Dear George Stephanopoulos, When Did You Become Such a Tool?

Dear George,

Hey! Remember me?  We went to college together.  We met on a very unfortunate blind date, which I think ended with you calling me a communist and me calling you something that rhymes with "ick".  Bygones, I hope.

Still, as I got to know you a little in college from our intersecting circles of friends, I started to think that you were probably one of the brightest people I knew in a college full of brainiacs.  I mean, dude, Barack Obama himself graduated the year I did, one year after you.  Did you know him?  I didn't, but I imagine the two of you furiously debating during Zbigniew Brzezinski's honors seminar on Cold War Politics or having a brewski at the West End.  Maybe not. 

I watched your career with interest, from your creation of the now archetypal preppy-but-earnest Presidential aide (Michael J. Fox played you to Michael Douglas' President in some movie or another), to reading your book about how the Clintons made you turn to antidepressants and C-list actresses for comfort, to your rise through the TV news ranks from cub reporter to Sunday morning show host.  I've always told people with a little bit of pride, "I knew that guy when he was just a short Greek guy with good hair and a lot of ambition."

But tonight, George, you let me down.   You let me and America down, in fact.  You had a real chance to show your stuff.  I don't expect a lot from Charlie Gibson, but you?   You could have pulled out all the stops by drilling down to the details on economics and foreign policy and education policy.   You could have shown why at  Columbia in 1982, we all thought you would be running for President someday. 

You could have asked about the issues that will affect your two little kids.  Things like how will they earn enough money to pay for George Bush's war?  I know you have enough money now that you don't worry about healthcare for them, but what about all the kids who can't afford to go to the doctor because S-CHIP didn't pass?  Why not deviate from the script a little and ask the candidates if they know how much a gallon of orange juice costs and what they think about genetically modified foods and the use of hormones and antibiotics in livestock?  You know, something that they haven't been asked ad nauseum, so they don't just spew the stock answer?

No, you didn't seize the opportunity to ask about issues that affect families.  Instead, you asked about some guy who was in the Weather Underground 40 years ago and said something stupid about 9/11.  Was the Clinton campaign feeding you questions in your little earpiece?  Is that the standard now, that a candidate is not judged on his or her character or record, but by the people they know? 

Instead of asking about how the candidates would reform or end No Child Left Behind so that third graders don't have to take tests that last longer than the Bar Exam, you asked about affirmative action for white people.  Now there's a wedge issue for you.  Were you trying to show Barack Obama to be an elitist (if he's for it) or a racist (if he's against it)?  If I could have reached in and bitchslapped you inside the TV, I would have. I'm kind of dreaming that Hillary took you backstage and did it for me.  If she did, I'd go walk precincts in Philly for her tomorrow.

I'm beginning to think that my initial impression of you was not wrong.

Sincerely,

Glennia

Comments

[Julie Pippert]

AMEN, Glennia! You know I wanted to have these things covered and was eighteen feet past disappointed that instead we got some nonsensical, noncogent (call Webster's) discussion about what again? I'd feel bad about not being able to bitchslap but George is getting pretty well slapped everywhere I've read today so far. I bet Sean Hannity couldn't sleep last night for his glee. (That's who fed George the questions, by the way. They met beforehand to work out smear questions. Don't ask how I know. Okay I give. It's my husband. He actually listens to Hannity and Colmes. Something about knowing thy enemy.)

[Susan]

Not only is your post-debate analysis right on - but the blind date analysis - I cracked up and it's 5:30 in LA - before coffee - not the usual time for me to be laughing out loud.

[Miss Britt]

I was SO disappointed in him last night.

It's one thing when the candidates and the campaign managers spin crap to play on people who are too stupid to get past the sound bites. But I expect more from a moderator.

I expected more from George.

Little piss ant.

[jen]

some boys never change.

[Amy in Ohio]

I had to stop and look up C-list actresses - too funny.

George - too sad. He had a golden opportunity to do something magical for the party last night - ask questions that actually mattered to the nation.

Maybe an A-list actress needs to take one for the team and distract him?

[cynematic]

Now THIS is why I love MOMocrats--brilliant coverage of political news, *plus* personal goss on blind dates of yore who grew up to be talking head politicos! Glennia, you never cease to amaze me.

And yes, Stephanopoulos needs to hang up his punditry hat after lobbing marshmallows during that shamefully bad debate last night. Let's revoke Charles Gibson's press badge while we're at it.

Just about every live-blogger, opinion piece, or comment in letters to the editor afterwards named last night's debate a new low in tv journalism's greased slide to irrelevance. Rightly so.

It doesn't have to be this way--CNN did a good job with Super Tuesday, as I recall.

[Gunfighter]

When did George become such a tool? I suspect he was always a tool.

He was already a tool when he and his pals showed up at the White House, and other executive agencies in the government.

The stories that I'll tell some day....

[cynematic]

Gunfighter, why you holding out on us, dude?

You have stories about George S.? We're all ears!

[Gunfighter]

Cyn,

I could tell stories about shit that would keep you from sleeping... Politicians seem to think that those of us with guns and uniforms either don't have ears, or are too stupid to think much about the political process at all.

They're wrong.

Be patient grasshopper... I'll retire one of these days.

[cynematic]

Gunfighter,
The day you do retire, we'll throw you a party and you can publish your tell-all. I, for one, would read it.
:)