From the very first moment I read that Kamala Harris had been given "assurances" by ABC "News" that she would not be disadvantaged by the turned-off mic rule, what did I tell everyone?
I said, repeatedly, these "assurances" consisted of ABC "News" guaranteeing Kamala Harris that the "moderators" would do the "fact"-checking that Kamala Harris, supposedly, would do if her microphone was on when Trump was speaking.
It was the first thought I had, and was confirmed when the "moderators" began openly debating Trump during the debate.
I'm not sure what Mark Penn is hearing, but he thinks it's "obvious" that ABC "News" had a side-deal with Kamala Harris guaranteeing her "fact"-checking of Trump. And no fact-checking of her dozens of lies.
Former top Clinton adviser calls on ABC to launch internal probe into whether debate was rigged
Veteran Democratic pollster Mark Penn said "I think a review of all their internal texts and emails really should be done [...] to find out to what extent they were planning on, in effect, you know, fact-checking just one candidate and in effect, rigging the outcome of this debate." Penn is not the only one.
By Nicholas Ballasy
Mark Penn, a former top adviser to Bill and Hillary Clinton, called Thursday for ABC to launch a formal internal investigation into its news division's planning and execution of this week's presidential debate to determine if there was some effort at "rigging the outcome of this debate."
ABC News came under significant bipartisan criticism because its moderators fact-checked some of Donald Trump's statements but not a single pushback at any made by Kamala Harris.
Trump said Thursday that the debate was three-on-one and declined to participate in another one before the election.
Anchors David Muir and Linsey Davis moderated the first debate between Harris and Trump, which drew 67.1 million viewers, making it the most watched presidential debate since 2008. But it has drawn scorn from both Republicans and Democrats for giving the appearance of bias.
"I actually think they should do a full internal investigation, hire an outside law firm. I don't know how much of this was planned in advance," Penn told the "John Solomon Reports" podcast.
"I don't know what they told the Harris campaign. I think the day after, suspicion here is really quite high, and I think a review of all their internal texts and emails really should be done by an independent party to find out to what extent they were planning on, in effect, you know, fact-checking just one candidate and in effect, rigging the outcome of this debate. I think the situation demands nothing less than that," he added.
Did I call it on what those "assurances" were or did I call it?
...
Other publications have disclosed a questionable coziness between Harris and Dana Walden, co-chairman of Disney and who oversees ABC News. The New York Times quoted Harris as calling their relationship "extraordinary friends," and disclosed that Walden and Harris are neighbors in Brentwood, a wealthy Los Angeles enclave where Ms. Harris and her husband also own a residence. The Times also pointed out that The Waldens have donated money to Ms. Harris's political campaigns since at least 2003, when she ran for district attorney in San Francisco.
Disney is the locus of all evil. I strongly opposed Trump doing this debate on the Disney Groomer News Network, particularly because Kamala Harris refused to do a Fox debate. If she can veto a network, so can Trump.
Trump is way too confident of himself a lot of the time. He thinks he can charm anyone and out-fox anyone.
He can't. They hate his guts. Literally. The media would actually pick up a gun and attempt to assassinate him if they weren't all mewling pussies.
...
Mark Penn is not the only veteran Democratic pollster and advisor to criticize the moderation. In an editorial, Doug Schoen, an advisor to President Clinton and N.Y.C. Mayor Mike Bloomberg, lamented that Harris "was aided and abetted by two ABC News moderators who seemingly felt the need to fact-check virtually everything the former president said."
Mark Penn's demand for a third-party investigation into the Disney Groomer News Network comes at the same time a Twitter account claims that it will be releasing an affidavit from a Disney employing alleging that ABC "News" did in fact give "assurances" to Kamala Harris that they would "fact"-check Trump early and often.
Leading Report
@LeadingReport
BREAKING: ABC whistleblower allegedly will release an affidavit claiming the Harris campaign was given sample questions that were "essentially the same questions that were given during the debate," as well as assurances that Trump would be "fact-checked" and she would not.
