Just Tell Us the Truth

Be inspired by Lee Stranahan's brilliant video protest. For it's the one thing on which virtually all of us can agree: this week's ABC Debate was utterly appalling--just an unforgivable journalistic trainwreck in which rightwing trash-talking points collided with irrelevant, lowest-common-denominator tabloid distractions to spectacularly stupid, intelligence-insulting effect. While George Stephanopoulos and Charlie Gibson manned the throttle and steering wheel.

The good news, though, is that people are speaking out--in volume, volume, volume. You can, too: tell ABC you want substance, not slime; news, not entertainment. You can phone ABC at 212.456.7777 and contribute your thoughts on the debacle debate here. (To give you an idea of the magnitude of the blowback ABC's received these past couple of days, the comment total is approaching twenty thousand as I type! I don't think I've seen that many comments on a story ever, not even at the Shakesville virtual pub or in an Atrios thread.)

I still don't know all that much about the specifics of either Dem. candidate's plans for healthcare, war-ending, or education-improving, and I cannot fathom how a major network, one that employs so-called journalists at that level and payscale, could squander the opportunity to really delve into those and other topics on behalf of millions of viewing voters.

Believe it or not, Disneyland delusionmeisters, most of us out here are grownups who want, and can handle, cold facts; we don't appreciate being served a plateful of recycled, reheated bullshit studded with made-in-China flag pins.

Also at Cogitamus.