!

[msongs]

6. lol tag team underway. first bernie is blacklisted now he is getting lots of attention nt

[coti]

10. Cooper wouldn't get off the distorted "made your money in oil and coal" stuff for Steyer, either,

after it was over. He went back to it multiple times, calling it "hypocritical" for Steyer to...change his mind and learn a better way, I guess?...even after Steyer had repeatedly sworn off non-renewables as not something he invests in anymore and not a way to do things. Cooper laid all the responsibility for hundreds of years of poor decision-making in Steyer's lap, and failed to take any responsibility as a consumer, himself.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

13. All good points... thought Steyer did VERY well last night. Congrats & good luck to your candidate!!

Bernie/Elizabeth or Elizabeth/Bernie 2020!!
Either way, they're stronger together & can't be bought!!
Jump on the Bernie Bandwagon & join the revolution!!

[kwolf68]

18. Steyer was great

He just doesn't deliver that well, but he did a good job.

[Uncle Joe]

14. I believe one of the best things Steyer did was look directly

at the camera when giving answers, (brooklynite picked up on that) all the other candidates looked at the moderators, I believe that may be giving them too much respect.

[The Valley Below]

15. It's what happens when people stop believing a campaign's veracity.

And it's what happens when people like David Sirota determine the strategy of a campaign.

People stop believing that campaign.

Just like "the script" that was supposedly just due to a rogue operator, but it wasn't.

These things compound. Sanders has lost the benefit of the doubt.

[kwolf68]

19. As opposed to outright lying about your record?

????

[Aaron Pereira]

20. The moderator really degraded herself there and I was sorry to see it.

I was watching the debate with a non-partisan companion and her reaction was "wow, what is her problem".

It was a really weird moment that indicated a personal axe to grind.

[Uncle Joe]

21. I agree Aaron Pereira,

it was grotesque.

[sheshe2]

27. Villainous?

Ummm. Okay.

[Uncle Joe]

28. Yes villainous

Definition of villainous

1a: befitting a villain (as in evil or depraved character)
a villainous attack

b: being or having the character of a villain : DEPRAVED
the villainous foe

2: highly objectionable : WRETCHED

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/villainous

Do you believe the corporate media conglomerates' interest aligns with those of the American People?

[sheshe2]

29. Turn off your TV.

[Uncle Joe]

30. Tell that to the rest of America

but you didn't answer my question.

"Do you believe the corporate media conglomerates' interest aligns with those of the American People?"

[sheshe2]

40. "Tell that to the rest of America"

You tell them.

I will say again, turn off your TV. Boycott them.

Simple solution.

[George II]

32. Another one of those questions that twists what you said around.

[sheshe2]

38. ;)

[George II]

33. Bazinga!

[Uncle Joe]

36. Yea, great come back George because if I don't watch T.V. no other American will.

[George II]

44. We don't see other Americans being as critical of CNN or calling them "villainous", "depraved" or...

"treacherous".

[Uncle Joe]

47. Then you haven't been paying attention. n/t

[George II]

35. What we saw didn't match any of those definitions. CNN "depraved"? CNN "wretched"?

[Uncle Joe]

37. They're pushers.

[George II]

42. Wha? Sanders came off as being surly, so they're "pushers"....

They asked equally tough questions of the other candidates, but they had reasonable responses.

Subjective interpretations notwithstanding, Sanders hurt himself last night.

[Uncle Joe]

45. CNN doesn't want their big pharma commercialized gravy train to end.

Their financial conflict of interest is plain as day to anyone willing to keep an open eye and mind.

[George II]

46. Oh, so now we're punting and deflecting to "big pharma"! That's too funny.

[Uncle Joe]

50. That's most certainly a motivation for their one sided prejudiced questions,

all one needs to do is "follow the money."

Do you honestly believe any corporate media conglomerate including CNN would appreciate not being able to sell tens of millions of dollars in big pharma commercials?

