This is a report of the results of an online poll taken by volunteers after the first 2008 Presidential Debate. This seems significant to me as the poll was really focused on the performance of the moderator, Jim Lehrer. Thus it recognizes the significance of the questioner's ability to frame a debate to favor one party or the other. While the results are not scientific due to the skewing of participants toward Obama, the similarity of purpose between this effort and that of NewsTrust was not lost on me.

The article covers citizen evaluation of the conduct of the first debate. There is not a lot of insight, but some interesting background on the impressions of other viewers. It is interesting that so many of the Republicans watched on Faux news, which suggests they have been undergoing severe disinformation indoctrination for months prior to the debate. Another pointed article on omitted topics is at http://www.newstrust.net/webx/Stories/files/80927-0022/ .

I doubt any moderator will ever prove to be perfect to any party but I agree, Mr. Lehrer seems to have done a much better job than any other moderator did during the primaries. To have been "fair and balanced," it would have been nice to compare and contrast freepress' evaluation with other like-minded sites. As for the evaluatons about TV coverage of the elections - poor - I totally agree.

This is a summary of results from Obama and McCain supporters' rating of the media moderation (Jim Lehrer) and post-debate coverage of the first presidential debate. The results are very interesting and should be statistically reliable if there were sound scientific safeguards in place for the 4,600 subjects.

The negative commentary certainly reveals the popular addiction to "news" comprised of sound-bites and quips. I watched the debate intently and was delighted first by Lehrer's quote from Eisenhower tying economy to national security, then by his well-focused questions. They gave Obama and McCain the opportunity to address the questions in depth and to demonstrate the qualities of their thinking. In order to appropriately cover the range of topics mentioned in complaints, the show would have had to be much longer, or nothing but quips and sound bites. There is plenty of time ahead for more questions. The mode exercised in this debate is exactly what is needed to help us to be "an informed electorate". It is about time! Seabury ... More »

It didn't TOUCH Illegal Immigration... I sometimes think the Media has orders ... NOT... to touch that "Subject"..