Shame on Barbara West, WFTV, Orlando, for her ignorant confrontational interview with Joe Biden.

[madfloridian]

It was absolutely ugly in nature, used ignorant talking points, and made our state look even more awful than usual.

Orlando people, if you don't contact the station you should hide your head in shame.

She did not even know how terrible her interview was. At one point Joe Biden asked her if she were kidding. It was that bad. Joe Biden did quite well in the face of such an ignorant interviewer. She was snide and pathetic and rude.

Here is the video:

Barbara West versus Joe Biden. Winner: Biden

Joe was classy, she was just not even aware of how she sounded. She had talking points coming out of her ears, and did not seem to have the intelligence to know better.


Barbara West...pretty face. Not much else.

Here is more about it.

The Orlando Sentinel covered the fact that the Obama campaign promptly cancelled Jill Biden's intervew and others until further notice.

Obama campaign cuts off WFTV after interview with Joe Biden

WFTV-Channel 9's Barbara West conducted a satellite interview with Sen. Joe Biden on Thursday. A friend says it's some of the best entertainment he's seen recently. What do you think? West wondered about Sen. Barack Obama's comment, to Joe the Plumber, about spreading the wealth. She quoted Karl Marx and asked how Obama isn't being a Marxist with the "spreading the wealth" comment.

"Are you joking?" said Biden, who is Obama's running mate. "No," West said.

West later asked Biden about his comments that Obama could be tested early on as president. She wondered if the Delaware senator was saying America's days as the world's leading power were over.

"I don't know who's writing your questions," Biden shot back. Biden so disliked West's line of questioning that the Obama campaign canceled a WFTV interview with Jill Biden, the candidate's wife.

"This cancellation is non-negotiable, and further opportunities for your station to interview with this campaign are unlikely, at best for the duration of the remaining days until the election," wrote Laura K. McGinnis, Central Florida communications director for the Obama campaign. McGinnis said the Biden cancellation was "a result of her husband's experience yesterday during the satellite interview with Barbara West."

Here is the response of the WFTV News Director. He and Barbara West are making Floridians look very bad indeed.

WFTV news director Bob Jordan said, "When you get a shot to ask these candidates, you want to make the most of it. They usually give you five minutes. Jordan said political campaigns in general pick and choose the stations they like. And stations often pose softball questions during the satellite interviews.

"Mr. Biden didn't like the questions," Jordan said. "We choose not to ask softball questions."

Jordan added, "I'm crying foul on this one."

WRONG! Mr. Jordan. Candidates just assume that common courtesy and intelligence will be forthcoming in interviews.

Hiding in my head in shame as I often do now at things that happen in this sorry state.

[madfloridian]

1. This was worse than any interview I have seen on Fox...or anywhere.

It makes our state look uneducated and not very bright.

The only thing worse than being uninformed is not knowing you are uninformed and just keeping on talking.

[Sidney J Mussburger]

147. I don't think it made Florida look uneducated

It did make this "Reporter" look like a fringe right wing mouth piece. After the Democratic Landslide on Nov 4th this poor woman will have to live in an America that doesn't just reward the rich. Fuck YOu! Whatever your name is! I hope she moves out of the country.

[NRaleighLiberal]

2. Just watched the video - Biden came off great, West came off like a Faux news asshole!

[madfloridian]

6. Biden was super. He showed class.

She showed ignorance of basic political things.

I hope Orlando people call the station.

[Swagman]

82. he sure did !..but what a waste of time speaking to a complete idiot

[MrModerate]

3. Floridian, I now know why you're mad . . .

I'm dithering between "piece of shit" and "waste of skin" to describe Barbara West, but I think I'll settle on the more comprehensive "abhorrent."

I feel your pain.

[madfloridian]

4. It hurts deep inside. My state has become a cesspool of ignorance.

:cry:

[Narkos]

14. Garsh, is it really that bad down there?

[madfloridian]

16. Yes.

.

[JimboBillyBubbaBob]

39. Barbara West

Hey Babs,
I've spent some time in Sweden, it's a nice place. Have you ever been there? Regarding the spreading the wealth around, I'm for spreading it to the middle class. It's already being spread around, just in an upward fashion. This whole socialism debate is ridiculous. I don't care what you call it just so some of it comes my way.

[madfloridian]

40. Nice post....

Love your name...:evilgrin:

[Zing Zing Zingbah]

83. Don't you know Sweden is almost just as bad as North Korea?

:sarcasm: LOL!

[Native]

92. It really is tough living here. n/t

[Bette Noir]

125. I've been there, and I know you're not all like that.

Most of the Floridians I know are decent, intelligent people. Too bad this one bimbo gets to present herself as the state's public face.

[DawgHouse]

146. Hey, I resemble that remark!

:) I was at a rally this week in Orlando and I'll tell you there are plenty of people who aren't ignorant!

[urgk]

156. Ignorance may not have a brain, but it has a wallet.

Call the local advertisers. Get your family and friends to call WFTV's local advertisers. Put it on the Florida DU page. I teach advertising and we tell the kids all the time that a few concerned nuts nationwide will get a campaign pulled if they call to complain. Imagine a hundred Floridians calling all of the local car dealerships, furniture stores, Disney, etc., who support WFTV and explaining exactly why they will stop patronizing those businesses unless WFTV changes their tune.

