Comments on: Debate 2: Tom Brokaw Treats Obama as the Hired Help http://www.turningleft.net/2008/10/07/debate-2-tom-brokaw-treats-obama-as-the-hired-help/ On the Liberal Front Fri, 05 Feb 2010 17:08:04 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: mapapage http://www.turningleft.net/2008/10/07/debate-2-tom-brokaw-treats-obama-as-the-hired-help/comment-page-1/#comment-500 mapapage Wed, 08 Oct 2008 23:24:25 +0000 http://www.turningleft.net/?p=371#comment-500 I am a 58 year old African-American woman. I was born and raised in the South. I live through the human rights movement of the 60's. As an African-American I have developed a sense about when a person is being racist. It is a tone of voice, a posture that ugly way that another human being can treat another human being with disrespect, Like a refusal to acknowledge another person's humanity. I have not felt that in a long time. But with the way Tom Brokaw acted towards Sen Obama during the debates last night I sensed it, felt it and recognized it. When those kinds of feelings are the truth about a person's character or lack of it then you can't hide it under celebrity, or fame or eloquent speech. Last night we saw the truth that is Tom Brokaw. I am a 58 year old African-American woman. I was born and raised in the South. I live through the human rights movement of the 60’s.
As an African-American I have developed a sense about when a person is being racist. It is a tone of voice, a posture that ugly way that another human being can treat another human being with disrespect, Like a refusal to acknowledge another person’s humanity. I have not felt that in a long time. But with the way Tom Brokaw acted towards Sen Obama during the debates last night I sensed it, felt it and recognized it. When those kinds of feelings are the truth about a person’s character or lack of it then you can’t hide it under celebrity, or fame or eloquent speech. Last night we saw the truth that is Tom Brokaw.

]]> By: mapapage http://www.turningleft.net/2008/10/07/debate-2-tom-brokaw-treats-obama-as-the-hired-help/comment-page-1/#comment-499 mapapage Wed, 08 Oct 2008 23:08:44 +0000 http://www.turningleft.net/?p=371#comment-499 Is there a code of ethics for journalist? If there is one that says that the honor of being a good journalist lies in the ability to remain impartial in journalistic situations that require that type of special discipline. Tom Brokaw did not rise to what could have been a glorious occasion for him to display honor and respect for his profession. How could MSNBC allow this to happen without being aware of Mr. Brokaw's intentions? Mr. Brokaw publicly disgraced the American people while the rest of the world watched. What he did was desperate and disgraceful to the art of journalism. Both he and McCain had an opportunity to be brilliant Americans, to pass the test of democracy by showing "liberty and justice for all" when Brokaw lost it. As it turned out Brokaw clowned and acted shamefully immature and McCain saw it as an opportunity to take advantage of Mr. Obama who has tried so far to be dignified in these debates. These are the moments that we the American people should be watching. The unpredictable moments that show a persons true character. McCain would have been unbeatable if he had said; hold on Tom, let's be fair here with Senator Obama instead he acted like a desperate opportunist and took the moment for himself. If he can't be fair in moments like this then how can he be fair to the American people. Brokaw should be made to apologize to Sen.Obama and to the American people for making us look bad to the rest of the world and his fellow journalist should demand it. Why can't the journalist that are so obvious about their preferences before being assigned these important and crucial situations be asked to sign some kind of document swearing to be professional under all circumstances. Tom Brokaw has tainted the debate process by not being able to control his own selfish motives and ignoring the importance of being impartial for the sake of the people of this country and the rest of the world. Is there a code of ethics for journalist? If there is one that says that the honor of being a good journalist lies in the ability to remain impartial in journalistic situations that require that type of special discipline. Tom Brokaw did not rise to what could have been a glorious occasion for him to display honor and respect for his profession. How could MSNBC allow this to happen without being aware of Mr. Brokaw’s intentions?
Mr. Brokaw publicly disgraced the American people while the rest of the world watched. What he did was desperate and disgraceful to the art of journalism. Both he and McCain had an opportunity to be brilliant Americans, to pass the test of democracy by showing “liberty and justice for all” when Brokaw lost it. As it turned out Brokaw clowned and acted shamefully immature and McCain saw it as an opportunity to take advantage of Mr. Obama who has tried so far to be dignified in these debates.
These are the moments that we the American people should be watching. The unpredictable moments that show a persons true character. McCain would have been unbeatable if he had said; hold on Tom, let’s be fair here with Senator Obama instead he acted like a desperate opportunist and took the moment for himself. If he can’t be fair in moments like this then how can he be fair to the American people.
Brokaw should be made to apologize to Sen.Obama and to the American people for making us look bad to the rest of the world and his fellow journalist should demand it. Why can’t the journalist that are so obvious about their preferences before being assigned these important and crucial situations be asked to sign some kind of document
swearing to be professional under all circumstances.
Tom Brokaw has tainted the debate process by not being able to control his own selfish motives and ignoring the importance of being impartial for the sake of the people of this country and the rest of the world.