I don't think much of "getting the questions in advance." These were pretty obvious questions. I mean, it was strange that in an election in which voters say the top issues are the economy, crime, and immigration, the "moderators" asked one question about each and spent the rest of the time on abortion, January 6th, the environment, and, of course, Trump's racism. But that was entirely predictable.
But who knows-- maybe Kamala was given "assurances" that those topics would dominate.
What is more interesting to me is the claim that they gave her "assurances" that she would benefit from constant "fact"-checks of Trump's statements. Which seemed to me to be the only way to read the situation.
By the way, Kamala's Sorority Sister Linsey Davis admits now that she was determined that she would not allow Trump to win, as CNN had allowed Trump to beat Biden.
Linsey Davis held Trump's feet to the fire. How she became ABC News' rising star
Linsey Davis, an ABC News anchor, provided a showstopping moment while moderating Tuesday's presidential debate.
Presidential debates are remembered for the candidates' pithy one-liners. But in the chaotic political landscape of 2024, a simple statement of fact served as the showstopper on Tuesday's showdown between former President Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.
"There is no state in this country where it is legal to kill a baby after it's born," said ABC News moderator Linsey Davis in the matter-of-fact style familiar to viewers who watch her on the Sunday edition of "ABC World News Tonight" and her nightly streaming newscast "ABC News Live Prime."
Her correction was a response to Trump's claim that the Democratic Party's support of abortion rights includes "executing" an infant after it's born, something he has repeatedly said on the campaign trail. In an era in which misinformation spreads fast and furious, Davis' real-time fact check cut through the proceedings like a sharp blade.
With co-moderator David Muir, Davis had studied hours of campaign rallies and interviews to prepare for the much-anticipated event at Philadelphia's National Constitution Center, and were ready to counter the candidates' most egregious statements.
They studied Trump's campaign speeches to "fact"-check him. They did not study Kamala's speeches. Otherwise, they would have been prepared for the "good people on both sides" and "bloodbath" lies. Or perhaps they're so in the leftwing bubble that these "journalists" still think those claims are true.
Davis, wearing pink glasses while speaking to The Times over breakfast at the Ritz Carlton in Philadelphia, said the decision to attempt to correct the candidates was in response to the June 27 CNN debate between Trump and President Biden, whose poor performance led to his exit from the race.
"People were concerned that statements were allowed to just hang and not [be] disputed by the candidate Biden, at the time, or the moderators," Davis said.
Muir and Davis divided up the topics to study, and Davis fully anticipated that Trump's erroneous abortion claim would come up when she questioned him on the issue.
"That was an obvious thing to get on the record," Davis said.
In the weeks before the debate, various scenarios were played out in table read-like settings where the anchors and ABC News producers tested their questions and played out the possible responses.
Davis acknowledged that she and Muir could not nail every misstatement. But they did study each candidate's body of work ahead of time and had an idea of what to expect.
"Politicians tend to say the same things again and again," Davis said.
To prepare, Davis, a 17-year ABC News veteran, reviewed questions in her head for weeks during her daily runs (she and entrepreneur husband Paul Roberts have competed in half-marathons in 46 states). There was a lot of prayer too.
"My husband said a little 30-second prayer before I left for Philadelphia," said Davis, a Christian who has written faith-based children's books. "He was like, 'God give her the words to say.' That's in the Scripture. There were a few praying for, in particular, wisdom, discernment, courage and peace."
A cousin of Davis set up a prayer meeting on Zoom as well.
...
Davis is set to play a critical role in the future at ABC News.
I'll bet.
Note that the moderators were, by rules, not permitted to comment or "fact"-check. Their role was only to keep the debate civil and "facilitate discussion."
Once again, they broke the rules they agreed to.
The media can never be trusted to "moderate" a debate again. No rules worked out with them beforehand will be honored. They will always claim a "higher devotion to 'The Truth (TM)', which only leftwing c*nts can devine.
Via David Strom, who has more from Mark Penn.
Mark Penn
@Mark_Penn
There can be no fair game or debate no matter what the score when the referees put their fingers on the scale.
What ABC did in poorly fact checking one side while letting the other side repeat serial falsehoods meant that one side had to do its own defense.
It robs all sides of a fair event and a clean, uncontested outcome. Shame on ABC