See my post down the page for a list of contacts for the WFTV web sponsors.

[sellitman]

5. Glenn Beck with Tits.

:grr:

[tosh]

80. My thoughts while watching:

Wow, Barbara West got her "Journalism" degree from the same six schools as Sarah Palin!

Joe Biden is so good. He handled that beautifully.

[NeedleCast]

7. Nice Work Joe

Excellent answers in the face of blinding stupidity.

[madfloridian]

8. I was so proud of him.

He was classy.

[Mojorabbit]

9. OMG

I just watched it. I also just fired off an email to the station. I have never in my life seen anything so ignorant. Holy shit.
How embarrassing for my city.

[madfloridian]

15. It's terrible. I just watched her interview with McCain posted in the thread.

Softball all the way.

[itsrobert]

10. Compare it to her interview with John McCain

Softball after softball. Helped McCain attack Obama on Acorn and other things.

http://www.wftv.com/video/17712615/index.html

[madfloridian]

20. Unbelieveable. Thanks for finding that. Shows her for who she really is.

:hi:

[gratefultobelib]

45. Whoa. That is a great find. Unbelievably biased.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

11. WTF? Did Sean Hannity have his hand up her ass?

[Narkos]

13. I think the term is "spleening" n/t

[Hassin Bin Sober]

29. DOH! Now I'm gonna go look it up.

:scared:

[Narkos]

12. Now that was fucking bizarre...who is that reich wing blond bimbo? Jeez!

[madfloridian]

17. Here's the contact page.

http://www.wftv.com/contact/index.html

[NeedleCast]

25. and an E-mail address for Barbara West

[email protected] <[email protected]>

[madfloridian]

33. Thanks. We have to stand up and fight back at stuff like that.

:hi:

[malaise]

120. Please send this to Barbara

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2JPbQOHEkY

[april]

163. Thanks so Much! sent email to general manager

[Bette Noir]

126. Thanks for the link.

I just emailed the general manager. I told him that, unless she asked McCain if he was a Nazi, the bias of the station was showing.

[urgk]

154. They're an affiliate station. Here's the contact page for ABC.

http://abc.go.com/site/contactus.html?lid=ABCCOMGlobalFooter&lpos=CONTACT

[urgk]

155. Hit them where it hurts -- right in the advertisers.

We may be able to scream at WFTV until we're blue in the face and get no reaction. But I can guarante you that if you make a list of the local businesses who fund the show (watch the newscast and jot down the ones who appear in local ads) or the website and contact them directly, somethign will get done about it.

Imagine Todd Miner, Attorney at Law (who advertises on the WFTV website) getting inundated with e-mail and phone calls that say exactly where you, your family and friends won't be sending business in these hard economic times. Something will get done about it.

A few of WFTVs web advertisers:

1. Todd Miner - [phone]

2. Progress Energy -

Investor Relations
P.O. Box 1551
Raleigh, NC 27602-1551

Phone
Bob Drennan
Vice President, Investor Relations
[phone]

Bryan Kimzey
Investor Relations Analyst
[phone]

3. Club Navigo - Customer Relations - 1.888.279.2960

4. HH Gregg -

Contact Information

Andy Giesler
Director of Investor Relations
hhgregg, Inc.
4151 East 96th Street
Indianapolis, IN 46240
[email protected]

[The Backlash Cometh]

18. I made it in time for the 5th recommend.

[madfloridian]

19. LOL thank you.

So glad you got here in time. This one really angered me.

:hi:

[The Backlash Cometh]

22. The thing is, West reflects the typical Republican thinking in Central Florida.

It's scary as all heck.

[The Backlash Cometh]

21. Okay, to all you doubting Thomas's out there,

See what we got to live with here? This is exactly the level of intellect that we have to deal with.

[madfloridian]

23. I am sure someone from WFTV will be along shortly....

If we send a lot of hits their way....they figure it out. They will let me know I am wrong. Verrry...soon.

[file83]

28. After that interview, they should change the station name to WTFTV

[lynettebro440]

106. I was thinking the exact same thing

WTFTV.....that would be a great channel.

[ljm2002]

24. I haven't seen the interview yet...

...but I have to say, I read the station name in your title as "WTFTV" which it seems would be appropriate :-) ...

(on edit)

Okay I watched it. WTF!!! She is clueless. I love that he said "I don't know who's writing your questions, ..."

No kidding. She doesn't have enough wattage to have thought those up herself.

[Connonym]

26. the opposite of "softball questions" isn't ignorant trash questions

sheesh That was really painful to watch.

[file83]

27. Biden mopped the floor with Barbara West.

I loved it when he asked her if she was joking...:rofl:

She's all, "No, I'm not...". What an idiot!

[Ishoutandscream2]

30. Jesus Christ! How fair and balanced of you, Ms. West

The RNC talking points to the T. Your check is in the mail.

[SlowDownFast]

31. Email them. I just did:

[email protected]

Barbara West's One on One with Biden Interview

Bob Jordan or whomever approved the questions asked during that interview,

Do you realize how one-sided, absurd and ridiculous that interview was???

