CNN forced the girl to ask "Diamonds or Pearls". Shite!

[King Coal]

http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2007/11/diamond_v_pearl_student_blasts_1.php

Maria Luisa, the UNLV student who asked Hillary Clinton whether she preferred "diamonds or pearls" at last night's debate wrote on her MySpace page this morning that CNN forced her to ask the frilly question instead of a pre-approved query about the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository.

"Every single question asked during the debate by the audience had to be approved by CNN," Luisa writes. "I was asked to submit questions including "lighthearted/fun" questions. I submitted more than five questions on issues important to me. I did a policy memo on Yucca Mountain a year ago and was the finalist for the Truman Scholarship. For sure, I thought I would get to ask the Yucca question that was APPROVED by CNN days in advance."

[hedgehog]

1. What would have happened had she asked the serious question?

[King Coal]

2. Here or in Saudi Arabia? In SA she would be lashed.

[rateyes]

5. I would have loved to have seen that....

It would have pissed off the CNN people. But, they would probably have had to bite their tongue and stay pissed.

She should've asked the question she wanted to ask...live and on the air.

[MADem]

13. She would have looked like an idiot. They'd already discussed Yucca, which was her question.

The questioner would have looked like a ditz who either fell asleep, didn't pay attention, or was "in the bathroom" for that part of the discussion.

The answers would have included "Well, as I said a short while ago..."

The original question would have helped Clinton greatly, and ended the debate by reinforcing a predisposition that Nevadans have about the 'Clinton' name on that particular issue--remember, it was her HUSBAND who vetoed using a pourous, water-laden mountain to store nuke shit in! That was a "Three Cheers" moment for Nevadans who don't want to drink water that's been run through the nuke waste storage facility first!

[rateyes]

22. She looked like an idiot, anyway. nt

[Enrique]

7. she'd find out why they call him "Wolf"

[MADem]

10. They'd already covered her topic. She could have said NO. Now she's crying because people are

saying it was a dumbass question. She wasn't held at knifepoint, she AGREED to do it.

[kestrel91316]

3. Forced? You mean they held a gun to her head? Wow.

[stirlingsliver]

4. CNN Threatens? Torture?

CNN threatens people?

With what, torture?

What kind of torture?

Being forced to watch CNN 24/7?

Oh, the horror!

[FatDave]

24. I repeat: CNN does not torture!

However, occasionally in the course of reporting the news, they do have to use "enhanced interrogation techniques" on their sources. These techniques may or may not include waterboarding. After all, they're not about to tell MSNBC what techniques they use!

[UTUSN]

6. More establishment cluelessness. HRC is a policy wonk, a serious technocrat. It was frivolous

crap when the words were "boxers or briefs" and just as lame as stoopid NOW. Whoever thought it worked 14 yrs ago didn't get how stoopid it was then, much less now.

[Joanne98]

8. CNN planted the abortion question too.......

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=2297777&mesg_id=2297777

[MADem]

9. I hate the passive voice. "I was asked" by WHOM????

The producer points out that the candidates had already discussed Yucca Mountain, so a repeat of that topic wouldn't have been productive. The student talks about CNN like it is a borg--then, she gets annoyed at "some girl" who criticized her for her question. Details, details.

I did think the question sucked, and that it was the "UFO question of the night." I thought Clinton did the best she could with a wet turd like that, really. I can't understand how anyone could think of that as a 'softball.' What it was, was a bit of an insult. Like the UFO question was for Kucinich.

The student shouldn't blame CNN because she submitted a shitty question in the "lighthearted" category. Hell, I can think of five "lighthearted" questions that could apply to any and every candidate, starting right now--

Do you or did you ever smoke and did you find it hard to quit? (Timely, with the Great American Smokeout)

What's your daily exercise routine? Do you have one? Alternate: Do you have to watch your weight? What sort of food do you eat, most days?

What's the last book you read?

What's the last film you saw?

If you could have an ice cream cone right now, what flavor would you pick?

The student claimed that "CNN USED ME to close the debate." She coulda said 'NO--I ain't asking that bullshit question. Ask someone else.'

