Did anyone else catch the town hall debate on Tuesday's Nightline called "Why Now?" It was quite good. I never watch the show, but I'm thinking it might become required viewing in the next few weeks. Comments on the debate: Early on, I thought that predictably, the conservatives were "scoring" most of the dramatic and moving points. After all, war is sexy and tough sounding, and it's impressive to call people like Saddam nasty names. As the show wore on, though, I think they actually ended up getting the worse end of it. McCain, whom I usually like, ended up dodging every hard question from both the crowd and Koppel. Still, McCain was the best that side had. On the left, I thought the lady minister and the Senator weren't that great, but the former U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Wilson was very good. The stars of the debate were actually the people who got up to speak from the crowd. Lots of very good and tough questions that the panelists sometimes didn't know what to do with. Koppel was fantastic.
A day late and a dollar short. The Nightline "town hall" was fixed in favor of the anti-freedom forces. Questions were screened and picked beforehand and, not surprisingly, the anti-Bush sentiments are those that were chosen.
Re: Re: Is "Nightline" Always This Good? Let's humor Ian here and, for the sake of said humoring, assume that what he says is true. This would just show how incompetent Dumbya has been compared to his dad in selling the American people a war. When Bush Sr. had his fake town hall meeting in Ohio on CNN, the hall was packed with local Republicans, conservative student groups and ROTC members all with pre-screened softball questions. True, they were forced to let in some anti-war activists who promptly disrupted things. But at least all the damage the activists could do was balance the picture. If the Bushies really were set up on Nightline, then they're dumbasses for walking into a trap. How bush league (pun intended) can you get? Are these really the people we want trying to wage a complex post-war peace if they can be taken for a ride by Ted Koppel???
Re: Re: Re: Is "Nightline" Always This Good? Which "Bushies" (if I can borrow your gay term) was on the show last night? Let me help you...none. There was not one representative of the Bush Administration. Senator McCain and the former CIA director Woolsey actually carried the day, by far, despite the loons in the audience. Besides, what better way to show the anti-freedom freaks to be the whack jobs that they are than to let them speak.
I used to think Koppel was a smart guy. Until he showed our enemies how to use Antrax to it's best killing advantage in our subway system. As a matter of fact he ran that fuccking show twice. I have not watched that show or him since that time.
Re: Re: Is "Nightline" Always This Good? Questions are ALWAYS screened and picked beforehand in these situations. Always.
In all honesty, I caught like the last 10-15 minutes of it. I was really impressed with the balding guy on the pro war side. He quite frankly provided some of the best reasons to go through this war in clear and concise matters. I don't think I have heard it so well coming from one person, including not suprisingly, Bush.
Here about the green beret who was one of the guys looking for bin Laden in Afganastan. All the phoney passports and other ID they found over there in those caves originated in Iraq. Tell me again that iraq is innocent of terrorist activity.