If it was not such an obvious and pathetic Republican/NeoCON ambush attempt on Biden, the interview could be construed as comedy!

It's already making it's rounds on the web for it's comedic properties. Perhaps that was your intention, to garner hits on your website, though I am sure it was not, after reading Bob Jordan's comments upon being told that Mrs Biden was promptly canceling her interview.

Your news station has just made complete asses of yourselves.

[Dems4me]

74. Done, n/t

[LiberalHeart]

32. The stations call letters should be WTFV, not WFTV.

I loved the part where Biden asks if that was a real question.

[whistle]

34. Barbara West is an American Fascist and one of the reasons I never watch local Orlando TV news

...for the first time in I can't remember how long now I am seeing Democratic Obama/Biden lawn poster signs along main rods in Winter Park, Maitland and upscale Orlando neighborhoods. The McCain signs are in areas owned by slum landlords and the city like the stretch on Lake Underhill Rd between SR436 and Goldenrod. Maybe Barbara West and WFTV News ought to go interview tenants in those city owned subsidized housing dumps and ask her same questions there.

[Mojorabbit]

90. Hey

I live off 436 on Lake Barton. I take offense at your general description of the area though there are parts that fit your descripton. Plenty of Obama supporters here. Actually maybe more Obama supporters in this area than other places in town.

[Miss Chybil]

35. That was disgusting and sad.

I've never seen anything like it.

[madfloridian]

36. I haven't either.

Not even Fox affiliates would do that. This is an ABC affiliate I think.

[fulllib]

37. knr'ed, now on the greatest page

I also emailed the station, requesting they pull their questions from somewhere other than the dying flailing campaign of a desperate an.

Keep contacting them, this was ridiculous!

Of course, Biden handled the questions smoothly and brilliantly!

[cui bono]

38. Wow. That was bad.

All our emails should begin with "Aren't you embarrassed...?" just like her "interview".

Do I have to watch the McCain one? I don't think I can take it.

[madfloridian]

41. Yes, you must watch it. It is required.

She was so nice to McCain that honey dripped from her mouth. She loves her John McCain.

[cui bono]

42. Oh man... can I have my dog watch it?

;)

[madfloridian]

44. Nope, can't do it.

You must watch it. :evilgrin:

[cui bono]

124. Okay, okay, I watched the questions, but I skipped over McCain's answers.

:evilgrin:

emailing now.

[Super62]

68. Uh......

That wasn't honey.....

[Triana]

43. That wasn't an interview. That was trash TeeVee. May as well have been Jerry

....Springer.

What GARBAGE! Floridians ought to revolt. This station is making them look like kooks!

[thesquanderer]

102. Spinger

Comparing her to Jerry Springer is unfair to Jerry Springer... who actually had a good radio program a year or so ago on AirAmerica. Whether he agreed with someone or not, I don't envision him doing such a ridiculous interview!

[Bette Noir]

127. Hey! Jerry Springer is one of us.

He'd never be such an idiot.

[Realityhack]

46. Oh my.... WTF was that shit?!? too angry for words right now. n/t

[lpbk2713]

47. West was probably sucking up to The Villages.

A thoroughly exclusive rethuglican community just outside of Orlando.

That was highly unprofessional and not worth the air time.

Every now and then I get a survey to see what channels I want

on my cable system. I'll remember WFTV.

[liberal1973]

48. She should be fired

[sandnsea]

49. no words

:wow:

I hope Keith or Rachel get a hold of this. People need to know why the vote is so screwy in some parts of the country. I could not even believe it when she started quoting Marx, just too crazy for words.

[Oeditpus Rex]

50. Good lard!

I'm not exaggerating a bit when I say she sounded like a radical first-year journalism student with an agenda.

That was perhaps the most pathetic excuse for journalism I've ever seen, and from the looks of Ms. West, she's been doing this for a long time and should know better.

[liberal1973]

51. Fire that republican POS Bob Jordan

How stupid are these two hacks? Like nobody would notice the BS they were spewing at Biden.

Who owns Ch.9?


Congrats Sen.Biden. for calling her on clearly getting saying far right crap.

[armed_and_liberal]

52. what is there to be mad about?

She made an ass out of herself, Joe kept it together (though barely) and he squashed her like a palmetto bug.

Final score: Joe 1, Botox Barbie,0

[madfloridian]

54. We should be mad that a reporter was rude to our VP nominee.

We should demand they show respect.

[The Backlash Cometh]

91. Yeah, what was going on with the corners of her eyes?

[madfloridian]

53. Here's her interview with Obama in September.

She was more decent, but did not appear to listen to his answers.

Obama was magnificent.

http://www.wftv.com/video/17459312/index.html

Decent to Obama, just plain rude and obnoxious to Biden. Why?

[j_loe]

55. The best response ...

Thank you for the questions you asked of Senator Biden. They showed how level headed and well tempered Biden was during a fairly one-side interview. His answers were on point and cogent; he showed class and equanimity; the exact traits that Obama showed in his debates. Hence, the two are the best suited candidates in our deeply troubled times at home and abroad. Because of the questions you have asked, I've decided to donate more money to Obama's campaign and I also have decided to join their GOTV campaign. Thank you for making it abundantly clear who should be the next President and Vice-President.

