September 2, 2009

"Charles Gibson leaving 'World News.'"

Oh, blah. Who cares? I didn't even know there was something called — so boringly — "World News." Charles Gibson (Charlie Gibson)? I'd have to click my tag — see below — to ascertain whether I dislike the guy. Was he mean to Sarah? I don't remember.

Haven't watched network news since the 80s. Or was it the 70s?

61 comments:

Hunter McDaniel said...

Yeah, he ambushed Sarah. OTOH, she should have been expecting an ambush and her commander shouldn't have sent her on that mission.

All ancient history. Charlie who?

Bissage said...

It was Mr. Gibson who invented the cocktail named in his honor and that is enough accomplishment for any man.

And speaking of Sarah Palin, nice up-do!

Wince said...

First Weekly World News shuts down its presses, now Charlie "Bush Doctrine" Gibson leaves World News?

former law student said...

I lost the network news habit decades ago, when the work day passed ten hours. But it is concise, and you never run the risk of seeing either Nancy Grace or Sean Hannity if you leave the TV tuned to a network station.

mccullough said...

Diane Sawyer replacing him. She's hot, sexier than Katie Couric.

Ritmo Re-Animated said...

"Was he mean to Sarah? I don't remember."

The new benchmark for how likeable someone is.

Brian Doyle said...

Was he mean to Sarah?

That's hilarious.

Christopher in MA said...

Isn't he the fellator who elevated Cindy Sheehan to saint-like status when she protested against the evil BusHitler but whined "enough already" when she dared protest against Black Narcissus?

If so, good riddance to bad rubbish. If not - well, one more MSM whore gone means nothing in the great scheme of things.

vw: "poized." What Sarah needs to be against these vermin.

Henry said...

And yet you posted.

I'm Full of Soup said...

Sawyer was an English major at Wellesley College so she is highly qualified for the top news reader job.

KCFleming said...

Ha, network news.

I suppose somebody watches, like the people who still drank Postum until it was finally gone forever.

LonewackoDotCom said...

Gibson was a little more than just "mean to Sarah".

The fact that he hasn't (AFAIK) been forced to apologize for that and that his name isn't associated with that episode is yet another example of just how incompetent the leaders of the supposed opposition to BHO are.

SteveR said...

I'm confused, is this the dude who had the war, or the dummy that worked with Candice's old man?

I do know its not the guy from My Three Sons 'cause that dude spelled his name "Charley".

miller said...

Charles Gibson? I always get him confused with Charles Coulson.

WF: ating, the cellphone ring of Mr. T.

William said...

I think you can date a newscaster's entry date into the business by their appearance. As time went by, they became increasingly better looking. Gibson looked post Cronkite but pre Peter Jennings....There might be a new pendulum swing. Some of the newer, local people have the gravitas of homely faces.

traditionalguy said...

I always thought that Gibson was a nice guy as compared to the other network Stars. I wonder whether he resigned or was fired.

garage mahal said...

I'd have to click my tag — see below — to ascertain whether I dislike the guy. Was he mean to Sarah? I don't remember.

Because that's the measure of a good journalist. LOL

D. B. Light said...

Charlie Gibson ate at a local restaurant near my home and wrote a nice comment on the food and service. The owners posted it proudly. Two months later the place closed and has never re-opened. Just connecting the dots.

Shanna said...

Was he mean to Sarah?

Garage, I have a friend who does base her opinions on that precisely. She apparently writes on Sarah palin's facebook page all the time (so says my SIL).

I don't think that's what Althouse is doing, though. I can hardly stand tv news. And (on cable) the scrolling stories are always far more interesting than what they are reporting on.

John Stodder said...

Yeah, the retirement of Gibson and elevation of Sawyer is the media equivalent of learning who the new blacksmith is now that old Farty has finally retired.

Sawyer is not exactly a fresh face. She worked for Nixon, who I'm not sure all of you remember. But I can't help it; she's sexy. Even after all these years. She was the first truly alluring anchorwoman, and she has yet to yield the title. Those Fox blondes have a lot to learn from Diane Sawyer about conveying humor and knowningness. I do kind of get a little excited watching that woman who has recently started taking over Anderson Cooper's show.

Beth said...

"Was he mean to Sarah? I don't remember."

