 | Hate How ABC News Wrecked The Debate? Cancel Cable. |
I hate how ABC wrecked opportunity of the Democratic presidential debate last night. When they ought to have asked questions of substance that would require the candidates to speak intelligently about issues that will make a difference in Americans’ lives, Charles Gibson and George Stephanopolous instead chose to spend the first three quarters of an hour probing ridiculous issues such as why Barack Obama wears a flag lapel pin some of the time, but not absolutely all of the time.
The ABC News debate last night was a strong example of everything that’s wrong with television coverage of the news. That’s why you ought not restrict your protest of the ABC News debate debacle to just calling ABC News to complain at (212) 456-7777 and (818) 460-7477, or signing the petition of complaint to ABC News demanding an apology.
These are both good things to do, but there’s something much more important that you can do: Cancel your cable TV news subscription. Stop watching TV.
You know that there’s almost nothing of value for you on television any more. Certainly the television news channels have proven themselves to report only at a superficial level, focusing on the most superficial stories of the day.
Your cable TV payment helps keep Glen Beck on the air. Your cable TV payment subsidizes Fox News. Your cable TV payment supports junk news like the ABC presidential debate last night.
You don’t need to pay any more for this garbage. You don’t have to listen to the babble. Turn it off. Cancel your cable TV subscription in protest.
You can get your news elsewhere, you can get your entertainment from Netflix for a fraction of the cost, and you’ll love the clarity of mind that comes from not having annoying TV commercials flashing at your eyes in a pathetic attempt to get you to buy things in economically difficult times.
It’s the most effective protest against TV news that you can make: Cancel cable.
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Lots of questions were “asked by viewers”. Only a few were selected by the moderators, who in effect asked those questions, using “viewers” as a pretext.
Not once was the word “torture” uttered.
There was not one question about the news just last Friday that the President of the United States knew of, and approved of, a meeting of Cabinet members to draft a policy for torture.
Do you think it’s just wacky of me to want to have a question on that instead of whether Barack Obama wore a lapel pin?
Comment by J. Clifford — 4/17/2008 @ 9:25 pm
The media is a giant crock of shit.
Comment by Tom — 4/17/2008 @ 9:53 pm
Can’t cancel cable, it’s the only source of BBC comedies and dramas.
Just block all your American stations.
Comment by Scott — 4/18/2008 @ 10:28 am
You CAN cancel cable - and get BBC online.
Comment by Killing me — 4/18/2008 @ 10:34 am
Every cable bill you pay is sending money directly to Fox News, buddy.
Comment by Killing me — 4/18/2008 @ 10:34 am
No, actually a lot of places don’t get good TV reception anymore except by cable. You can live in the middle of a city and still not get many channels - or any.
Besides, you don’t PAY for cable if you cancel your cable service, and if you don’t PAY for cable, then you withdraw financial support for the distribution of the garbage they put on TV, such as Fox News and political junk food like the ABC News presidential debate.
Comment by J. Clifford — 4/18/2008 @ 1:08 pm
I may be all that, Iroquois, but I also travel to cities all over the United States, and I’ve been in many locations in or near major cities where the TV reception is cable or nothing.
Comment by J. Clifford — 4/18/2008 @ 3:34 pm
Really disappointed by the poor evening that ABC decided to waste, most Americans expected a better level of discussion, but were treated with gossip.GEORGE i always watch your program on Sunday mornings and respect your reporting,but when did you have take your questions from Fox cable news?
Comment by xolisa1@yahoo.com — 4/18/2008 @ 8:50 pm