ABC Goes Wall-to-Wall Obama
On Wednesday June 24 ABC will go from the American Broadcasting Corporation to the All Barack Channel.
The network plans interviews with Obama and Michelle on Good Morning America, Charlie Gibson will broadcast World News from the White House, and the Obama filled day will be capped by a one-hour long town-hall type discussion with the President on health care.
Will there be any opposition to that discussion? Of course not. ABC denied the request of the RNC to have their side of the health care debate presented during the telecast. The network even went as far as denying the airtime of opposition advertisements. That’s right they denied paid advertisements to counter what the president was saying.
Yet somehow ABC says they’ll remain objective in all of this.
“In the end, no one watching, listening to, or reading ABC News will lack for an understanding of all sides of these important questions,” ABC News Senior Vice President Kerry Smith said in a letter to the RNC.
I highly doubt that.
ABC says they’ll be the only ones running the show. They’ll select the questions to be asked and the White House will have no say. But that doesn’t make it objective.
For example, when Charlie Gibson interviewed Barack Obama on the campaign trail, he lobbed softballs at him the entire interview. Here’s a list of the questions Obama was asked:
How does it feel to break a glass ceiling?
How does it feel to “win”?
How does your family feel about your “winning” breaking a glass ceiling?
Who will be your VP?
Should you choose Hillary Clinton as VP?
Will you accept public finance?
What issues is your campaign about?
Will you visit Iraq?
Will you debate McCain at a town hall?
What did you think of your competitor’s [Clinton] speech?
Oh jeez, Charlie Gibson, don’t be too harsh on Obama.
The fact of the matter is, it doesn’t matter that ABC is the one selecting the questions, that’s almost as bad as the White House doing it themselves. When an entire network devotes a day to you, a day in which I’m sure Obama won’t get a single tough question, they’re more interested in propping you up than honest journalism.
Furthermore, I would bet followup questions will not be allowed. And if that’s the case Obama can just skirt around every question and push the talking points his staff will shove down his throat. It’s ridiculous.
At least if you had someone there from the other side they’d be able to counter and give their view. This town-hall isn’t any honest discussion about health care, it’s a chance for Obama to clarify his plan. It’s ABC’s job to provide the American people with both sides of the health care debate, not one clear side.
And seriously ABC, do you have devote an entire day to the man? He’s already as big a media whore as Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt, he doesn’t need to prostitute himself anymore during the 8pm hour.
–jb
