I apologize to the "diamonds or pearls' questioner from last night.

[geek tragedy]

http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2007/11/diamond_v_pearl_student_blasts_1.php

On the other hand, CNN can go fuck itself.

Maria Luisa, the UNLV student who asked Hillary Clinton whether she preferred "diamonds or pearls" at last night's debate wrote on her MySpace page this morning that CNN forced her to ask the frilly question instead of a pre-approved query about the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository.

"Every single question asked during the debate by the audience had to be approved by CNN," Luisa writes. "I was asked to submit questions including "lighthearted/fun" questions. I submitted more than five questions on issues important to me. I did a policy memo on Yucca Mountain a year ago and was the finalist for the Truman Scholarship. For sure, I thought I would get to ask the Yucca question that was APPROVED by CNN days in advance."

This is why I owe her an apology:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=3723253&mesg_id=3723253

[RaleighNCDUer]

1. Yep. It was obvious who CNN's candidate was. nt

[ronnykmarshall]

3. Yeah. That's it.

:eyes:

[Chulanowa]

12. I bow to your well-reasoned argument.

Your ideas seem to be fully developed and well-backed. I must say I am intrigued and would like to subscribe to your weekly newsletter

For real? You think that CNN prepackaging questions, lobbing softball ones about choice of jewelry during a debate that, essentially sets the stage of world politics for the next 4-8 years isn't a little, y'know... dumb? The fact that this softball question was lobbed towards a candidate who happens to be one of two given any air time at the debate (seriously, the ANNOUNCER gets more face time than the other candidates?) doesn't smell just a little biased?

[mod mom]

2. More proof the corporate fix is in. What a total waste of a question when there are so many

important issues.

:mad:

[Whisp]

4. it was a stupid and sexist question.

I felt something 'wasn't right' when that question was allowed to be asked. It was wrong on so many levels -
trivializing, sexist, materialistic, etc.

[RaleighNCDUer]

6. I felt there was something wrong there long before that question

came up.

[Whisp]

11. true

but this one was like the shiny object moment of the whole thing.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

5. Why does CNN get to plant questions?

At least Clinton's planted questions were about issues...

[immoderate]

15. Don't you know anything about show business?

:wtf:

--IMM

[CK_John]

7. I think they read one of my posts here about boxers or briefs. n/t

[polichick]

8. Well, what can anyone expect from CNN??

Blitzer's was probably the loudest drumbeat to war in the whole country ~ nothing matters to them but ratings.

[goodgd_yall]

9. "Forced to ask" frilly question?

I would have agreed to ask one and then ask the Yucca Mountain question or something of equal importance. How can a person allow themselves to be controlled like that? This brings up the whole generational "war" issue again. This nation has raised generations of kowtowers.

[NI4NI]

10. except for the oppurtunity to get in front of a national tv audience

I don't understand why an obviously bright individual, which the young woman is, who is also
concerned about serious issues would oblige CNN.
Of all the viewers who heard her BS question, I wonder how many who ridiculed her mistakenly as a dim-wit will also see who was really responsible.

I like to hear candidates intentionally make humourous comments sometimes, but that's not CNN's job to induce one.

Personally, I would have told CNN to stick their stupid question up their ass, and no wonder
why the network's reputation has declined so much since the days of Desert Storm. IMO.

[klook]

13. Pathetic excuse.

She should have agreed to ask the "diamonds or pearls" question, and then asked the Yucca Mtn. question anyway. Make CNN cut her mic, and then let them try and explain it afterward.

[CnAnPB]

17. Agree 100% - n/t

Agree 100%

[NewHampster]

14. Good of you to apologize

[robbedvoter]

16. Wasn't the previous you tube debate on CNN? The impeachment question was

leading in votes, yet never asked. What else is new?
As for them picking a candidate - it wasn't all that obvious to me. The one thing I noticed - they were using DK only to discredit the others, he was hardly allowed to make his own points (ex: during the "would you sell our national security" BS question he didn't get a turn)
My point being, whomever the primary candidate we (they) pick, expect CNN (and all the rest) to jump over, while massaging the GOP guy.

[Vickers]

18. Unless they drugged her, she is still responsible for the question.

Grow a backbone, kid.