CNN Last Night | Ted's Take

I watched the debate of vice presidential candidates on CNN last night. They had this new feature where the pundits – in real time – were able to score how the debate was going according to “moi.” Their scores went up aside the screen and were “in your face.”

UGH!!!!!!!!!!!

How terrible to have some “has been/never was” pundits trying to dictate to America what we were hearing and seeing and push us to see the world through their eyes and their point of views. Check their bios and guess which way they would have voted. And yep, that is how they voted.

And worse, then to get the post debate analysis and each was much softer in their analysis than their scores in real time were to viewers. The real time scores were their personal lie detector tests if you ask me.

CNN should dump this feature. Let viewers decide in an unfiltered way what they are seeing THEN let a debate occur with their pundit. This new feature crossed the line in media manipulation. If I was CNN - ”the most trusted name in news” - I would drop it.

0 thoughts on “CNN Last Night”

CNN is the best advertisement for watching the debates on CSPAN – couldn’t agree with your post more Mr. Leonsis. I find Paul Begala’s commentary especially irrelevant to forming my opinions.

Part of the reason I prefer to watch the debates themselves on C-SPAN… completely unfiltered. I particularly like the split screen on C-SPAN that shows both candidates at all times.

I agree. It just gets on your nerves and you spend more time looking at whose more byest then who. Its a distraction and I switched it to the analog cnn channel so I didnt have to look at it.

I agree with you. I hate to see CNN stoop to the manipulation tactics that we’re much more used to seeing on Fox.

That being said, Palin was lousy last night. It’s sad to me that so many people considered that to be her “best” performance. Maybe compared to the interviews and whatnot. If that’s the best she’s got, she has no place being a hearbeat away from being President. She’s absolutely the worst thing about the McCain ticket.

Democratic supporters of Hillary Clinton should be insulted that republicans feel that ANY woman will automatically earn their vote. Especially one who’s views are completely the opposite of Hillary’s.

I agree, Ted. It was lame. And to top it off, they didn’t even talk about why they scored the way they did after the debate. The only reason I watched CNN was because it was in hd.

I loved CNN in the early 1990′s ..especially the sports department…its nothing like it once was

I completely agree Ted. I actually had been DVRing the debate on CNN, but after the first minutes of the debate, I actually changed channels. Those scores became too much of a distraction and I found myself watching the crowd meter and not listing to the debate.

Mark aka Usually Frustrated Caps Fan on October 4, 2008 at 6:47 PM said:

CNN is the best advertisement for watching the debates on CSPAN – couldn’t agree with your post more Mr. Leonsis. I find Paul Begala’s commentary especially irrelevant to forming my opinions.
redGrinch on October 4, 2008 at 12:40 AM said:

Part of the reason I prefer to watch the debates themselves on C-SPAN… completely unfiltered. I particularly like the split screen on C-SPAN that shows both candidates at all times.
Don Beaulieu on October 3, 2008 at 10:09 PM said:

I agree. It just gets on your nerves and you spend more time looking at whose more byest then who. Its a distraction and I switched it to the analog cnn channel so I didnt have to look at it.
Nathan Hays on October 3, 2008 at 4:46 PM said:

I agree with you. I hate to see CNN stoop to the manipulation tactics that we’re much more used to seeing on Fox.

That being said, Palin was lousy last night. It’s sad to me that so many people considered that to be her “best” performance. Maybe compared to the interviews and whatnot. If that’s the best she’s got, she has no place being a hearbeat away from being President. She’s absolutely the worst thing about the McCain ticket.

Democratic supporters of Hillary Clinton should be insulted that republicans feel that ANY woman will automatically earn their vote. Especially one who’s views are completely the opposite of Hillary’s.
Chopseuy on October 3, 2008 at 4:40 PM said:

I agree, Ted. It was lame. And to top it off, they didn’t even talk about why they scored the way they did after the debate. The only reason I watched CNN was because it was in hd.
steve on October 3, 2008 at 4:04 PM said:

I loved CNN in the early 1990′s ..especially the sports department…its nothing like it once was
Brendan on October 3, 2008 at 2:49 PM said:

I completely agree Ted. I actually had been DVRing the debate on CNN, but after the first minutes of the debate, I actually changed channels. Those scores became too much of a distraction and I found myself watching the crowd meter and not listing to the debate.