[madfloridian]

57. Very nice.

Welcome to DU

[The Wielding Truth]

63. That was perfect. I will write something similar.Glad you are here!

:toast:

[Kierkegaard]

164. Very nicely done!

Oh, and welcome to the club!

:toast:

[SemperEadem]

56. bob jordan... I had a good friend who worked in Sacramento's NBC affiliate

when he was news director and they said that he is an ass without equal. It's no wonder he's down there in a dead end market like Orlando.

He can cry all he wants--he's a jerk.

He can cry when his sponsors have been contacted about them buying time on their air and refusing to purchase their products or patronize the local businesses behind this shit. I'll bet he'll really be crying then--and I'll bet she ante ups an apology for this.

[mitchum]

58. Where is this "pretty face" of which you speak?

[Enthusiast]

152. Pretty face, empty head. nt

[Dystopian]

59. KandR

:mad: I could not believe this. I watched both interviews. Shocking that this is not faux news...although it is.


peace~

[The Wielding Truth]

60. Way to GO, Joe!!!!

Excellent way to clear up some lousy lies and innuendos!He was so gracious and straight forward.
He set her straight!

[JJ]

61. spreading the wealth

All that believed were together, and had all things in common; And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.
(Acts 2:44-45)

There was not a needy person among them, for as many as owned lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold. They laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need. There was a Levite, a native of Cyprus, Joseph, to whom the apostles gave the name Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”). He sold a field that belonged to him, then brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
(Acts 4:34-37)

This is what the Lord has commanded: Gather of it, every man of you, as much as he can eat; you shall take an omer apiece, according to the number of persons who each of you has in his tent. And the people of Israel did so; they gathered some more, some less. But when they measured it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; each gathered according to what he could eat
(Ex. 16:16-18)

Where's the problem? Seems the Christian bible specifically directs doing just that.

[bulloney]

87. This 'spread the wealth' and 'socialism' crap on the McCain ads and this interview are bogus.

It's been written time and time again that Obama's plan would give more tax relief to the middle class than McCain's, which give most benefits to the wealthy. Yet, the McCain ads show these supposed 'middle class' people saying THEY'RE Joe the Plumber and acting disgusted that Obama wants to tax them more than they already are.

Biden has explained that the wealthiest in this country have seen their tax rates declline while deficit spending has skyrocketed. It's time to roll those cuts back to what they were pre-Bush and get this country's financial house in order. You're not going to accomplish this by staying in Iraq to the tune of $10 billion a month, keeping tax breaks for companies outsourcing U.S. jobs and allowing the richest people to pay a lower tax rates.

I'm through with hearing these Repubs distorting the conversations because they don't know what they're talking about. When a farmer bitches about Obama's 'socialist' plan, I'll throw back at them about the farm program that has brought thousands of dollars to his pockets. When an old fart calls Obama a socialist, I tell them they receive Social Security and Medicare benefits.

The hypocrisy from these people is just amazing.

[bertman]

62. Un-fucking believable!! Just un-fucking believable!!!

"Are you joking? Is this a joke?"

"No, it is not." .......................Just disgusting.

[spag68]

64. Florida

Hey Madfloridian, don't be so hard on the whole state. I'm originally from Western Pa. so you can imagine how I feel some times. Sure I'm embarrassed by some of the freepers in Fla. However I'm damn proud of others, present company included. All those that ore thinking of an Orlando vacation, should consider St. Pete. It's only a couple hours down I-4 and is really not like that at all. Keep your chin up, with people like you spreading the word, and progressive enclaves all around the state, we really have a chance to take this state back. I remind everyone that in the sixties it was a solid dem. state, and can be again.

[Lorien]

65. I live just a few blocks from the station and see her around town from

time to time. She may be getting a piece of my mind in person soon. :grr:

On edit: NOT a pretty face. She puts on the makeup with a damn trowel. In person she looks as bad as Michael Jackson.

[kestrel91316]

168. Do me a favor and when you see her next, light into her EXTRA hard

with compliments from me.

"From each according to his ability, to each according to his need" - sounds like a perfect description of corporate America to me, especially in light of the taxpayer funded bailouts of irresponsible corporations of late. Throw THAT one at her. Ignorant fucking bitch.

[Two Americas]

66. thanks mf

Biden clobbered her. Just clobbered her. The more they ask questions like that, the worse they and the right wingers look and the better Dems look.

That crap they are peddling is not flying with the public anymore. Biden had it right when he said "I don't know anyone who thinks that except for the extreme right wing."

[4lbs]

67. Some info about WFTV and Barbara West.

WFTV is an ABC affiliate. Yes, the same ABC that still hasn't decided if it will air Obama's 30 minute special next week.

It also didn't air the 2004 ABC showing of "Saving Private Ryan" because of FCC concerns.


Look at Barbara West's bio:

http://www.wftv.com/station/1874549/detail.html

<snip>
Prior to working in television news, I was an assistant professor at the University of Vermont and represented Vermont in the Miss America Pageant. I hold a Master's Degree from the University of Vermont.

