The New York Observer's Steve Kornacki wrote maybe the best op-ed evarr yesterday slamming CNN's entire promotion, pre-show, post-show and coverage of the last week's Democratic debate. Wonkette liveblogged this debate and agrees wholeheartedly with Kornacki's sentiment: "Once the gold standard for all-news television, the Cable News Network used the night to make a convincing argument that it should never again be entrusted with a presidential debate."
Kornacki describes the network's eff-ups as "legion," and hot damn is this guy riled up! Among CNN's sins:
* CNN promoted the event annoyingly as a "prize fight," with "Wolf Blitzer playing the Michael Buffer role and calling the candidates to the stage individually, like boxers entering the ring."
* "There was also the warm-up act, a full-hour of Lou Dobbs fulminating against illegal immigrants and reading letters from adoring and sycophantic viewers, all presented by CNN as some sort of debate preview."
* "So pro-Clinton was the crowd that Mrs. Clinton needed only to pause for a beat during an answer and the audience would fill the vacuum with raucous cheers."
* David Gergen and James Carville, both longtime Clinton buddies, were quick to announce Hillary as the winner of the debate. Why does this matter? Because they were CNN's post-game analysis.
* "And nothing but incompetence can explain why CNN decided to end on a "cute" question."
We'd also like to add the way Wolf broke everything down into binary "yes" or "no" answers. Everything. Thankfully we have such brilliant replacements on other networks, like Chris Matthews.
