Obama Decries "Gotcha" Debate Focus

Ill. Senator Says ABC News Moderators Focused On Trivial Politics

(CBS/AP)  Democratic Sen. Barack Obama dismissively talked about his debate with Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and the line of questioning from ABC News' moderators, arguing that it focused on political trivia at the expense of the problems facing average voters.

At a rally in the May 6 primary state of North Carolina, Obama drew roars of approval Thursday when he mocked aspects of the presidential debate that had him on the defensive Wednesday night. He faced tough questions about his controversial pastor, his comments about bitter voters in small towns and his relationship with a 1960s radical.

Deadpanning, the Illinois senator said, "It does not get much more fun than these debates. They are inspiring events."

In criticism of his rival, he called the debate "the rollout of the Republican campaign against me in November" and said it represented textbook Washington politics that Clinton was very comfortable playing.

"They like stirring up controversy and they like playing gotcha games, getting us to attack each other," he said. "Senator Clinton looked in her element. She was taking every opportunity to get a dig in there. That's her right to kind of twist the knife a little bit ... that's the lesson she learned when Republicans did it to her in the 1990s."

The Obama campaign also sought to capitalize on the debate, sending out a fundraising appeal titled, "Gotcha," and soliciting $25 donations.

"Last night I think we set a new record because it took us 45 minutes before we even started talking about a single issue that matters to the American people," Obama told the North Carolina crowd. "Forty-five minutes before we heard about health care, 45 minutes before we heard about Iraq, 45 minutes before we heard about jobs, 45 minutes before we heard about gas prices."

ABC News' Charles Gibson and George Stephanopoulos pointedly questioned Obama, and Clinton politely challenged her rival.

"[Clinton] is always best when she can be on policy grounds, so the second half of that debate was a strong point for her," CBS News senior political correspondent Jeff Greenfield said.

"When you're running for the presidency, you've just got to kind of let it ..." Obama said, pretending to flick lint off his pants and jacket.

Another debate between the two candidates seems unlikely. Obama had agreed to a debate in North Carolina on Saturday, Clinton has agreed to a debate April 27 in Raleigh, sponsored and televised by CBS News. The two camps have not agreed on a date.

"I'll be honest with you. We've now had 21," Obama said of the debates. "It's not as if we don't know how to do these things. I could deliver Senator Clinton's lines. I'm sure she could deliver mine."

Later, taking a question from a fourth-grade boy who said he had been elected his class representative at school, Obama asked, "How many debates did you have to have?"

"None," the boy replied.

"None! That sounds good!" Obama said.

[bud28dy]

DEMOCRATS FOR MCCAIN!

JOIN US AND LET OBAMA KNOW WHAT YOU THINK IN NOVEMBER!!!

First of all, we hope Clinton will win. However, things don''t look good and if she loses, do any of you Clinton supporters think you can vote for Obama? Of course not. Just read what he said in this article. Then read the vitriolic nonsense his supporters are saying to you.

Could you ever join these Obama supporters? NO!!!!!!

See how smug they are in November when their Messiah goes down in flames. He will be finished and Hillary will be free to run in 2012 when McCain retires.

JOIN MCCAIN AND OPPOSE THE OBAMA GESTAPO!!

[myshiba]

Obama is toast!

[eroosevelt08]

The crowd certainly reacted to Obama''s offensive hand gesture.

[taotxzen]

Dont you just love the morality lecture that we Godless, fact mongers are receiving from a bunch of neocon boot lickers - priceless.

[rowdytexan2]

Daley said Ayers "worked with me in shaping our now nationally renowned school reform program."

Posted by taddles at 05:38 PM : Apr 18, 2008

Daley would say that of COURSE! Their school reform is to teach black liberation theology! Just like Michelle and Barak Obama were doing at Chicago University when they invited the Ayers trash to help them! Teaching ENGLISH my arse!

Richard Daley has sparked a huge surge of fraud investigators to descend on Chicago because there''s so much government fraud in that city and they''ve come right out in the opoen to do it! Richard Daley is where Obama gets his support base! He''s part of it!

So let''s just CHANGE Washington politics to corrupt Chicago politics, yeah that makes sense!

