Debate Moderators Under Fire For 'Gossipy Trivia' QuestionsPOSTED: 3:59 pm EDT April 17,
2008 PITTSBURGH -- At least 40 minutes into Wednesday's debate between presidential hopefuls Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, the two were grilled on character-esque issues rather than questions about the war, economy or health care.But it's not the candidates catching heat about the latest debate -- rather, the moderators. Bob Mayo's Blog: Media Debate Blowback Video:  Watch His ReportA video clip of ABC News' Charlie Gibson being booed is buzzing around the Internet Thursday."We'll take one more commercial break. We'll come back and say goodnight. Stay with us," Gibson said, ending the debate while the crowd shouted and booed him. "The crowd's turning on me. The crowd is turning on me. We'll be back in one minute."ABC said the crowd was booing the commercial, not the moderators, but that's not what most people attending a debate watch party in Pittsburgh told WTAE Channel 4 Action News anchor Sally Wiggin afterward.Most of the crowd agreed that the debate focused too heavily on character issues, particularly dealing with Obama.ABC News President David Westin defended his team when talking with Channel 4 Action News anchor Andrew Stockey in Philadelphia following the debate."First of all, character matters," he said. "And I don't think we should apologize for asking questions that go to character. Because, perhaps, first and foremost in our presidents, we care what their character is." Watch the Entire InterviewA Web review by The Washington Post called the debate "shoddy and despicable." The review said most of the debate's first hour dwelled on what it called "specious and gossipy trivia.""As important as anything else, and I've said this to the campaigns, it's better to get those questions asked now than wait until the third week in October and have them coming out," said Westin. "And so I think it's what we should be doing.""It was too much time on personal character and not enough time on professional competence and presidential choices," said Pittsburgh City Councilman Ricky Burgess."And they were based on questions that I thought were largely irrelevant questions -- 'gotcha' kind-of questions to kind of catch him (Obama)," said political analyst Dan Cohen.The debate has caused quite a stir in Pennsylvania, which is set to hold the presidential primary on April 22. Related Links: More County NewsGet RSS | E-Mail Alerts Copyright 2008 by ThePittsburghChannel. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. | DEBATING THE DEBATE Debate Moderators Under Fire For 'Gossipy Trivia' QuestionsABC News President RespondsPRESIDENTIAL RACE COMMITMENT 2008
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