Pennsylvania Debate should be the last for the Democrats

There was no need for debate in Pennsylvania in the first place. But if there had been any reason to believe that we were going to get the farce that was the ABC moderators, then in would have been an easy call.George Stephanopoulos and Charlie Gibson were an embarrassment to their profession. At least journalism is a second profession for Stephanopoulos. His first profession is defender of the Clinton legacy.

George Stephanopoulos and Charlie Gibson were an embarrassment to their profession.

Anyone who has watched This Week with George Stephanopoulos can attest that the moderator has gone to great lengths to stoke the Jereimiah Wright flames. Who would have imagined he and Charlie would spend the first 45 minutes of the debate on tabloid issues of pastors, lapel pins, and sniper fire.

Tom Shales of the Washington Post declared that The Clear Loser Is ABC when looking at Tuesday's debate. " The fact is, cable networks CNN and MSNBC both did better jobs with earlier candidate debates," Shales says in The Post. "...neither of those cable networks, if memory serves, rushed to a commercial break just five minutes into the proceedings." He also talks about how ABC often cut to Clinton supporters in the crowd without giving Obama supporters equal screen time.

There have now been 21 debates in the Democratic Presidential race. I believe the debates in Ohio and Texas were somewhat informative. Stephanopoulos and Gibson have taken us down a road I don't want to see again.

"I'll be honest with you, we've now had 21," he said. "It's not as if we don't know how to do these things. I could deliver Sen. Clinton's lines; she could, I'm sure, deliver mine," Obama said about the debates. The Senator from Illinois has suggested he would rather campaign out with the voters rather than rehash old talking points on television. I hope he sticks to that plan.

On a final note, there is an interesting (non scientific) poll from the Pittsburg Post-Gazette. The question was asked: Did the presidential debate help you decide how to vote? The results:

Clinton convinced me to vote for her. - 431 (17%)

Obama convinced me to vote for him. - 1032 (42%)

I'm still undecided. - 95 (4%)

I had already picked my candidate and nothing will sway me. - 552 (24%)

I watched the Penguins playoff game. - 226 (10%)

I couldn't miss American Idol. - 23 (1%)

What election? - 41 (2%)

Thanks to Eddie G. Griffin and African-American Political Pundit for their contributions to this report.