Obama’s Extraordinary Health Care Townhall - And ABC’s Offensive Commercial Exploitation

[babylonsister]

Obama’s Extraordinary Health Care Townhall - And ABC’s Offensive Commercial Exploitation

By: Scarecrow Wednesday June 24, 2009 8:42 pm


The President of the United States did an ABC-sponsored, nationally televised town hall to answer a broad range of questions from ordinary citizens and select health professionals.

It was an extraordinary event, both for the importance of the topic and for Obama's competence, with the President showing an impressive grasp of the entire range of health care issues. I've not seen anything like this in my lifetime.

For its part, ABC insisted on having Charles Gibson and Diane Sawyer, instead of informed, qualified health care experts, guide the conversation. That was a mistake, but not the worst of ABC's offensive conduct.

Sawyer's main contribution was to introduce her own uninformed biases/opinions in framing issues and introducing questioners. Gibson's primary role was to reveal his own misconceptions and then literally read talking points from a Republican letter -- an obvious ransom extracted after days of Republican whining about giving the President air time on a critical public issue.

Gibson's other role was to interrupt the President every few minutes to announce a commercial break. The all too frequent commercial interruptions served as an apt metaphor for how private commercial interests demand our attention and extract their profits while limiting our ability to discuss critical public policy issues.

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[masuki bance]

1. ABC should have done this commercial free. nt

[depakid]

12. Poster child for media re-regulation

Until that's done, it's going to be tough for the administration to accomplish much.

[graywarrior]

2. The ads seemed like they were on every five minutes

Charles Gibson is so offensive.

[Hieronymus]

9. Yes, the show was very disappointing. Two light weight celebs......

Obama was good at deflecting their stupidity though.

[graywarrior]

13. Must be a total bitch to be out classed by him,

[Vinca]

3. Somehow I missed it - thought it was tonight.

I guess I don't care so much knowing Sawyer and Gibson posed the questions. (Did Charlie ask the POTUS about Reverand Wright's health insurance?:rofl: )

[sandnsea]

4. I thought the questions were perfect

Because these are the exact questions that need to be rebutted. It also reminds the left how far away single payer is from what these people are talking about, and these ARE citizens of this country with a right to a point of view, regardless of how much money it took them to get it.

[jenmito]

5. He did extremely well despite Gibson's and Sawyer's attempts to trip him up.

And Gibson was shameless on how often he interrupted Obama in the middle of his answers with RW talking points, but Obama shot him down in his cool style. He would touch Gibson on the arm and tell him he is answering his question if he'd just let him finish. He got the audience to laugh a few times.

[babylonsister]

14. Thanks for the synopsis. I missed it, too.

I had no doubt he'd do well though. :D

[TomCADem]

6. I Was Very Impressed With President Obama's Knowledge On The Issue

I can only encourage other DUers to watch for themselves. Unlike Bush, who made you dummer for listening to him, it was very educational overall.

[FrenchieCat]

7. We haven't seen a President versed in the nitty gritty details in quite a while.....

and me having to hear Gibson "trying" to interrupt the President while the President was in mid sentences was truly torturous. Why were we subjected to Gibson's grunts which sounded like "stop talking Mr. President cause I've just thought of something else to say!" as the President was answering questions? What in the fuck was that about? I don't need no Teevee Blow Dry reporter between me and my President when he is conveying something to me. :shrug:

[Cleita]

8. Delete

[SemiCharmedQuark]

11. The RW trolls are out in force though...all over the ABC and HuffPo boards lying about

"guv'mint run healthcare"

[Ian David]

10. ABC was less fair to Obama than Fox "News" during the election season.

IIRC, that was per a study by Media Matters.