That's a criteria for what, exactly?

Big meanies. Poor Sarah.

Do they ask 'was X mean to Sarah'? That's my new criteria for whether to take someone seriously.

garage mahal said...

Big meanies. Poor Sarah.

Apparently, simply asking Sarah Palin a question, like what her qualifications were to be VP were, was mean -- like asking Danny De Vito to guard Lebron James one-on- one. Not fair!

Christopher Drew said...

Who is "Charles Gibson?" What is this "World News" thingy?

I'm Full of Soup said...

Stodder:

Check out Liz Wiehl on FOX. An attorney with long long legs. She may make you forget Sawyer.

KCFleming said...

@Beth In re: "Was he mean to Sarah?
"That's a criteria for what, exactly?"

Prior to the election, it was reliable shorthand for journalists on the Democratic payroll, those who pummeled Palin, but never even donned the gloves for Obama.

I'm Full of Soup said...

Too funny to see the liberals here do their knee-jerk critique of Althouse and her method for ranking the talking heads.

wv= ignot

Alex said...

Bottom line is yes Gibson is a bastard, but Palin wasn't prepared to answer the tough questions.

garage mahal said...

What was the toughest question asked directly to Palin? When she wasn't sequestered, that is.

Beth said...

Pogo, calling someone a "bad interviewer" or "biased journalist" is even shorter. "Was he mean to Sarah" makes me think she's running for high school student council.

Smilin' Jack said...

something called — so boringly — "World News."

Well, they had to distinguish it somehow from its sister program, "Martian News."

Chase said...

Sawyer is married to Mike Nichols.

On a tour to New York with a group of 80 high school students, we chaperones walked behind the students on a tour of the Plaza Hotel. As we exited on the side street adjacent to Central Park, a car pulled up and Mike Nichols got out. One of our chaperones, a grandmother of 66, ran up to him and said "You're Mike Nichols!" to which he replied "Well, thank you! And you are?" after which he took her arm in his and walked her to the door and stood and nicely chatted with her for about 10 minutes, never giving a hint that he was uncomfortable or trying to get away. We took their picture and then he leaned over and after giving our excited friend a kiss on the cheek said his goodbyes and left us all with a very favorable impression.

I watched "The Graduate" 3 times after I returned home.

LonewackoDotCom said...

It wasn't a matter of not being prepared to answer "tough questions", it was the fact that - as detailed at my link above - Gibson outrageously mangled a quote from her in a way that gave the impression she thought we were on a religious crusade in Iraq. That's not only despicable in and of itself, it could be used by the U.S.'s foreign enemies to foment hatred against us and it could endanger U.S. citizens in foreign countries.

Automatic_Wing said...

Althouse knew that a Charles Gibson (who?) post wouldn't generate any interest, so she tossed a little Palin in there just to get the discussion flowing.

Cedarford should be along any minute now to tie together Palin, New York Jew lawyers, Gibson, neocons, crazy John McCain, noble purplefingered Iraqis, and the genius of the Japanese healthcare system into one 12-paragraph comment.

KCFleming said...

@Beth
True.
I wish I cared enough about Palin to go further than kvetching about partisanship of the press, but I don't.

former law student said...

Christine Craft (deemed at age 36 to be "too old, too unattractive, and not deferential enough to men" to be a TV anchor) says, "Bravo Diane."

After two jury verdicts in her favor for $500K were overturned, Christine became a lawyer.

fivewheels said...

Re: "Was he mean to Sarah?"

Our leftward friends aren't helping to dispel that charge of being "humorless". It's a joke, and a pretty funny one, but the truth is your predictable reaction is the butt of it.

Hoosier Daddy said...

What was the toughest question asked directly to Palin? When she wasn't sequestered, that is.

Well we know Biden's toughest one was "What's your favorite color?" Oh and his favorite President was FDR because he liked his televised speeches.

Hoosier Daddy said...

Diane Sawyer replacing him. She's hot, sexier than Katie Couric.

And equally stupid.

garage mahal said...

Well we know Biden's toughest one was "What's your favorite color?" Oh and his favorite President was FDR because he liked his televised speeches..