I hate it when people play the victim card. If she had to submit her questions so doggone far in advance, she might have spent a few moments thinking up a better 'light' one.


More clarity, here: http://tpmelectioncentral.com/2007/11/cnn_denies_diamonds_and_pearl_girl_was_forced_to_ask_question.php

Specifically, a CNN spokesperson confirmed to me that the network chose that question and asked her to ask it.

But in the network's defense the spokesperson also says that the girl wasn't "forced" to ask it. She submitted the question in advance -- it was her question -- and voluntarily agreed to ask it. CNN selected the question and asked her towards the close of the debate if she wanted to ask it. She said yes.

As you may have heard by now, the girl said on her MySpace page that she was forced to ask this question and that she would have preferred to ask one about Yucca Mountain. She said this in response to the storm of criticism and ridicule the question has since received.

And it looks like the girl is right: Though she did submit the question, CNN did select it and ask her to pose it.....So this is both better and worse for the network. On the one hand, it's better because the question was originally submitted by the girl, and it's obvious that the girl was hardly "forced" to ask this; rather, she was offered the opportunity and took it. The network wanted to close on a light question, and they chose this one.

On the other hand, the network is confirming that it did in fact choose a question that quizzed the first credible female Presidential candidate on her taste in jewelry. That's confessing to some pretty questionable taste.

[hedgehog]

15. Your question - "what was the last book you read ?" would have been

very informative.

I think the notion of audience questions was bad in general. Most seem so struck with stage fright they could hardly speak. I was wondering if Nevadans have some strange accent.

[MADem]

16. On another thread, I said the same thing--I thought they should have

prerecorded the questions. Then, if they wanted to do a little stand up with the questioner (like the woman with her son, she was worried about him going to Iran) they could have done that, and then said, now, let's look at your question and thrown it to tape.

And that way, if the person screwed up, they could re-record it until it was quick, succinct, correct--AND they could use a cue card if need be!

The idea behind these audience questions is because "all politics is local." People want to be able to point to the screen and say "See...SEEE???? That's me!!!!!! That's MY ARM there in the blue shirt, behind that guy with the baseball hat....SEEEEEE???"

Fifteen minutes of fame!

I don't really fault CNN for managing the questions, either, even though some people do--otherwise, you'd get ten Yucca questions, and no war or deficit discussion.

[creeksneakers2]

17. CNN picked out the stupidest question of the year though.

I'm trying to guess why CNN wanted that question to be asked.

[MADem]

25. Well, who knows how bad the other "lighthearted" choices were???

Maybe they were choosing between "Diamonds and Pearls?" and "Spiders or Snakes?"

Or "Thong, brief or commando?" or "Sports or Underwire...???"

Who knows? It was a stupid question....I am guessing they wanted a 'perky' finish.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

11. I knew it was planted. Now we know it was by CNN.

Tools. :grr:

[pnwmom]

21. It wasn't planted. It was a question the girl acknowledges having written.

She would have preferred to ask the Yucca Mt. question, but that issue had already been addressed. So CNN asked her if she wanted to ask another question she had written -- pearls or diamonds. It was her question and her choice to go ahead with it.

[depakid]

12. Yet another reason that the likes of CNN should NEVER be allowed to host debates

Hard to believe the Dems are so stupid that they keep ding these things.

[tridim]

14. I have to assume they'll ask the Repukes, "Diapers or airport stalls"?

It's only fair.

[Toucano]

23. "Do you prefer to to solicit teenage boys for sex with your AOL account or you MSN account?"

would also be acceptable.

:evilgrin:

[Jacobin]

18. Holding my breath until CNN reports on this

NOT

[Joanne98]

20. LOL

[pnwmom]

19. Nonsense. They gave her the opportunity to ask one of the questions

she had written down, and they wanted that question because they wanted to end the night on a light note. (And the issue of Yucca Mt. had already been thoroughly addressed.)

No one forced her. She had the choice -- yes or no, and she said yes. She's just upset because some of her classmates criticized her for asking a fluffy question.