That simple wouldn't be the case under Medicare for All when out of pocket prescription drug costs were capped at $200 a year.

It does not take a genius to see financial conflict of interest when it happens.

[George II]

66. And you have evidence of that I'm sure. I'm a "genius", but an open-minded genius. I don't see that.

[sheshe2]

48. Pushers?

I am old. As a little kid we had a pusher. Helped a wee one eat on their own. Taught a child to be self sufficient and feed themselves and not rely on another to feed them. I still have it, yet no longer need it.

[Uncle Joe]

51. "The Pusher"

[sheshe2]

53. I am hurt that you did not resond to my post.

Four generations past that down to their children. Four generations teaching a child to become self sufficient and feed themselves. Granted it is a web photo and mine was less ornate.

[Uncle Joe]

54. I have no idea what you're talking about.

but I would never want to hurt you on purpose.

[sheshe2]

55. Never mind.

Whoosh.

[Uncle Joe]

56. Just for the record my definition of "pusher" is what you originally responded to

and so I clarified it with that song by Steppenwolf.

[sheshe2]

58. No.

It was post 37.

[George II]

31. One man's (Matt Taibbi's) opinion. I thought it was the best yet, probably in part because....

....there were only six people there.

Does he forget that he's been part of the "media" for years?

[Uncle Joe]

34. Did you forget that

Taibbi has been critical of the media for years going back to their promotion of the war with Iraq based on lies?

[oasis]

39. E.W. to Bernie: "I think you called me a liar on national T.V."

CNN has released the audio of their post debate exchange.

[Uncle Joe]

43. Elizabeth called Bernie a liar.

Bernie denied the charge that he ever said it.

Considering that Bernie never stated he was a Native American, I tend to believe him.

[oasis]

52. Oooookie dokey.

[boomer_wv]

41. LOL

Classic Bernie fans.

It's CNN's fault that Warren set Bernie up and now Bernie is lying about it.

I suppose they should just sweep this whole thing under the rug.

I told you guys last week that as Bernie had a good run of polls and time was running short two things about happen. Warren would have to come after him and the media would have to actually vet him, which they haven't really done yet. It's hot in the spotlight and if you don't like it, don't get on stage.

[highplainsdem]

49. You know what's villainous and shameful? Taibbi's podcast cohost Katie Halper calling Warren an

"impetuous snob" who was "furious that Bernie didn't let her lie about him on national tv."

Link to tweet

That would have been a pathetically juvenile tweet from anyone on Twitter, but it's especially pathetic coming from someone in the media.


Taibbi might want to consider that overreactions like their own hurt the image of the media.


And before anyone here tries to snipe at me for having criticized both Sanders and Warren myself -- I've made specific criticisms in a reasoned way, and I didn't call them names.

[melman]

59. Katie Halper is awesome

Two thumbs up.

[highplainsdem]

61. Awesome for calling Warren a dishonest, impetuous snob?

[melman]

64. I think her analysis of this situation is spot on

As usual. I think Katie Halper is great.

[booley]

57. But the peopel who dont' like sanders will eat it up

I still remember the Bernie Bros threw Chairs lie.
And there are still people who believe that happened.

I agree with some pundits. Warren's actions are probably from the advice the Clinton advisors she has hired. Not everyone in the Warren campaign are happy with how this was handled.

[PassingFair]

60. She blew it.

I was behind Warren until last night.
I phone banked for Bernie tonight.

[madville]

63. Warren is done as far as the primary

She’ll probably drop out after South Carolina

[Blue_true]

62. Two campaigns blame the media a lot. No other campaigns attribute their issues to

the media. Why is that?

[LanternWaste]

65. Blame the media, question the polls, rinse, lather, repeat as necessary.

Part XXVIII

[mathematic]

67. So a politician can call it fake news and that's that?

Or maybe CNN is sticking with its reporting, which is supported by multiple accounts, including the account of the OTHER presidential candidate in the story.

[BannonsLiver]

68. Awwww