[Kosh]

Hell a good amount of those questions were plants by Edwards or Clinton supporters asking questions designed to make the candidates look like buffoons through the typical cliches of what CNN thinks of Republicans in general.

Other than the one question that actually was a plant, do you have any evidence of this from reputable sources?


It's not CNN's fault that most of the candidates were just chasing soundbites (Romney was far more guilty of this than the others).


The entire point of doing the debate like this was that ordinary people can get more involved in the political process, which is exactly what we need given the obscene corperate influence we have today. Not getting the people involved in a democracy is dangerous.

[Hazaanko]

Hell a good amount of those questions were plants by Edwards or Clinton supporters asking questions designed to make the candidates look like buffoons through the typical cliches of what CNN thinks of Republicans in general.

Other than the one question that actually was a plant, do you have any evidence of this from reputable sources?


It's not CNN's fault that most of the candidates were just chasing soundbites (Romney was far more guilty of this than the others).


The entire point of doing the debate like this was that ordinary people can get more involved in the political process, which is exactly what we need given the obscene corperate influence we have today. Not getting the people involved in a democracy is dangerous.

Just one plant is ok, right?  Like it was a total fluke or something?  Take it from me man.  I follow these kinds of things all the time, and there are always liberal plants in the Republican debates.  How more obvious can it get?  They always ask liberal questions to Republican candidates.  There are a LOT more issues out there that are much more important to Americans than your run-of-the-mill mainstream-media "topics of debate."  On the other side, it is an EXTREMELY rare sight to see a democrat -anywhere- get asked a hardball question.  Because even if it does happen, it doesn't get reported.  (Murtha marine case, anyone?  If you don't know the specific incident I'm talking about, then I rest my case.)

http://media.newsbusters.org/stories/scarborough-total-crap-cnn-didnt-know-gay-questioner-hillary-campaign.html?q=blogs/mark-finkelstein/2007/11/29/scarborough-total-crap-cnn-didnt-know-gay-questioner-hillary-campa

http://michellemalkin.com/2007/11/29/digging-out-the-cnnyoutube-plants-abortion-questioner-is-edwards-supporter/

If the Republicans had a plant in the Democrat debate... the media would be up in arms all about it.  More proof of CNN's ridiculousness and double standard - is that you yourself haven't heard of the plants from anybody but me.

[Kosh]

Oh yeah, that's right, it's all part of a vast liberal conspiracy.........   

[Hazaanko]

Oh yeah, that's right, it's all part of a vast liberal conspiracy.........   

Hahaha I see what you did there.

But since when was an obvious bias a conspiracy?

Or is this so-called 'Fox-news bias' an evil corporate/republican conspiracy as well?

[Kosh]

Most of the questions didn't have any appearent bias and were asking about legitimate things. Believe it or not some people actually do want to know what these guys really stand for, and if the candidate (IE. Romney) won't let us know what the hell he really thinks, whose fault is that? There's this magical thing called "interaction". Because the questions were made by, OMFG, real people, the candidates weren't able to just spit out a memorized answer.


Fox actually is biased, and actually is in bed with the Republican Party. Go watch "outfoxed".

[Mefustae]

Or is this so-called 'Fox-news bias' an evil corporate/republican conspiracy as well?

All jokes aside, FOX News is actually heavily biased. While the 'liberal bias' of other networks like CNN is still somewhat contentious, pretty much everyone can agree that FOX is hands-down the worst and most blatant offender of them all.

Kosh makes a good point, go watch the doco 'Outfoxed' for a good slice of information.

[NGTM-1R]

I promise saying "let the states decide" isn't dodging the issue.   

Nope, it's one of the things the federal government is supposed to be set up to do.

[achtung]

I promise saying "let the states decide" isn't dodging the issue.   

Nope, it's one of the things the federal government is supposed to be set up to do.

He uses that too much.  Some issues do need to be dealt with on a federal level.  I just get the feeling he doesn't want to say yes or no to major issues, so he just says they're for others to decide, and keeps his ability to deny whatever he wants later.

[DeepSpace9er]

Most of the questions didn't have any appearent bias and were asking about legitimate things. Believe it or not some people actually do want to know what these guys really stand for, and if the candidate (IE. Romney) won't let us know what the hell he really thinks, whose fault is that? There's this magical thing called "interaction". Because the questions were made by, OMFG, real people, the candidates weren't able to just spit out a memorized answer.

The questions weren't even about the big issues. Iraq didn't come up till the 2nd hour. CNN handpicked these questions from the thousands they received. Don't tell me that there weren't questions submitted that asked more important questions than whether or not homosexuals should be allowed in the military. I don't think that issue, or half of the others brought up, are going to decide the primary.

[Flipside]

It's not about beliefs, never has been. I'm becoming more and more convinced that Democrat and Republican are becoming more and more like the UK Conservative and Labour, the voters argue over the differences whilst the actual parties more or less merge into a single unit, just using different words to achieve the same goals.

I think that's why politics is more and more about attacking the personalities rather than the politics themselves, because otherwise the duplicity of opinion would show, much easier to talk about someone's activities in a night-club than admit that you haven't actually have any new opinions or ideas since you got voted in in the first place.

[Hazaanko]

Or is this so-called 'Fox-news bias' an evil corporate/republican conspiracy as well?

All jokes aside, FOX News is actually heavily biased. While the 'liberal bias' of other networks like CNN is still somewhat contentious, pretty much everyone can agree that FOX is hands-down the worst and most blatant offender of them all.

Kosh makes a good point, go watch the doco 'Outfoxed' for a good slice of information.

There is no hope for you, good sir, if that is what you actually believe.

Flipside does have a point.  I don't think they're SO far gone that they've merged into a single party yet, but it is certainly getting there.  The candidates care too much what the news and opposing party says of them rather than what they believe they should do (a.k.a.)

P.S.  Outfoxed is hilarious.  They're using the same 'tactics' liberals usually use when trying to attack people they don't agree with.  Lack of context (a.k.a. 6-second soundbites), personal attacks with no basis (just speculation).  And MOST OF ALL what they don't tell you is that the same thing that Fox does with issues... are the same exact thing every single other news organization in the world does (i.e. cut people off from talking).  They're even using a TON of soundbites from people who AREN'T FROM FOX.
I can't believe you guys suck this stuff up.  Its Michael Moore all over again.  Making an issue out of a non-issue.

[Rictor]

It's not about beliefs, never has been. I'm becoming more and more convinced that Democrat and Republican are becoming more and more like the UK Conservative and Labour, the voters argue over the differences whilst the actual parties more or less merge into a single unit, just using different words to achieve the same goals.

Agree completely, and have for years. And I've got one word for you, friend. It starts with an "R" and ends in "onpaul".



edit: seeing McCain getting booed for invoking Hitler and calling Paul an isolationist was priceless. I don't know how many times I've heard that argument and had to swallow my rage, but it's finally all paid off.

[Kosh]

... are the same exact thing every single other news organization in the world does (i.e. cut people off from talking)

I've never seen another news organization do that.

They're using the same 'tactics' liberals usually use when trying to attack people they don't agree with.

I've never seen that either.

I can't believe you guys suck this stuff up.

I can't believe you believe so much in fox.

[Mefustae]

I can't believe you believe so much in fox.

Coming from someone who considered (and subsequently posted) a Current Affairs-type report smearing Global Warming as legitimate journalism, it's really not that hard to believe he also holds FOX News in high regard.