Seriously, I always hear how the MSM crucified her, yet no one ever links to, or points to all the examples. What was the toughest or unfair question asked of her?

wv - quayle

haha

miller said...

garage, you'd be more interesting if you hadn't blown your reputation when you asked for examples of "imaginary" death threats against Bush. You beclowned yourself; now you barely deserve a reading.

I don't think you're serious.

WV: phingbev, as in "What's that you're drinking in that odd mug?" "It's my phingbev."

garage mahal said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
garage mahal said...

garage, you'd be more interesting if you hadn't blown your reputation when you asked for examples of "imaginary" death threats against Bush..

Nice try. I asked who the lefties were producing these films, to gauge if the claim that they were lefties was valid. And I don't think I was answered. Much like my question here remains unanswered.

LonewackoDotCom said...

Regarding garage mahal's quest, there are 84 items in this list, and here's my list of lies and smears of Sarah Palin.

garage mahal said...

I asked for direct questions asked of Palin, from the MSM, that were tough or unfair .

Laura(southernxyl) said...

garage mahal said...
Big meanies. Poor Sarah.

Apparently, simply asking Sarah Palin a question, like what her qualifications were to be VP were, was mean -- like asking Danny De Vito to guard Lebron James one-on- one. Not fair!


Did anybody ask Obama what his qualifications were to be President? Seriously, I'm asking. Maybe they did and I don't remember

Synova said...

Lonewackos first link...

Pure absolute LIE by Gibson... praying that something is true is a hope... nothing more. And he outright lied about her statement and her intent and when she questioned his "quote" of her he stated that they were her "exact" words... which made her out to be a liar and hiding something... something freaky and scary and well into the realm of fundamentalist wacko. Be afraid!!

"PALIN: But the reference there is a repeat of Abraham Lincoln's words when he said - first, he suggested never presume to know what God's will is, and I would never presume to know God's will or to speak God's words.

But what Abraham Lincoln had said, and that's a repeat in my comments, was let us not pray that God is on our side in a war or any other time, but let us pray that we are on God's side.
"

Her response is pure eloquence and, frankly, gets the Christian doctrine elements just *exactly* right.

So Gibson says, oh no, but you also said... and made it look, again, like she was outright lying, when she was not.

This isn't being MEAN. It's being a duplicitous douchebag.

Maybe he could ask Obama if Obama knows the will of God? After all, Obama told us that we're *partners* with God in life and death and that God wants us to have health care reform.

Where is jumping on *that* thing he really said?

Or maybe Gibson was afraid of Sarah because she got her doctrine correct and felt he needed to lie about her, but he's not afraid of Obama because his "christian" doctrine so obviously sucks.

RLB_IV said...

Charlie Gibson? Wasn't he the guy on Good Morning America in the 80's? All the young mommies thought he was such a sweet poo bear talking about table settings and how wonderful Pampers saved Mommies so much work.? Wow,he went a long way. Oh well, life in "hard" news is short.

bagoh20 said...

In answer to garage: The first unfair question was the one described above by Synova. He asked a question that contained a lie specifically designed to make her look bad (not his job and unfair).

Another was: "Do you agree with the Bush doctrine?" Which there is no answer too since it doesn't exist.

I was disappointed with her answer, since she could have knocked that one out of the park in a couple of ways.

He was adversarial and was attempting to take advantage of her inexperience in playing that game he has his whole career. I really have no problem with that but he would never be that way with a democrat.

Obama was never asked a single tough question by a reporter the entire campaign. I remember, because I was waiting for it. That's the issue I have.

After seeing Obama since the election, I think he would have blown a tough question similarly.

Consequently, people like Ann voted, mistakingly thinking that not being asked questions means you can answer them.

section9 said...

That's not quite true.

There was only one, ONE, adequate interview of Obama conducted by anyone during the entire campaign.

Obama went on Bill O'Reilly's The O'Reilly Factor and went back and forth with Mr. Ego and, I should add, came out well with Independents who watch FOX.

The rest of the networks were into fellatio of Obama, as they are now. Only Bill O'Reilly conducted a decent interview of the man.

Palin will eventually go on O'Reilly and it will do her a world of good.

former law student said...

Another was: "Do you agree with the Bush doctrine?" Which there is no answer too since it doesn't exist.

I was disappointed with her answer, since she could have knocked that one out of the park in a couple of ways.

