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October 7, 2008

TV and the candidates' debate -- I'll be blogging tonight

With a town-hall-meeting format for tonight's debate between John McCain and Barack Obama, TV could play a larger role then ever.

The candidates will be interacting with audience members in ways they never did standing on podiums. And the setting will demand far more informality and one-on-one interaction.

How will this mesh for the more hostile tone both candidates have taken toward each other on the campaign trail this week? And will it favor one over the other in the language of television?

Tune in to Z on TV tonight right after the debate to see how politics were played on the small screen tonight.

Posted by David Zurawik at 1:27 PM | | Comments (3)
        

Comments

John McCain is used to force the election of Barack Obama.
Barack Obama forced you to pay for Wall Street's bailout.

Stop the extortion, blackmail, bribery, and division;
Ron Paul, Ralph Nader, and Cynthia McKinney.

"The two parties should be
almost identical, so that
the American people can
'throw the rascals out'
at any election without
leading to any profound or
extensive shifts in policy."
- Carol Quigley

Is it just me? Seeing Obama's calm demeanor again tonight and his overall appearance on TV is making me more comfortable with the idea of him as president despite his relative inexperience. Each debate seems to make him more believable as a leader.

I must say, in all of the articles and news reports I’ve seen or heard yesterday, yours proved to be the most interesting for a number of reasons. When the incident you discuss in your article occurred, I was a bit stunned. As a woman of color, if I was still undecided as to who to vote for in this election, that would have clarified it for me and McCain would not be the one. My next thought was “I wonder what the flack for this will be? Tomorrow will tell. ” Well, first I hear the commentator after the debate mention the incident and then – nothing. Complete silence. Yet, everyone is on about “that one”. Well “that one” is bad but to directly insult someone and compound it by avoiding them is much worse. Now here is what I find especially interesting about your article. In the past, by the next morning, I would have heard a reaction from the African American community. I heard nothing. Maybe there is some comment out there in smaller, lesser known papers I’m not aware of but, reactions in the main stream just doesn’t seem to be there. Not until I saw your article and my first thought was “what a switch!”. To see a young black male insulted on television, a minimal-to-no reaction from the African American community and where do I finally see a reaction from – a white male! Times are really changing and I am completely fascinated by it all.

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About David Zurawik
I've been The Baltimore Sun's TV critic since 1989. My writings on TV and media have appeared in such publications as TV Guide, Esquire magazine and American Journalism Review. I have a Ph.D. in American Studies from the University of Maryland, College Park, and an M.A. in specialized reporting (on popular culture) from the University of Wisconsin. I'm the author of The Jews of Prime Time (Brandeis University Press), a look at 50 years of Jewish characters and identity on network TV. I have also been with WYPR-FM (88.1) radio since 1994 and can be heard Thursday mornings at 7:30 doing a weekly "Take on Television" report.
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