I am married to Wade West, an international media consultant to politicians, professionals and organizations. Together we often serve as auctioneers at various fundraising events throughout the state.
<snip>

So, she's a former beauty queen. Hmm... which Presidential campaign has two former beauty queens associated with it?


Her husband's bio:

http://mediapowergroup.com/wadebio.html


He worked as a consultant for the DOD in the Bush Administration.



Hmmm.... think they are Republicans and McCain supporters?

[woo me with science]

69. That sounded like an SNL skit!

Unreal.

[Muttocracy]

133. yep, Joe handled it well though. nt

[Hekate]

70. Good grief. Are the station's call letters really WTF-TV?

:wtf:

Hekate

[Piewhacket]

71. Excellent job by Joe Biden....

the questions were bad,
but the answers were excellent.

the station has problems.

[NoSheep]

72. Thank you Joe. What a miserable tool West is, apparently.

[Obamarama]

73. My email to Barbara "The Whore" West:

What a repulsive excuse for a broadcast journalist you are. Whore is a more apt description. Self-righteous know-nothing, whoring yourself out to the right-wing, disguising yourself as a journalist. You're the one who looked like the fool, Barbara. But hey...at least you have that audition tape footage to send to Fox News when you decide you'd like to whore yourself out to them. Glad I don't live in your market and have to listen to you screech at me from the TV on a daily basis.

[Lancer]

75. The worst interview I have ever seen, anywhere.

She's angling for some kind of award with this twaddle. Talk about your "gotcha" questions. Joe Biden and Barack Obama are the only two people in the world who could have dignified this woman with respectable responses. She showed 0% for Biden.

[Codeine]

76. Wow. Bias and rudeness aside,

that was just a really terribly-conducted interview. Awful questions, each preceded by a set-up that usually ended up being utterly unrelated to the question. A fine example of a little thing we call

EPIC FAIL.

[Number23]

77. You are so right, MadFloridian

That woman did not even PRETEND to be unbiased. If this broad has a job after this, I'll come down to Florida and anchor Channel 9 my damn self!!

That was ridiculous!!!

[fla nocount]

78. Put it in the horse's mouth.

http://www.wftv.com/contact/index.html

Copy them all.

[The Woodpecker]

79. Is Barbara West Anita Bryants daughter?

I think so. Ignorance like that can only be inherited, it's not something one can learn.

[Bette Noir]

128. Anita Bryant came around.

After her husband divorced her, she got the idea that maybe she souldn't be so judgemental about other people's lives and behavior.

Barbara West seems to be in a class by herself-- more ignorant and hateful than even the droids on Fox News. Could she have been Made in Stepford?

[Zing Zing Zingbah]

81. Her line of questioning was terribly unprofessional.

She obviously is very biased toward republicans. I used to live in Orlando about 3 years ago. I always thought the news sucked around there.. very sensationalized and focused on on negativity. Maine news is so much more upbeat in comparison.

[vanderBeth]

84. OMG! After reading these comments, I don't know if I want to see the interview!

[Sewsojm]

85. West is a republicon Whore !!

[bulloney]

86. Is WFTV a Sinclair or Fox station?

[peekaloo]

98. Cox. Explains why they suck.

[nc4bo]

88. OMFG - This woman should be fired on the spot? Who watches this station?

I hope the good people of Florida who are exposed to this trash are writing letters, making phone calls and emailing their behinds off to get this woman off the air.

ugh :puke:

[Lorien]

97. Actually, the station is getting a lot of pro-West emails from Freeper types

as usual, the RW nuts are the vocal minority, so they are the ones who get heard. :-(

I sent her a scathing email, but I doubt that many more on the left or center will.

[pirate_satellite]

89. Incredible

That's the most bizarre, unprofessional interview I've ever seen conducted on television. I loved the look on Biden's face when she asked if Obama wasn't really a Marxist.

I don't know what else to say about it except that, obviously, anyone who receives that station should not watch it under any circumstances.

[Name removed]

93. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[yellerpup]

94. Unbelievable. Disgusting.

I feel for all Floridians if this is the level of political discourse on TV.

[Political Tiger]

95. How embarrassing for her and her station!

Could she have been a bigger idiot or what?

[Lorien]

96. I just had an email from another journalist friend here in town

he says:

I used to work with West's husband - he was employed at W_ _ _ in marketing back in the early 90's. This guy was a hostile conspiracy-theory militant rw republican who was forced out to the station for incompetency. So B. West doesn't surprise me. Quick ques.: are any of the "anchors" on our local affiliates real?

[redqueen]

99. How embarrassing.

It's one thing for the news-reader at the desk to be an idiot... but the news director?

Apparently this Bob Jordan guy doesn't know the difference between tough questions and idiotic ones. How pathetic.

[Canuckistanian]

100. This sounds more like WTF TV

It's amazing Obama has gotten so far with blatant propaganda like this.

[notadmblnd]

101. That was a pathetic interview by a pathetic woman

tell her to lay off the hair bleach. It must be seeping into her head and burning her brains.