[obama8years]

After 22 Debates , I think America has a pretty good Idea what Obama is going to do about the war in Iraq, Economy and illegal immigration. What we dont know is Obama character and associations, he seems to dodge those questions. For once Obama is asked legitimate questions and the left radicals think its not fair or appropriate. This is the President Of The United States were talking about. I think relationships with anti-american groups and terrorist should be questioned until it is answered, not avoided and evaded like what Obama is doing.

[prinzowhales]

The ABC moderators didn''t ask hard questions because if they did the agenda of all three mainstream candidates would have been put on display. If they can get morons to argue over ''who will most likely bring change'' then why confuse them with real issues?

There is no real difference between Clinton and Obama...one can waste one''s vote as readily on the one as on the other. McCain makes them both look good...for the time being.

If you want to deal with open borders, the war, high energy prices and soaring food and health care costs, you are going to have to vote Third Party. The Demopublicans have taken us on a downward spiral into moral and spiritual decay...bad policies and corruption.

Just look at the backers of all three candidates... George Soros has supported all three. All three have pledged to keep America in thrall to the international bankers. Their handlers are Trilateralists, CFR-ers and Skull & Bonesmen.

If you will recall it was George W. Bush who in 2000, promised America "a more humble foreign policy" in response to Clinton''s interventionist foreign policy adventurism. How''d that go for ya''?

Frankly, I almost wish Obama would win just to see the expression on the faces of his cow-eyed young college supporters when they get their draft notices... Cheers!

[dthor2]

Obama and his camp are indicating that there have been 21 debates and what would another one tell the voters. Well in the 21 he is talking about, he was never asked a hard question. Last week he was finally asked a few things that tell something about him and his associations. That is the first time, and we all should be wanting and hoping to know more - sooner rather than later.

The questions asked by the ABC moderators may have been hard on Obama, but we haven''t heard from him since all of his nightmares have come to light. It was enlightening to me.

[dthor2]

Now I see that Obams seems to be leary of another debate in NC. He says he needs to spend more time on the campaign trail. Could he just be a little leary of another performance like last week where he was asked some questions that have been in the news lately and he stumbled badly. Seems to be a chance to clarify your message to all voters, NC and the others coming up. But maybe you know best? Enlighten us! We like to see your squirming again.

[michael0004]

Anyone who wonders how this election has played out like it has should go to the following URL:

http://www.thecityedition.com/Pages/Archive/Winter08/2008Election.html

[jfrance5]

Obama is being supported by George Sorros. Moveon.org is his baby and responsible, although legally, for raising most of Obama''s huge piles of cash. Obbama is an empty suit as he is supposed to be. The far left wants him in office because he is easily manipulated. Hillary is left but not that left. She never had a chance. This election is bought and paid for. Howard Dean doesn''t even want to wait until the voters have a chance. That is because their charge has turned into somewhat of a disaster here lately. It''s all spin and damage control now. And, the Obama sheep are going to continue being sheep. I only hope this farce continues as long as it can. Obama is going to lose alltitude pretty quickly. He will be the nominee, but most good democrats that I know are going to cross the isles and vote McCain just because we need a person of integrity in office regardless of their agenda. This dismissal of character by the far left is more proof that this country has really gotten out of hand. I hope we can right this ship before something horrible happens to us. Things don''t look good on almost all fronts.

[taddles-2009]

After the stinking $hit Obama8years has been posting and the whiny racist drivel from truth-hurts, I have to take a shower. Hope I have enough soap to wash away the stink from these two.

[taddles-2009]

"BREAKING NEWS : LA TIMES SIGHT
Obama had over a dozen meetings with terrorist ayers, including one at ayers house. GD america!!

Posted by Obama8years at 04:08 PM : Apr 18, 2008"


Nice of you to leave out the real part of the story but that''s kinda what you do all the time isn''t it.

"Obama and Ayers met a dozen times as members of the board of the Woods Fund of Chicago, a local grant-making foundation, according to the group''s president."

"Laura S. Washington, chairwoman of the Woods Fund, called it "ridiculous to suggest there''s anything inappropriate" about Ayers and Obama serving on the nine-member board of directors."