]]> By: G http://www.turningleft.net/2008/10/07/debate-2-tom-brokaw-treats-obama-as-the-hired-help/comment-page-1/#comment-498 G Wed, 08 Oct 2008 03:41:39 +0000 http://www.turningleft.net/?p=371#comment-498 Kaye: Thank you for this comment. Thom Hartmann points this out as well on his show on Air America. I'm running out of major networks to watch for news. Kaye: Thank you for this comment. Thom Hartmann points this out as well on his show on Air America.

I’m running out of major networks to watch for news.

]]> By: Kaye http://www.turningleft.net/2008/10/07/debate-2-tom-brokaw-treats-obama-as-the-hired-help/comment-page-1/#comment-497 Kaye Wed, 08 Oct 2008 03:37:38 +0000 http://www.turningleft.net/?p=371#comment-497 Yes, it is quite obvious that Tom Brokaw is partial towards McCain. This is inline with Brokaw's behavior on Meet the Press on 9/28 where he moderated a debate between McCain strategist Steve Schmidt and Obama strategist David Axelrod on topics ranging from Iraq to the Wall Street bailout which Axelrod seemed to win. At the end, Tom Brokaw he opted to give himself the last word and told the audience: “In fairness to everybody here, I’m just going to end on one note. And that is that we continue to poll on who’s best equipped to be Commander in Chief, and John McCain continues to lead in that category despite the criticism from Barack Obama by a factor of 53 to 42 percent in our latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll. Gentlemen, thank you very much. “ In fact, the latest NBC poll actually has no question about Commander in Chief. It turns out that Brokaw was referring to a poll taken weeks ago - right after the Republican convention and well before the September 26 national security debate. In each of NBC’s last two polls, Americans chose Obama over McCain. Yes, it is quite obvious that Tom Brokaw is partial towards McCain. This is inline with Brokaw’s behavior on Meet the Press on 9/28 where he moderated a debate between McCain strategist Steve Schmidt and Obama strategist David Axelrod on topics ranging from Iraq to the Wall Street bailout which Axelrod seemed to win. At the end, Tom Brokaw he opted to give himself the last word and told the audience:

“In fairness to everybody here, I’m just going to end on one note. And that is that we continue to poll on who’s best equipped to be Commander in Chief, and John McCain continues to lead in that category despite the criticism from Barack Obama by a factor of 53 to 42 percent in our latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll. Gentlemen, thank you very much. “

In fact, the latest NBC poll actually has no question about Commander in Chief. It turns out that Brokaw was referring to a poll taken weeks ago – right after the Republican convention and well before the September 26 national security debate. In each of NBC’s last two polls, Americans chose Obama over McCain.

]]> By: C-SPAN Debate Hub » Blog Archive » Tom Brokaw Treats Obama as the Hired Help http://www.turningleft.net/2008/10/07/debate-2-tom-brokaw-treats-obama-as-the-hired-help/comment-page-1/#comment-496 C-SPAN Debate Hub » Blog Archive » Tom Brokaw Treats Obama as the Hired Help Wed, 08 Oct 2008 02:22:01 +0000 http://www.turningleft.net/?p=371#comment-496 [...] Tom Brokaw Treats Obama as the Hired Help October 7, 2008 at 10:21 pm [...] [...] Tom Brokaw Treats Obama as the Hired Help October 7, 2008 at 10:21 pm [...]

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