[kwyjibo]

103. That was shameful. Also, she looks like a puppy dog. n/t

[furgee]

104. Another good reason not to relocate to Florida

[Jokinomx]

105. No doubt what side of the fence she sits...I think limpballs must have wrote the questions....n/t

[Lost-in-FL]

107. I'm glad I do not watch local news nt

[madfloridian]

108. West defends her interview. Sentinel blog rips the interview.

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/news_politics/2008/10/update-barbara.html

"In a call to me Friday evening, West said of Biden: "I have a great deal of respect for him. I have a great deal of respect for Sen. Obama. We are given four minutes of a satellite window for these interviews. Four precious minutes. I got right down to it and, yes, I think I asked him some pointed questions. These are questions that are rolling about right now and questions that need to be asked right now. I don't think I was rude or inconsiderate to him. I was probing and maybe tough. I can't believe that in all of his years in politics, and all of his campaigning and such, that he hasn't run into some tough questions. He's certainly up to it in giving good answers."

From the Orlando Sentinel's Mike Thomas blog:

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/news_columnist_mikethomas/2008/10/barbara-west-hu.html

"Barbara West humiliates WFTV
Posted on Oct 24, 2008 3:14:40 PM
Discuss This: Comments (6) | TrackBack (0) | Linking Blogs | Add to del.icio.us | Digg it
You have to see this to believe it.

This is the most embarrassing interview I've ever seen on local television. This has nothing to do with whether you are for Obama or McCain. It's about being professional. Quoting Karl Marx?

Even Sean Hannity wouldn't be so ham-handed. Making matters worse, it looks like Barbara is just dumbly reading questions someone just handed her, then staring blankly at the screen. Biden made her look like a complete dimwit. Not that this was hard.

How could WFTV allow this to happen?"

AND

FLA politics blog calls them I-4 Media idiots.

http://www.flapolitics.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=3191

[lpbk2713]

109. WTG Mike Thomas

... it takes quite an effort to be dumber than Hannity, but somehow Barbara West felt she was up to the task at hand. :eyes:

[madfloridian]

110. Great blog by him. He's angry.

She made all of the I-4 Corridor look bad...in fact all Floridians

[MooseGoose]

162. Thomas spoke clearly, forcefully, without venom. Nicely done.

[L. Coyote]

111. I defy ANYONE to find a reporter who is WORSE than WFTV-Channel 9's Barbara West

This is the worst piece of journalism that I have witnessed since the McCarthy days in the 50s!

Well, maybe the worst ever in recorded human history!!

[Bette Noir]

129. Speaking of McCarthy,

Maybe she could do the "penetrating media expose" Michelle Bachmann wants to perpetrate on Congress.

"Are you now, or have you ever been, a member of the Communist Party?"

[L. Coyote]

132. Indeed. "Do you now, or have you ever known, a member of a Left Leaning Party?"

You know, like those Damn Un-Americans, aka DU'ers :rofl:

[lolly]

136. Guess she didn't get to the last question on her list

Senator Biden, Do you still beat your wife?

Answer Yes or No!

[knitter4democracy]

112. What makes it work, though, is Biden's WTF look.

After she started going off into whackoland, the look on his face is priceless. Add in his great answers, and I think this whole thing blew up in her face. It made Biden, and therefore Obama, look presidential.

[RBInMaine]

114. If Biden was not running for VP he'd have REALLY torn her to SHIT ! (But he did very well as is !!)

[knitter4democracy]

116. I agree. He was definitely holding back. nt

[RBInMaine]

113. SHE'S FOUL RIGHT WING BITCH, HER STATION IS RIGHT WING SCUM, SO FUCK THEM TO HELL ! BIDEN WAS GREAT!

[FLAprogressive]

115. DU THIS SITE:

Sign up for accounts and rate down WFTV:

http://www.mondotimes.com/1/world/us/9/532/1474

[high density]

117. There's a difference between softball questions and sounding like a McCain shill

If Biden wanted to be blasted with questions like that, he'd go on Sean Hannity's show.

[DirtyDawg]

118. I don't know how the media buy is structured...

...but if I were running the media effort for Obama/Biden, I would cancel anything that would have been scheduled on this station...spot, cable, whatever. It ain't enough to simply not submit to interviews, you've got to hit 'em where it hurts. Hell, I think I'd even cancel schedules on any stations that shared their network affiliation. Of course, if it's FAUX then they never should have been on there in the first place.

[D-Lee]

119. email station at [email protected] -- I did

I stated that the interview questions were biased, disgraceful, and not justifiable as serving the interest of objective reporting.

[susanna]

121. OMG. Just wow.

I cannot believe that drivel. She calls herself a journalist? She should be utterly ashamed of herself.

[MyOwnPeace]

122. Made us proud......

having Joe Biden on the ticket.

Two points:

1. the contrast between the interview with McLame and Biden was like comparing Shakespeare with the "plays" my kids used to write when they were in second grade. And McLame even stumbled with the softball questions thrown at him!

2. I'm just SO proud of Joe Biden!

Please don't tell me that you good folks in Florida have to watch this bimbo all of the time...........

