Excerpt from debate, Kucinich slapping down Koppel's idiotic Q.

[John_Shadows_1]

Koppel: There are only two ways to tell at this stage to tell how you're doing. Money and Polls. You're not doing terrible well with money, you're not doing well with polls. When do you pull up?

Kucinich: "Well, after I, uh, when I take the oath of office and you're going to cover it (applause) . And I can tell you, Ted - we started at the beginning of this evening talking about an endorsement, and I want the people to see where the media takes politics in this country (applause) , we start talking about endorsements, and then we talk about polls, and now we're talking about money. (applause) Well, when you talk about that, you don't have to talk about what is important to the American people."

-> (me) and let me tell you , the others weren't exactly getting substantive ones, either. Please contact abc from here:

http://abcnews.go.com/service/help/abccontact.html

and tell them (at least) that Koppel was disgraceful, and shouldn't be allowed to do something this important in the future.

[sasquatch]

1. Kucinich rocks and should be covered more in the corporate media

Then again they'd rather roll over and let Bush scratch their tummy.

[Dover]

Also liked his last statement about the importance of resolving

the Iraq issue if there was any hope of ever paying for domestic programs. In other words, he was saying the debate had to be about Iraq, and getting out, because an extended occupation would drain America financially.
This is what happened to the Soviets in Afghanistan.

[Bozita]

2. Bullseye, that was DK at his best

I was very impressed with him tonight.

[adadem]

3. Loved it

Dennis had me out of my chair - that was perfect.

[underseasurveyor]

4. MMMmmmmmmmm Dennis

Love him :bounce:

[SoCalDem]

5. I am shocked.. You mean to tell me that Ted did not even ask

"..Senator Kerry, what is your favorite ....soup?"..

How on earth can we be expected to actually vote for ANY of these people if we do not know:

Their favorite color
Their shoe size
Their favorite teacher in grade school
Their favorite tv show
What they like best about GWB


The public has a RIGHT to know these things.. Why on earth would anyone even care what their thoughts are on :

environmental destruction
education
taxes
war
the economy
joblessness
healthcare
greedy corporations
CEO piracy
media monopolies
social security
medicare
energy policies
renegging on native american treaties
strongarm tactics in the congress
the 9-11 commission and the conflicts of interest of the members


No sireee.. We MUST know how many times a day they comb their hair.. where they get it cut, how much it costs..

We must know what they like to put on their baked potatoes
We need the inside scoop on what their favorite birthday present was..

You know...the IMPORTANT stuff..

[robsul82]

8. I wanna know what the last DVD they bought was.

THAT is how we shall know who deserves the nod!

Later.

RJS

[DemBones DemBones]

12. I'll never forget John Edwards' "favorite movie," after Tweety

hassled him so much about coming up with an answer. Personally, I hate having to name my favorite movie, song, color, food, flower, etc. I like a wide variety of movies, songs, colors, foods, flowers, etc. It's like junior high school, when we'd pass around slam books.

[kaitykaity]

6. Way to go, DK. That slap-down totally rocked.

:thumbsup:

[ThirdWheelLegend]

7. excellent!! and what truth!

"I want the people to see where the media takes politics in this country (applause) , we start talking about endorsements, and then we talk about polls, and now we're talking about money."

Sounds like the front page of General Discussion! We seem to be overun with talk of "A NEW POLL!!" and "X RAISED SO MUCH MONEY!!". It truly saddens me that Dennis is so strong on the issues, speaks for all of us and all we ever talk about is some bullshit electability factor. This factor which is driven by polls and money, but not by any real issues about how we need to change this country.

TWL

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

14. Kucinich got the longest, loudest applause of the entire night

when he bitch-slapped the corporate whores right across the face. What an amazing Democrat!

[Logansquare]

24. Yes, he can take it, and dish it right back to them! n/t

x

[joanski01]

9. Right on, Kucinich.

That was the candidate's chance to get to be seen by ALL of New Hampshire. And Ted Koppel tried to make them all look bad. What a nasty year we have coming up. I just can't express how PO'd I am at this so-called debate.

[lostnfound]

13. It's frightening to think the media will control Bush-vs.-Dem debate

if there ever is one. (assuming W doesn't plan a big distraction instead).

[laura888]

10. was that nightline?

want to send email to the right show...

[morgan2]

11. don't see how anyone could support anyone else.

He's the whole package. He's got the right message, the history to back it up, and isn't affraid to do whats right.

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

15. Kucinich can speak on his feet

He's quite good at the debate format, I guess from being in Congress so long, and having to put up with the give and take and verbal assaults. He would run rings around Bush in a head to head debate about the economy.

