The word “Debate” means little anymore

What they call debates are really just joint press conferences, as Rush says. Well, toss the word moderator into the same trash heap with the word debate. The “moderator” for the Veep “debate” is not just in the tank for Obama like the rest of the press; she’s set up shop in the tank.

Ifill and her publisher are banking on an Obama/Biden win to buoy her book sales. The moderator expected to treat both sides fairly has grandiosely declared this the “Age of Obama.” Can you imagine a right-leaning journalist writing a book about the “stunning” McCain campaign and its “bold” path to reform timed for release on Inauguration Day – and then expecting a slot as a moderator for the nation’s sole vice presidential debate?

Yeah, I just registered 6.4 on the Snicker Richter Scale, too.

I believe that would be the Snichter Scale.

Do take a moment to contact Janet H. Brown, Executive Director of the Debates Commission, jb@debates.org and encourage her to make sure Ifill’s book is prominent during the “debate”. Here’s my contribution:

To: jb@debates.org
Subject: Gwen Ifill

I do congratulate Gwen Ifill on the publication of her book and wish her
much success with it. Please make sure that the title of the book, as
well as its cover, are prominently displayed every time Ifill is on
camera during the upcoming vice-presidential debate. I’m sure the viewing
audience will want to know all about it.

A Short History Lesson

on the current mess in Washington.

Litmus Test

Jonah Goldberg says he can tell all about your politics based on whether or not you find this creepy.

Creepy? Creepy? I can’t tell if it’s real or a cruel parody of Obamatons.

Update:

Roger Simon doesn’t share my doubts.

Watching this video has disturbed me more than almost anything I have seen in recent years.  It is the kind of exploitation of children that reminds me of Young Pioneer Camps I saw when visiting the Soviet Union in the Eighties.

I did have that same thought: What would people say if the kiddies were singing that way about McCain?

Another Update:

A emailer to The Corner says the original was much better. Here it is.

Guess what? The kiddies are Zucker-funded Astroturf. I guess when you’re the boss at NBC/Universal it’s easy to scare up HD cameras and an Avid suite.

And it turns out that Mark Hemingway named this malady last year. It’s MCS: Manipulated-Child Syndrome.

One More Update:

Reason TV pretty much nails it.

The Teleprompter Makes Demands

(Caution: mild language)