By Ellen Ratner Talk Radio News Service Bureau Chief
After last week's Pennsylvania debate between Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, my very good friends on the left were screaming.
ABC moderators George Stephanopoulos and Charlie Gibson were being denounced as traitors, knaves and, in a few instances, things that cannot be mentioned in a family news website. The complaint was that for the first 45 minutes of the debate, the questions were mostly issue-free and centered on Obama's negatives and such matters as his relationships with the incendiary Rev. Wright and ex-SDS weathermen Bill Ayres.
Some on the left say that it was unfair, unbalanced, tilted against Obama and favoring his opponent.
I agree.
I disagree.
Yes, it was unfair; yes it favored Hillary and indirectly, McCain. Yes, it was a radical departure from previous debates.
And yes, it was in Barack Obama's long-term interest that he be subjected to an onslaught of unfair and unbalanced questions, bias and a strong tilt against him.
Why? Because George and Gibson offered Obama a mere light appetizer of what he can expect in the general election. Because Obama had better get used to the big time of opposition research and negative ads, of Republican 527s, of whisper campaigns and anonymous Internet "mail" campaigns. Obama and his people better get used to the fact that once inside the big tent of national politics, he won't be able to declare, as he did at a recent press conference, that "eight questions" about Chicago sleaze ball Ton Rezco are "enough" and just walk off the stage. Taking umbrage doesn't work in a national debate, any more than staring at his watch did for George Bush No. 41.
The old line that, "Life is short, and then you die" is truer about presidential politics than any other endeavor. Just ask Jimmy Carter, Walter Mondale, Mike Dukakis, Al Gore or John Kerry.
I plan to fight like hell for any Democratic nominee. But hell is a notoriously hot place, and all George and Gibson did for the Democrats was raise the temperature to general election levels.
My fellow Democrats take note: We are doing our candidate no favors by babying him now.
Don't baby Obama
Talk Radio News Service Bureau Chief
After last week's Pennsylvania debate between Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, my very good friends on the left were screaming.
ABC moderators George Stephanopoulos and Charlie Gibson were being denounced as traitors, knaves and, in a few instances, things that cannot be mentioned in a family news website. The complaint was that for the first 45 minutes of the debate, the questions were mostly issue-free and centered on Obama's negatives and such matters as his relationships with the incendiary Rev. Wright and ex-SDS weathermen Bill Ayres.
Some on the left say that it was unfair, unbalanced, tilted against Obama and favoring his opponent.
I agree.
I disagree.
Yes, it was unfair; yes it favored Hillary and indirectly, McCain. Yes, it was a radical departure from previous debates.
And yes, it was in Barack Obama's long-term interest that he be subjected to an onslaught of unfair and unbalanced questions, bias and a strong tilt against him.
Why? Because George and Gibson offered Obama a mere light appetizer of what he can expect in the general election. Because Obama had better get used to the big time of opposition research and negative ads, of Republican 527s, of whisper campaigns and anonymous Internet "mail" campaigns. Obama and his people better get used to the fact that once inside the big tent of national politics, he won't be able to declare, as he did at a recent press conference, that "eight questions" about Chicago sleaze ball Ton Rezco are "enough" and just walk off the stage. Taking umbrage doesn't work in a national debate, any more than staring at his watch did for George Bush No. 41.
The old line that, "Life is short, and then you die" is truer about presidential politics than any other endeavor. Just ask Jimmy Carter, Walter Mondale, Mike Dukakis, Al Gore or John Kerry.
I plan to fight like hell for any Democratic nominee. But hell is a notoriously hot place, and all George and Gibson did for the Democrats was raise the temperature to general election levels.
My fellow Democrats take note: We are doing our candidate no favors by babying him now.