Keith Olbermann directly attacks Edwards

[LBJDemocrat]

Olbermann rudely injected himself into Edwards' response to Biden's attack by saying, "Aren't you from a right to work state?"

Is it Olbermann's job to cross-examine candidates and ask his own questions? Why is he trashing the most economically progressive candidate of the big three?

Why? Because General Electric's paying his ass.

Yeah, he's good when it comes to criticizing the war (that doesn't cost Wall Street much); but he doesn't give a flying f--k about the working man.

[mantis]

1. Wow

I'm shocked!! Didn't ya know....only the forces known as Clobama have a right to be President.

[Not Me]

2. Fair question, though

I think KO was a little pissed at him for ignoring the time limits on two previous questions.

[LBJDemocrat]

6. Edwards was a senator, not a governor

He had no power over North Carolina's labor laws. Not a fair question, more like an ambush.

[Clark2008]

21. It could be something standardized, but Edwards didn't

do anything about it.

[Mass]

22. Why? You gave the obvious answer and I would guess Edwards was able to say so as well.

Ï do not agree with the law in my state". What is difficult in that? Do you expect that every single question to candidates have to be easy and nice.

[polichick]

9. Could be...

Seems Keith's finding it a bit nerve wrecking to moderate.

[mantis]

10. oh come on

Has ANYONE followed the time?

[MH1]

36. For the part I watched

Most ran over the time a little. Edwards ran over the limit by quite a bit and didn't even seem to care.

There's a difference in taking a few extra seconds to finish a sentence, and going off on a whole 'nother paragraph of a stump speech.

(disclaimer: I don't have a first choice who's in the race, and I could end up supporting Edwards. But he did go way over the time on at least one question, and ignored Olbermann telling him his time was up.)

[sailor65]

19. I agree

And once when Keith tried to stop him, Edwards jumped and said "Let me finish this."
It didn't do much for Edwards' stock.

[Jimdish25]

32. Legit Question

He handled it just fine.

[MH1]

34. EXACTLY.

I didn't watch much of the debate myself - between Edwards ignoring the time limits and all of them (except Richardson, in the bit I watched) refusing to answer the question asked of them so that they could answer a question that wasn't asked of them....I freakin' gave up.

I think the idea of asking a question to only one candidate and everyone getting different questions is a lousy format, but I would have been more impressed by the candidates if each would have given good answers to the questions that were asked of them. I think it was disrespectful to the questioner when the candidate blew off the question asked in order to make a totally unrelated point that the candidate felt was more important to the candidate.

Back to Olbermann / Edwards... Edwards totally disrespected the time limit (in the case I saw) and I don't see anything wrong with what Olbermann asked, anyway.

[VolcanoJen]

3. I think he's doing an admirable job.

You can tell he's a bit uncomfortable with the boisterous, vocal crowd. Imagine if Chris Matthews or Tim Russert or (gasp) Brit Hume were moderating this thing!!

[Mutineer]

31. Other moderators have told the crowds and the candidates

to behave. Keith should have done the same.

And how the heck is it Edwards fault that NC, a Republican-controlled state, a right-to-work state? Most southern states are anti-union right? A U.S. Senator can't change state law. :shrug:

[polichick]

4. I thought that was odd too...

Hope you're not right about the reason ~ but it makes sense.

[MessiahRp]

5. It was a fair question

Keith isn't moderating to pander to one candidate or another (like Edwards just did to the Unions), he's there to be a moderator who asks the tough questions.

Apparently KO isn't cool to you unless he is like FOX is with Republicans and fellates the Democratic Candidates.

Rp

[Mutineer]

35. And the baseball/steroid question was a tough question?

Please. Edwards has zero control over what the state legislature or the climate towards unions is like within the state of N.C. as a U.S. Senator. And I sure as heck didn't see him following up on any of this other questions to other candidates the way he did with Edwards. WHY?