He was adversarial and was attempting to take advantage of her inexperience in playing that game he has his whole career.

1. There is/was a Bush Doctrine -- at least it is well-described in wikipedia.

2. Even if Gibson asked about the Frammelsnatz doctrine, Palin should have been able to cope, without either bluffing or looking like a deer in the headlights. A simple, "What do you consider to be the Bush Doctrine? would have been sufficient.

Was Palin Presidential timber or not? Obama had been running for two
years by that point, participating in countless debates. He had shown his mettle.

Anthony said...

Yeah, I was going to mention the O'Reilly interview. I only saw parts of it but it was far, far more intense than anything he got elsewhere.

Synova said...

"A simple, "What do you consider to be the Bush Doctrine? would have been sufficient."

I thought that was essentially what she did, but he refused to clarify.

"In what respect, Charlie?"

Is that not a request for clarification? What was his response?

bagoh20 said...

Thanks section9, I stand corrected. I just watched it. O'Reilly was tough (that wingnut). Obama's dishonesty is obvious. The comments there clearly show that many didn't care about it or anything else they covered.

FLS, As I said, I think she blew an easy opportunity, but as we both said, Obama and Gibson both knew the game - she was a novice. I think Pailn had been on the national scene only a few weeks by then and no MSM interview experience. That's not enough time to know these games well. I also do not think it demonstrates essential presidential "timber" to be well practiced at deception with the press.

I now know a lot more about both people (remember, only one was running for president). We will never agree about this because it comes down to ideology, but I would prefer Palin as president and I know her flaws too. I think neither was ready for the job, lacking different things. Palin could learn quickly what she needed. Obama should have learned what he doesn't know long ago in his 30's. From my experience it's too late for him. Consequently, too late for us too.

I'm Full of Soup said...

Joe The Plumber did the best impromtu interview of Obama. Obama failed that big time.

rcocean said...

I'm well-informed and have no idea who Charlie Gibson is.

Thank God for C-Span and the Internet.

former law student said...

"In what respect, Charlie?"

Is that not a request for clarification?

Yes, but it was also bluffing, because her response implied she knew what the Bush Doctrine was, and that it encompassed many "respects."

Had the Bush Doctrine been, "Never leave the toilet seat up," she would have been toast.

Anonymous said...

At this time there are 56 posts in this thread about Charlie Gibson.

22 of them mention "Charlie" or "Gibson".

30 of them mention "Sarah" or "Palin."

Tina Brown said something about Gov. Palin being like crack cocaine for the blogosphere, and I think she's right.

And beyond the blogosphere and even the Internet too: The number 1 article on the London Times web site right now is about Levi Johnston's revolting little caricature of her in Vanity Fair. And Vanity Fair themselves seem to have figured out that the road to riches is paved with a scurrilous Sarah Palin cover story every month.

When the President of the United States of America responds angrily to Facebook postings by an unemployed housewife thought to be a nitwit by half the country, well, the wheels are coming off his little red wagon, aren't they? My, this will be an interesting three years.

rob said...

See a comparison of a couple of questions here.

Anonymous said...

And good riddance to Charlie. He is one of the most arrogant, self-important buffoons on network "news".
Schoolgirl Sawyer is just as embarrassing.
ABC News keeps coming up with reasons to stay away.

Synova said...

fls, my point is that your suggestion that all she really needed to do was ask "What do you consider the Bush Doctrine, Charlie?" would NOT have sufficed. It would have been interpreted exactly the same way as what she *did* say was interpreted.

What she ought to have done is to define the Bush Doctrine herself or else deflect and talk about whatever she wanted to talk about. She might not have gotten away with that either, even though it's a normal thing to do.

srfwotb said...

I admit that I had no idea who Gibson was until the much publicized Palin interview. I had heard of, but never seen, Katie Couric in action until Palin. I had heard of Palin, courtesy of a relative and Wonkette who used to have a girl crush on her before she was actually nominated.

I have seen a lot of Chris Matthews and have a passing familiarity with Keith Olbermann/ Joe Scarborough.

I picked up on the Anderson Cooper juggernaut right away - before the war- and thought Dan Abrams was hot for about a week during the same time period, but I never made any special effort to watch any of them. I have no idea if they are on now or where.

That's it.