[wizstars]

123. Here's a possible explanation for why she conducted herself so stupidly:

From her online bio:

"From the heart of Ukraine, I was the only Western reporter to broadcast from inside the nuclear reactor building at Chernobyl on the 10th anniversary of the nuclear disaster there. I also uncovered the long term toll in increased incidence of cancer that the disaster had on the surrounding population."

Obviously her visit there microwaved a few brain cells....

[Forkboy]

130. Don't ever let the actions of others shame you.

Yeah, some weird shit goes down in Florida, but that's not due to you. You're one of the ones trying to fix things. You have zero reasons to be ashamed, and don't ever let them make you feel that way.

:hug:

[flvegan]

131. CHECK IT OUT: Her interview with McCain just 9 days prior.

http://www.wftv.com/video/17790025/index.html

Softball questions to let McCain prattle on negatively about Obama.

5 "questions" nothing but RW talking point attacks for Biden. Filthy slag.

[jillan]

134. Biden kicked her little ass.

[susanna]

141. I'll second that, and take the liberty...

...of using a line from the SNL VP debate skit to Ms. West: "You just got schooled - BIDEN style!"

[Lochloosa]

135. "The stream for this video is currently unavailble"....WTF

[buddysmellgood]

137. You can find it quickly on Youtube. She must want a job on Faux News. eom

[magdalena]

138. I ran into that, do a youtube search for Barbara West, Joe Biden.

[President Decider]

139. HI THIS IS BARBARA WEST ... EMAIL ME IF YOU DON'T LIKE MY QUESTIONS: [email protected]

Please email the old bag and let her know what you think of her interview questions.

[magdalena]

140. This interview was appalling.

She wasn't merely asking Biden to address the concerns of the far-right conservatives (which I wouldn't have had a problem with) - she was making ridiculous accusations of Obama/Biden and basically challenging him to prove her wrong. Quoting Karl Marx? She makes Hannity and Billo look sane.

I'm firing off an email to the station, but I think I'm going to go one step further and contact ABC as well. If they're going to allow such biased reporting by their affiliates they should just call themselves FOX.

[Tarc]

148. I dropped her a nice little message

}(

[leecanes]

142. Barb, I've always thought of you as a harmless dimwit, but now...

When I moved to Orlando, I stuck by my allegiance to the ABC affiliate (the ABC station in my original hometown was by far the most even-keel and professional outlet in town). Orlando's obviously pretty conservative, so I gritted my teeth but kept watching WFTV even when the reporting seemed skewed towards the neocons and Freepers. It all seemed harmless enough - and besides, I see their main male anchor at the gym when I work out at lunchtime, and I even gave old Barbara West and her hubby props for managing the annual silent auction for my favorite nonprofit.

So imagine my surprise this past week when, while blithely making a veggie pizza for my daughter, I overheard Barbara's interview of Joe. I had my back turned to the TV and was only half-listening until she asked the 'aren't you embarrassed about ACORN question,' at which point I nearly dropped the pizza pan.

Dear Barb has gone off the rails, I thought. She finally snapped from the pressure of not being the main female anchor despite her longevity in the market.

But now I read Bob Jordan's response - and he's OKAY with how Barbara ran the 'interview'??

Bah. I'm done with WFTV. Not only did I fire off an email to the station, but I'm severing my 25-year allegiance to ABC affiliates as my source of local news.

Over to the NBC affiliate.

[tabasco]

143. She forgot to ask, "did you stop beating your wife?!?" n/t

[ThoughtCriminal]

149. And she forgot to ask McCain

if he was going to do more to stop Obama from beating his wife?

[enki23]

144. that was her fox news interview. job interview, that is.

.

[BlooInBloo]

145. I love her "what? what'd I do?" reaction - PRICELESS!

:rofl:

[Zambero]

150. Relying on Sean Hannity for her questions

Verbatim from the Hannity playbook. I was expecting her to ask Biden whether he sucks the blood from unborn babies. What a piece of work.

[Jed Dilligan]

151. How does a foundation-caked skeletal mask with dead eyes

and botox-immobilized features locked in a scary clown grin qualify as "a pretty face"?

She's just in time for Dia de los Muertos, I'll give her that.

[Bluebear]

153. If she blinked any faster her eyes would catch fire. She knows she is full of malarkey

And she doesn't care.

[ProfessorGAC]

159. Well, I Think She Was Scared To Death

She knows she's out of her league interviewing a vice presidential candidate. I can't believe she would have a TV career if she did that distracting blinking thing all the time.

When she's reporting on the local mayor's race, she's fine. But, she was out of element this time, and she was so nervous she was ready to puke.
The Professor

[El Pinko]

157. Drudge and the cretins that comment on Youtube are calling it "tough questions"

It was the most kookoobananas questioning I have ever heard of from a supposed mainstream news source.

Can you imagine if Ted Koppell had chastised Reagan for dumping millions of mental patients in the streets by mentioning how Hitler used to kill Germany's mentally disabled?

Or if Brokaw had compared Bush to Hitler for his Reichstag-like use of 9-11 as an aexcuse for an unprovoked attack on an unarmed nation?


Sure, we use language like that here, and there is a lot of truth in it, but for a supposedly unbiased journalist to come out with this kind of Limbaugh-type questioning? Disgraceful.