[Dems Will Win]

16. And the loser of last night's debate was...

Ted Koppel and all the stupid anchors, like Judy Woodruff who ask those ridiculous questions!

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

18. Ted Kophole embarrased himself, even for an actor he did poorly

I realize that Ted Koppel is just an actor, and has spent his career reading from a teleprompter, so perhaps he just wasn't up to moderating a debate among 9 highly intelligent and sophisticated presidential candidates. Still, surely we could find a better actor to read questions.

[Zomby Woof]

17. Greatest. Debate. Moment. Ever.

The LOOK on Koppel's face was PRICELESS. He ate his own shit, and didn't like the taste of it.

[Papa]

19. This is a winning strategy

We need to take a play out of the Republican dirty tricks book and start attacking the media non-stop. Talk about the right wing media - or whatever term that suits your fancy - and bash them every chance we get. Live, when it happens, and not after the fact.

The biggest applause for the whole night was when the media was being attacked for being shallow, and essentially failing the American people. We need to keep it up, it's a winning strategy.

[cryofan]

23. YES! Kucinich's campaign needs to be an ANTI-MEDIA campaign (nm)

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

32. Yes - keeping talking about the corporate media

It worked for the GOP certainly, and we have truth on our side.

[Logansquare]

20. Don't blame Koppel

He was just personifying how the press reports the race to the American people. Polls, money, money, polls, maybe a little fashion advice--a dull steeplechase where policy and past service are irrelevant. No wonder only geeks like us are paying attention.

Let's face it, he gave Kucinich a great opportunity to knock him, and by extension all of them, down a notch or two. I was really tickled by Dennis' answer.

[Ficus]

21. turly the defining moment

of not just the debate last night, but Dennis Kucinich's campaign up until this point.

The essence of DK's candidacy was laid out there for the party to see. It's the REAL campaign of people versus the powerful, and no one can bring that fight to the Republicans with more authority than Dennis Fucking Kucinich!

[MuseRider]

30. That is the best

comment I have seen about Dennis Kucinich. You are exactly right. For those who have not heard him speak except in the debates you should go to his website and watch some of his speeches. He can and will bring out these issues, he will not back down. He is the real thing, for people and making our lives a good as they can be.

[diamondsoul]

33. Hee hee!! I love the sound of that!

"Dennis Fucking Kucinich"!

[letthewindblow]

22. Kucinich rocks!

I am in Europe and have been around here for some time. Actually, since the war in Iraq. I used to come here, mostly for news (Breaking News forum is great source of news and information), but I learned to really like DU and I kind of got addicted to it.
Kucinich is a very unique politician, not only in the USA, but worldwide. I am not really interested in politics, voting and elections, mostly because I don't trust politicians in general, but Kucinich is giving me back my faith. That's what made me think that he has a potential of making a lot of people, who usually don't vote, actually vote. Maybe for the first time in their lifes.
So he may be much more electable, than people think.

[TNOE]

25. Wecome to DU

:hi: - Unfortunately I'm missed the debates - so happy to see it reported here on DU.

Nice to have your input.

[the_boxer_]

26. To me...Kucinich is the best candidate out there....

but unfortunately he won't be elected.

[TNOE]

28. Never say Never

I understand your feeling but there are always surprises.

[MODemocrat]

39. Yeh, like the Dewey-Truman upset

The newspapers declared Dewey the winner, when it was actually Harry Truman that got the most votes. That was so unbelievably cool! :dem: :)

[NuckinFutz]

29. You just described me...

I'm one of those disenchanted voters whoc didn't really see much of a difference. Then I found out about Kucinich, and he's restoring my faith as well.

[Ficus]

42. VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE

Please! We need everyone like you out there, who finally found a candidate in Dennis.

[redqueen]

45. TALK TALK TALK TALK

Talk to your friends, family, and associates... let them know that you support Kucinich. The media has painted him as the 'fringe' 'kook' candidate, so the more it gets out there that many Americans actually do support him, the better.

Many of my 'liberal' friends and family, even former Green Party voters, are backing Dean this time around. While I think Dean is head and shoulders above *, I think Kucinich is on a whole other level.

:)

[redqueen]

31. Welcome to DU!

I feel exactly the same way about Kucinich's effect on people who have become cynical about politics and politicians.

I think this is also part of the reason the corporate media is dead set on keeping him out of the big picture.

[letthewindblow]

35. I completely agree about...

corporate media trying to keep him out for this reason. They are very powerful, but they are vulnerable. That's why they're trying so hard to keep him out. I hope Kucinich will find a way to get his message through. This debate was an important step. I think he's approaching the tipping point and it will be easier for him when more people know about him.
I wonder how many people there are, who are/have become cynical about politics? How many people don't vote in America?

