So, I TiVoed the debate last night on CNN HD, and started watching about 30 minutes after the whole thing began. You know, life got in the way, necessitating the slightly delayed start. Well, after watching the first five minutes I cursed myself for not starting on time. If I had started on time I would have realized how horrific CNN HD's coverage was and I could have switched over to another network without missing anything.
I don't know if CNN HD did what they did last night with the first Presidential debate too (I watched that one on NBC), but it's something they should never do again. You see, to the left and right side of the screen they were showing this nonsensical scoring system giving plus and minus points to the candidates by CNN's pundits.
Now, I don't do politics (it makes me cry), so let's focus on the televisual aspects of why they shouldn't be showing those ridiculous scores. Mostly, the answer is that it was hugely distracting. The point of the debate was to listen to what the candidates have to say, not to pay attention to a purely arbitrary scoring system. Between that and CNN's nonsensical devices allowing a panel of undecided Ohioans to rate how much they liked or disliked what a candidate was saying, I thought I was watching someone else play a video game instead of watching a debate. What's next, rather than post-debate commentary, play-by-play where Anderson Cooper or Wolf Blitzer informs us which candidate just lied about what?
Though there were some laugh out loud moments in the debate, it was the show I watched before it, My Name is Earl, that was far more funny. I guess that's a good thing for both the debate and Earl.
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