[ExPatLeftist]

158. My mail to WTF-TV:

"To the News Director:

I just watched two interviews by your "reporter", Barbara West.

In an interview with Joe Biden, she asked questions that showed that she is both ignorant of politics in general and incredibly biased against Obama. She compared Obama to Marx and asked if Obama and Biden were going to change the US into a socialist nation "like Sweden". This is pure fearmongering and not related to reality in any way. She also used such well-known (and disrespected) propaganda tricks as claiming that "many people are saying" something in order to present outrageous and false talking points, along with her obviously disingenuous "concern".

In contrast, her interview with John McCain showed her as a cheerleader, and she had her lips firmly pressed against McCain's buttocks for the duration of the interview. She also set him up like a paid pro for attacks against Obama.

The manager of the station claims that their reporters are committed to asking the hard questions, yet that philosophy seems to be focused in only one direction. Your supposed "journalist" introduced a question to Biden with a quote from Marx and then tried to link Obama-Biden policies to Marxism. Tell me, do anyone but your most ignorant viewers buy that drivel? No person with any knowledge of politics whatsoever would really believe anything of the sort, and there is no evidence whatsoever for this.

In the name of fairness, I am wondering when you will quote Hitler and ask McCain if he wants to turn the US into a fascist dictatorship - after all, both McCain and Hitler were right-wingers and supported widespread use of propaganda through facade "news organizations" like your own.

In the spirit of your propaganda piece by Barbara West, here is a quote by Adolf Hitler that seems to relate really well to your philosophy on "reporting the news": "All propaganda has to be popular and has to accommodate itself to the comprehension of the least intelligent of those whom it seeks to reach." - Adolf Hitler.

You are upholding his example well. The myth of the "left-wing media" in the US is a propaganda construct, but many media outlets have an obvious Republican bias and go so deep into the mud in order to show that loyalty that they forget everything that journalism is supposed to be. Your organization seems to fit that mold perfectly. Your entire organization should be ashamed today, and obviously not a one of you has a clue what journalism is - but at least you got your baseless wingnut talking points and fearmongering in. It seems that that is all that truly matters to your organization.

By the way, is it true that Barbara West has an autographed poster of Hitler on her bedroom wall? Just "concerned", because a "lot of people are saying" that.

Go back to journalism school, all of you. Oh, and fire that partisan hack. That would be a very small step toward indicating that your organization is interested in becoming part of the third estate again, instead of a forum for fearmongering nutjobs.

With no respect,
...

[RedLetterRev]

160. When my partner and I moved from SoFla 8 years ago

I thought Ch 7 Miami had some squids.

I can be wrong. Those were just fun to watch when they were stoned. That West woman was nothing short of purposefully malicious. That breeze you feel is my sainted high school journalism teacher whirling in her grave. So, when did objectivity and "don't become the story" go out the window? It couldn't have been the least bit more obvious that West is a tool of the extreme nutfringe right if they'd had a marching band and jiggling majorettes with big signs. No wonder the Wests couldn't hold a job in any other market. I devoutly hope their days on the air in Orlando are few in number. That little performance was inexcusable on any level.

It wasn't even good theatre and had no semblance to journalism at all.

The video was posted on another thread last night, but went missing by the time I got down the comments in the thread. There was a link to a YouTube copy of it. Worse than the original video were the freeper comments. It's obvious that this country has a real, desperate problem with an abundance of people who are ready and willing to believe fantasy whilst happily throwing their rights and their wallets at the über-rich who neither deserve nor appreciate them.

While they're welcome to throw their money and rights away, they are most certainly not welcome to throw away mine.

I fully expect years of trouble from the monster the GOP have created in the form of the nutfringe right.

[seafan]

161. Here's a YouTube link to this ignorant woman's programmed talking point ambush of Joe Biden.

Sadly, Florida is infested with these people, some of whom have wormed their way into newsrooms around Central Florida.



Barbara West
WFTV, Orlando



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxT0ELP7az0

[Maineman]

165. This was propaganda masquerading as an interview.

It is the same strategy that a trial lawyer might use if he or she wanted to say something to the jury that was out of line or had no merit.

[unfrigginreal]

166. A definite audition for Fox Prime Time

I've seen this on the net and this wingnut deserves everything she's going to get from this interview. What is so amazing is that the right-wingnuts,Drudge et al, think this plays in their favor. I'll never understand their philosophy.

[kestrel91316]

167. I have to confess. Apparently I am a Marxist. I think the uber-wealthy

should pay their fair share of taxes and not get all the breaks, all the time, just like Obama.

Enron didn't pay any taxes, but everybody at Enron made LOTS AND LOTS of money. During that same time, I took home less than minimum wage, but paid a shocking amount of federal and state taxes. I paid thousnads of times more taxes than Enron for a time.

But I'm a Marxist. Well, I guess after being called a dyke because I'm a feminist, nothing should surprise me anymore.

[Hugabear]

169. I've already called and emailed the station to demand they fire her

That was one of the worst examples of journalism that I've ever seen in my life. So much for objectivity, I suppose.

The only downside is that IF they were to fire her, FAUX News would probably line her up with her own show in prime time.