[PissedOffPollyana]

37. Totally agreed

"I wonder how many people there are, who are/have become cynical about politics? How many people don't vote in America?"

Well, the seemingly generous figures at the Census Bureau say that aprox. 50% of the eligible voting aged public vote in a Presidential election year (35-40 in mid-term... ack!). Its pretty consistent.

Imagine if we had a candidate who could tap into the feelings of all those disenfranchised voters who have left the process because of the appalling level of corporate control? Too bad we're selling him short on the say-so of NYTimes, WPost, CNN and the rest of the meat-puppets.

It is pretty damned obvious that Dennis Kucinich gets no coverage because he's a "low %" candidate & he is a "low %" candidate because he gets no coverage. It's funny, we'll crow to high heaven that the media are liars and right wing operatives, then let their coverage & polls determine our choices. In my experience, the media corps & GOP don't attack the ones they are truly afraid of, they ignore &/or marginalize them. The actions of the media, in not even allowing Kucinich a mention, telegraph that they are dead afraid to call any attention to him. Think about it, if all the folks who would vote for DK otherwise would vote their conscience in the primaries, he would be the most "electable" in the bunch. What concerns me about the "electablity" myth is, do we have that little faith in our own beliefs, that little respect for our opinions and that little faith in ourselves and each other?

Imagine the support he'd have if he received even half the time as the candidates who toe the corporate/privatization line? If the TV, radio & print media is that afraid of Kucinich, I know I'm on the right track with my vote!

[letthewindblow]

43. It would be great

if Kucinich would get a chance to go against Bush. The primaries are probably the biggest obstacle for him. After that it would be a piece of cake... It's sad people think he's not electable. It's the other way around - he would destroy Bush.

[redqueen]

40. Check this out!

Granny D's endorsement statement:

"I am proud to endorse Dennis Kucinich for President.

When I walked 3,200 miles across the United States for campaign reform and inquired of people why they were not voting, they said: 'Find us someone who understands us, who cares about us.' I'm talking about people living in trailers, people living in small towns with boarded-up windows on Main Street, with drugstores, grocery stores, hardware stores all eaten up by Wal-Mart, Costco, CVS Drugs, Home Depot, and other monsters several miles beyond the town. People coming out of farmhouses in Iowa, squeezed out of their livelihood by stinking agri-hog farms, people coming out of tobacco fields, cotton fields, wheat fields, people living in cities who have been out of work for over a year, people whose well-paid jobs have been shipped overseas, people desperate for relief from the oppressions of our corporatized and disempowered lives.

I promised to look for someone who would understand them, that had a vision of the future for them, that believed in Peace, Love, Justice. Well, here he is: Dennis Kucinich.

I believe he is the candidate who can bring new voters and disgruntled voters into the political process.

To those people I met on my walk across America: 'Now keep your promise to me and come out and vote for him! Hugs.'"

For information purposes only:
Granny D (Doris Haddock) is the unstoppable social change activist, now in her 90s, from the first primary state of New Hampshire. At age 89, she wore out four sets of shoes and was hospitalized in Arizona for dehydration and pneumonia, but she would not be deterred as she marched for campaign reform from California to her triumphant arrival in Washington D.C. 14 months later. Now, she is on the march for Dennis.

link

[goodhue]

27. Dennis tells Ted the truth.

And the audience approves. Really liked how Dennis addressed "Ted" directly and repeatedly. Dennis' performance in the last two debates have really been at a whole nother level for him as he as looked confident and secure in addressing "Ted" and "Tom" square on.

[UTUSN]

34. Kick for Pimp-slapping KOPPEL n/t

[dpbrown]

36. Koppel made himself a "debater" and got creamed

A big thank you to Dennis for humiliating Koppel the corporate has-been like that.

[brainshrub]

38. If Kerry had said that, it would have saved his campaign.

Kucinich rock on so many levels.

Koppel asked the dumbest questions I've heard in a long time. "Do you think Dean can beat Bush?" WHAT KIND OF LAME-ASS QUESTION IS THAT??? :mad:

[DUJunkie]

41. DK is the only candidate

that I've heard, to give a time line on leaving Iraq ( 90 days )from start to finish. Lying Joe and others have goals of getting the US out of Iraq, witch I'am sure is alot like bush* plan, not without the oil.

[Snellius]

44. Its "liberals" like Koppel who are liberals worst enemies

These were the guys who did Gore in. One thing I hope our nominee learns is that the way to win is to bash the media. Dean, Clark, and Kucinich have led the way.

Focus the beam.

[Bushknew]

46. What a classy bitch slap

I did not expect that kind of question from Ted.

IÕm glad my candidate shamed him for wasting precious time on that.

There ALL corporate whores in the end arenÕt they.