Brokaw Stunk

[LoneStarJerry]

I almost think that one debate sometimes is more than enough, kind of like 1980. The same questions really get old.

[LauraC]

Originally Posted by JerZ

I was disappointed in Brokaw. He was a crotchety old man, continuously "reminding" the candidates of how incredibly difficult it all was on them because they "picked the (short-time-answer) format". A grumpy old man "I told ya so"-ing, basically, and how many times did he pull that? Three? Four? TOM, WE GET IT.

I was saddened because it just really drove home that this man is seriously old and, I don't know...losing his journalistic edge, I guess. I had always admired him. But for this debate...he s * cked. And yes, he really did try to make it about him. "Oh, I'm just the hired help." He seriously sounded like everybody's great-uncle Lou sitting in a fat armchair and complaining and crotcheting continuously. As others here pointed out, it wasn't about him. Ugh, it just...made me feel sad.

He had no control during the debate. He didn't select any question for which we didn't already know the answers (each candidate would give), his worst offense and the main offense committed during the primaries by all moderators in addition to ignoring some candidates. He injected himself into the debate too often. It's not about you, Tom. Ifill and Lehrer did no such thing.

This doesn't deserve it's own thread but Shepard Smith, before the debate, talked to the Governor of Tennessee (a Democrat), a Tennessee Congresswoman (Republican) and one of the Fox ground reporters spoke to someone from the Tennessee college. Maybe the national news media is finally getting the message that when they go into these states they need to talk to local people and not just their NYC/DC analysts and the same old/same old politicians.

[BlueWillowPlate]

I did not have a big problem with Brokaw; he was a bit hobbled by the restrictive format.
It wasn't really a give-and-take debate, though Brokaw did ask a few follow up questions.
I suppose he could have been more hardcore and simply turned off the candidates' microphones when their speechifying got too tiresome.
I really got tired of the cheap shots taken by both candidates.

[dixiegirl7]

I think Brokaw is being blamed for what the two debaters lack and that is charisma. These two are boring. Neither one of them has that little zing in their personalities that make it interesting. They have both had all of this so drilled into their memorization it doesn't come out naturally. They just need to be themselves...or maybe that is the problem.

[normie]

Originally Posted by BlueWillowPlate

I did not have a big problem with Brokaw; he was a bit hobbled by the restrictive format.

I agree, not a great format.

[WillysB]

Brokaw has stunk ever since Huntley/Brinkley quit the biz.