Absolutely Breathtaking Crap

Last night's Democratic debate was surreal. Gibson and Stephanopolous were shockingly inept and frequently painful to watch. It was like standing paralyzed as you see a six-year-old behind the wheel of a Suburban. Fear and loathing abounded, to say the least.

For what seemed like an hour, ABC's dunderheaded duo picked over the most irrelevant, picayune trash "issues" of the campaign. The "bitter" comments, which I'm still hard-pressed to believe are offensive. Is Obama down with the Weathermen? Of course not. As he pointed out to Stephanopolous -- whose sympathies were no mystery -- he was eight at the time. Does Rev. Wright love America as much as Barack Obama? What the hell does that even mean? Should we check his America-love gauge? Who, in fact, gives a damn?

It's been a schizophrenic campaign season, in that it has alternated long stretches of juvenile, gossipy tittle-tattle with occasional bouts of real promise. And that's just from the campaigns themselves! ABC completely deserves the tidal wave of opprobrium that they're getting right now.