"Obama''s latest predicament stirred Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley to issue a strong defense of Obama and Ayers, which Obama''s campaign passed on to reporters.

"There are a lot of reasons that Americans are angry about Washington politics," Daley''s statement said. "One more example is the way Sen. Obama''s opponents are playing guilt-by-association, tarring him because he happens to know Bill Ayers."

Daley said Ayers "worked with me in shaping our now nationally renowned school reform program."

Here''s the link of you want the REAL story instead of the innuendo BS you get from Obama8years

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-radicals18apr18,1,3837054.story

[taddles-2009]

"In one sense, Obama could be considered the ISM%u2019s Manchurian candidate given his wide connections to ISM activists and campaign movements such as the Wheels of Justice Tour, Joseph Carr a.k.a. Joseph Smith, Hannah Mermelstein, Anna Baltzer and others.

Posted by Obama8years at 04:05 PM : Apr 18, 2008"



LOL...his only connection to the Wheels of Justice Tour, Joseph Carr a.k.a. Joseph Smith, Hannah Mermelstein, Anna Baltzer is that they linked their website to his.

The only connection to Ali Abunimah and the ISM is that Ali Abunimah claims to know Obama.


Huh, I know Obama, I must be a close associate. Good thing I''m not a terrorist or Obama would be one too.


You are a f**king joke.

[taddles-2009]

"SO I present the question again , Can OBAMA get security clearance. Would you Hire Him?


Posted by Obama8years at 04:49 PM : Apr 18, 2008"


Present a real question for once instead of this gotcha cr4p you post.

[taddles-2009]

"They are racist for asking those questions

Posted by ARealist at 02:55 PM : Apr 18, 2008"


No, they are stupid for wasting half the dabate on stupid fu*king questions that have no relevance to anything. Who the f**k cares if he waears a lapel pin, McCain doesn''t, Hillary doesn''t why do you care if Obama does.

Why does anyone care if he is on a board with Bill Ayers? Obama doesn''t associate with him, he''s just on a board along with dozens of other people and Bill Ayers is now a Distinguished Professor of Education at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Too bad if you don''t like it but the guy is perfectly legit now.

Why aren''t any real questions being asked, like what is his plan to get us out of Iraq? what does he plan to do about gas prices? how will his health care plan work? what will he do to stop companies from outsourcing jobs to other countries? how are you going to deal with Iran and N. Korea? how do you plan to reduce the incidence of terrorism?

[nottellin1]

What I''de like to know from the Obama supporters that are so fired up about CHANGE. Hasnt it occurred to you that you may not like the CHANGE, because I have yet to hear many specifics, have you?

[obama8years]

Serious I want to hear from someone with security clearance expertise. I dont think Obama can get security clearance.

Ties with ISM, HAMAS, AYERS, REV WRIGHT, FARAKAHN, MILLION MAN MARCH, BLACK PANTHERS, AL WADA,Wheels of Justice Tour, Joseph Carr a.k.a. Joseph Smith, Hannah Mermelstein, Anna Baltzer and others.

SO I present the question again , Can OBAMA get security clearance. Would you Hire Him?

[obama8years]

BREAKING NEWS : LA TIMES SIGHT
Obama had over a dozen meetings with terrorist ayers, including one at ayers house. GD america!!

[obama8years]

If Obama couldnt handle 45 minutes of questions that should be answered. And yes most of America Cares what kind of character and associates the man who is going to have the most powerful job in the world. Quite honestly if he applied at my work, I wouldnt hire him after a background check on him.

CHECK OUT OBAMA BACKGROUND CHECK

type in "Bad Company" in the CBS search box

also

canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/2462

The question is if we want a man in the White House who will regularly give his ear to the likes of a Reverend Wright, his and Sabeel%u2019s replacement theologies, and pro-terrorist propagandists like Ali Abunimah on a regular basis? In one sense, Obama could be considered the ISM%u2019s Manchurian candidate given his wide connections to ISM activists and campaign movements such as the Wheels of Justice Tour, Joseph Carr a.k.a. Joseph Smith, Hannah Mermelstein, Anna Baltzer and others.