[Inspired]

7. I think Edwards handled it well though.

[karynnj]

8. Actually that was to HELP Edwards

Biden had just made the point that he (Biden) had a good record in spite of being from a right to work state. Edwards had not thought to say that he had been in the same situation.

[LBJDemocrat]

11. Hmm. Maybe you're right

To me, it sounded like, "How can you be pro-union when you're tied to a right-to-work system?"

[mantis]

12. hmm

yeah good point. By the way, I find Dennis to be pretty cool.

[billbuckhead]

13. The senator from MBNA is the most economically progressive?

:wtf:

[LBJDemocrat]

16. Relative to Clobama?

By far.

[draft_mario_cuomo]

29. Ask Wall Street. How much many are they giving to Biden? How much to Clobama?

Clobama beat every Republican on Wall Street. Obama raised almost as much as Clinton, Giuliani, and Romney combined on Wall Street.

[Omaha Steve]

17. I agree

Rec

[MalloyLiberal]

27. It worked to Edwards advantage. If anyone was a prick, it was Biden!

[Inuca]

37. Not sure about that...

his answer was somewhat strident, I agree. On the other hand, he was contrasting his long and consistent record with Edwards' shorter, possibly campaign-motivated, and possibly less consistent (I do not know for sure, so I may be worng here).

[Harper_is_Bush]

14. Poor John. Why can't KO be nice to him?

:)

[movonne]

15. I'm and edwards supporter, and I really didn't feel it was attack..it

was a question that all the talking heads will be asking..so it gave him a chance to answer..at least that is the way I see it, and I could be wrong..on one of his programs I thought he liked edwards..

[Ian David]

24. It was a softball. Keith threw Edwards a lifeline. n/t

[itsrobert]

18. You would think that KO would know Edwards was a Senator, not a Governor

KO was unfairly attacking Edwards. That was obvious.

[Clark2008]

20. Uhhh... no.... he asked the question because it was correct.

Geesch. If Edwards can't take care of himself, he shouldn't be running.

Edwards IS from a right to be fired, I mean, right to work state. And so am I - next door. I hate it, but, as is the case with all of Edwards grandstanding, he gives lip service to good ideals, but did NOTHING about them when he was a senator.

[karynnj]

25. OT - but just had to comment that those are extremely cute kids

Great photo

[Mutineer]

38. what do you want him to do about them?

I grew up in a right-to-work state (although a member of a union household and currently a union (weak though) member myself). The ideas of anti-labor laws are so entrenched in the culture of these right-to-work states that there is very sadly not a hell of a lot that a senator can do to change them. State governments are so desperate to lure industries/businesses to their states that they don't want unions in them so they are better able to attract them. That's the political reality of it.

And p.s. Olbermann was a horrible moderator. He had zero crowd control, at times he had zero candidate control. the question to Obama about Bonds was not only stupid, it was patrionizing. Hey, let's ask the only black man in the field a question about another black man--don't they all know each other? Love his show, but this debate sucked ass.

[Ian David]

23. Wasn't an attack. It was a softball. And Edwards hit it out of the park. n/t

[dflprincess]

26. "he's good when it comes to criticizing the war (that doesn't cost Wall Street much); "

You checked Halliburton's stock price lately? Wall Street is making big money off this war.

I took the question the way one of the above poster's did. Biden mentioned he was from a right to work state but still prolabor, I think KO was giving Edwards the same chance. I sure didn't see it as an attack.

[Yael]

28. Edwards can handle the tough questions -- and people need to hear his answers

[LBJDemocrat]

30. I just noticed a certain Biden plant on this forum

Trash Edwards for being from a right-to-work state. It's pretty clear that Olbermann was doing the bidding of the establishment. Fuck him.

[Fearless]

33. Ahh a microcosm of a bigger problem

This is all we've been doing lately. Ohh I hated that one thing. Fuck him/her. They suck. Boooo! Etc.

It's time to grow up people. Not everyone is going to believe everything you think.