Any one else disappointed in the treatment of Gavel and Kucinich in debates?

[HardWorkingDem]

When I was watching the Democratic debate the other night it really pissed me off how Russert treated Gavel and Kucinich. These two were treated as also rans and like they were second class people.

I realize neither of them has a chance in hell of wining the nomination, however, often times these two are about the only people in the group who aren't afraid to tell the unvarnished truth.

For example, Gavel's admonishment of HRC for voting on that Lieberman bullshit was one. She just looked at him and laughed like, "you fucking Admiral Stockdale crackpot."

Then Russert keep cutting these two guys off while letting the others just ramble on and on.

They are in the debate, let them have equal time regardless of their chances.

[Kelly Rupert]

1. Gravel comes off as kind of a nutjob to me.

He's rude, condescending, completely inarticulate, and he rattles on and leaps from subject to subject in a totally unfocused manner. And while the Iran business was indeed stupid, it was not an example of HRC voting for war with Iran, as he said.

[movonne]

2. No, we don't like that kind of conduct...I guess we don't like the questions...

[MetalCanuck]

7. Why listen to the media?

Its the media telling people they are non electable of don't have a chance...just do not listen to them.

[Kelly Rupert]

9. I'm listening to Gravel here, not the Media. n/t

[babylonsister]

14. Let me guess; a Hillary suppporter?! nt

[Kelly Rupert]

15. Not particularly n/t

[Bucky]

27. Ooo, good "call out". Yes, like most Clinton supporters Kelly sports a Bill Richardson avatar

I am LOLing at you, but I am not ROFLing at you

[parasim]

3. Yes, they are always treated that way.

Because they have been deemed "non-electable" they must be made to look like idiots. I love the fact that they are there and say the things that need to be said, yet disgusted that they are torn down because they're "un-electable" or "mean" or whatever...

[sandnsea]

4. That didn't happen in 2003

I don't remember any candidate being treated with outright disdain and ridicule the way Gravel was. There were the comments behind the scenes and by the pundits, but nothing during the actual debates. Cackling at Gravel that way was shameful and anybody else would have been ripped through the coals for it.

[parasim]

5. Well, Kucinich has always been ridiculed, I believe.

Nobody wants to hear what theses guys have say, so they come up reasons to trash them. With Kucinich, it's always how short he is, he's a vegan, he's too weird, whatever... it totally sickens me.

[sandnsea]

10. Not to his face

Not like what happened to Gravel, or the general dismissal that has happened this year. It has been very different, really disgraceful. Especially considering the applause he always gets. It's obvious a good portion of Democrats agree with him in principle. I really have noticed a very different tone to the campaign this time, it's not nice at all.

[Riktor]

17. It has nothing to do with their message...

Did JFK's popularity skyrocket after the first televised debates because of his message, or because Nixon was sweating bullets with the flu? Becoming president has just as much to do with appearance as message. Gravel looks like a nut job and Kucinich looks spineless. The media will fixate on this, the public will lap it up, and, once again, Kucinich will probably get pounded in the primaries.

[Desertrose]

6. Just shows how badly the fix is in.....

certain candidates get to go over their alloted time or get many questions, while the others, as noted, get cut off and treated like what they have to say doesn't matter, when if fact, they are saying what needs to be said....the truth.


I'm glad Grave & Kucinich are both still included at all.

[MetalCanuck]

8. Of course the Fix is in.

They are non CFR members and the media is mostly CFR. So of course they will get laughed at and jeered by the media.

[GreenArrow]

11. no use being

disappointed in something that's completely predictable.

[robinlynne]

12. yes. without them the entire debate would shift to the right.

[FlaxieB]

13. Get real! Respect for what? The best either will do is a book deal at the end of their Prez run.

[ljm2002]

16. Yes, very disappointed...

...angry in fact.

Although it did allow Kucinich to get across that great one-liner at the debate that Stephanopoulos (sp?) moderated, "I've been praying to God for the last 45 minutes that you'd call on me".

Kucinich and Gravel at least keep it from being snoringly boring. And Kucinich really should get more respect, to me he is the best candidate hands down on the issues, and has the most heart. And boy, could we use some of that right now.

[2rth2pwr]

18. I want to know why Gravel and Kucinich get to be at the

deabate and these guys don't. They all have candidacies filed with the FEC as Democrats.
The following people have filed with the Federal Elections Commission (FEC):

* Dal LaMagna, Founder of Tweezerman, Inc.<1><2>
* Albert B. Howard <3>
* James Prattas <4> <5>
* Danny M. Francis, Retired Marine Corps officer; two tours of Vietnam combat duty; Retired Department of Defense Civilian; Professional Educator<6>

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dal_LaMagna
For the past several years, Dal LaMagna has been a progressive activist concentrating on stopping the violence against U.S. troops and Iraqis in Iraq. He is an executive producer of three feature-length Iraq War-related movies: The Ground Truth, The War Tapes, and Iraq For Sale.

LaMagna has participated in two meetings with members of the Iraqi Parliament and others in Amman, Jordan. The first meeting, in August 2006, comprised a peace delegation where he and 15 other peace activists –- on a mission to listen to Iraqi voices -- met with Iraqi members of Parliament, sheiks, and torture survivors. The second meeting occurred when he accompanied Congressman Jim McDermott of Washington. LaMagna produced video presentations from both of these meetings and is using them to help educate members of the U.S. Congress and other Americans as to the Iraqi perspective on the war. In March of this year, Dal produced a live video conference between members of the U.S. Congress and Members of the Iraq Parliament

[LWolf]

19. the same question could be asked, of course,

about HRC, Obama, and Edwards. :D

[LWolf]

20. What debates? Has there been a debate yet?

You know: a debate. Where moderators are neutral, questions are neutral, and all debaters respond to all questions and are given equal time.

So far, all I've seen are carefully choreographed media events designed to give lip service to "debate" while pushing some candidates and marginalizing others.

[Ninja Jordan]

21. Anyone think Gravel should pronounce his name like the loose rocky compost?

I do.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

22. no what i noticed during the debates...Kucinich is equal in hieght to edwards, dodd, hillary, gravel

so can someone please tell me again why he isn't electable because he is too short?

[Ninja Jordan]

23. No he isn't.

[2rth2pwr]

24. With a little help

[ElsewheresDaughter]

25. that's just mean ....

:rofl:

[Clintonista2]

26. Nope. nt.

[Bucky]

28. I think Kucinich is definitely getting marginalized. But Gravel is an annoyance.

If you don't treat Gravel like an "Admiral Stockdale crackpot" then you're just patronizing a grouchy old man.
He is crackpot.

[RangerRK]

29. I think they should go to smaller debates like Edwards suggested and MSNBC promised

I would love to see a debate between Edwards, Hillary and Kucinich.