Anderson and David,

Good Point for a missed opportunity…and let me say I applaud you Anderson for asking Obama a great question last night (one which I wrote on your blog comment yesterday about Obama), if Obama is so Washington establisment and anti-status quo, and he’s partnering with one of the most notorious polticial families in history, what does that do to his message. Of course, you did no follow-up questions, because he didn’t answer the question…but at least you asked it. He has to be more accountable than the media is forcing him to be. I mean, like at Hillary, and how much she has to defend everything. Obama…not so much. It’s amazing, she’s been able to do what she’s done!

However, I was very surprised that Hillary backed out, and I was wondering why? Why on earth, would she do that? It’s not like her at all to miss something like that, and all I can think is that maybe the questions would have been more about Bill, and less about what her campagin thought of the state of the union…and maybe let the media move on today, with the coverage of the Florida primary. Who knows…but why agree to it in the first place?

Anderson, keep asking the right questions…it’s important. I’m sorry Hillary backed out, and I’m hoping she does something big soon!
Patrick Key
NYC

Anderson and David,

I do agree with the assessment of George Bush’s last state of the union speech, but is it really a surprise? Has this man ever stepped up when it came to leadership? All he has been able to do is lead with fear, lies and blatant falsehoods. I did not expect him to grab the opportunity to take hold of the economic crisis and offer some constructive solutions. So his presidency will end with a whimper, not a bang. How appropriate.

Regarding Hillary Clinton’s no-show last night, that is a puzzle. She has never been one to duck and run. However, in all honesty I must say that after your coverage of her and her husband in recent days, she just might have thought it better to bail on an interview that might have been more like an ambush. That is really what you have been doing to the Clintons, ambushing and distorting what they are saying and doing. I have been watching the heated and vitriolic back and forth between Mitt Romney and John McCain, yet I don’t see you taking sides in that contest. But your coverage of the Clintons has been biased. That’s just the simple, plain truth. This is politics and it’s perfectly reasonable for the candidates to question the record or lack thereof, of any and all opponents. But when it comes to Barack Obama, the rules don’t seem to apply. He has shown that he is capable of getting in some pretty mean digs himself. So why is he getting a free pass? That is the question that troubles me deeply.

The Clintons are not racist, not evil, not the devil incarnate. They are two people who have done a great deal to better the lives of middle class working people like myself. They both have a solid and proven record of achievement. When Bill Clinton left office, the country was in excellent shape. He paid off the deficit run up by twelve years of Republican presidents, left us with the biggest surplus in our history, full employment, millions of new jobs created. But now we have to hear about how mean and cruel he is, how nasty, how dirty he is campaigning.

Ted Kennedy knows full well that politics is a rough and tumble business. His speech yesterday was laced with partisan and biting references to the Clintons. How soon some people forget who their allies are. How tenuous are the ties that bind. But I guess it’s okay to attack as long as it’s Bill and Hillary.

I wish Hillary had kept her date with you and stood up to the unfair criticism. I would have liked her to make her case to you and the public. She still has a lot to offer this country. But I have to believe that in her heart of hearts, she thought that she wouldn’t get a fair deal. That is something that you at CNN need to think about and ponder.

David:
What were they thinking?

It is time for a cool down. The heat behind Bill Clinton’s remarks, Hillary’s daggers at Obama during the debate, and side swiping TV interviews may only mean one thing: A time to regroup. Something is not working or something is back firing, therefore, now is the time to re-evaluate before Super Tuesday.

President Bush’s speech, well, was un-noteworthy.

David,
I have to agree with you Bush missed a great opportunity to actually do and say something that mattered but instead he said the same old stuff that he has been saying for years. Honestly I ended up tuning him out because of that!

And I think Hillary pulled out on Anderson because CNN has given her a really hard time as of late. Even harder than the other candidates in my book! Maybe you all need to act the same to all candidates and not pick and choose the ones that you want to be for or against. This is supposed to be the news that is unbiased right!?

Cynthia, Covington, Ga.

You ask “what were they thinking?”. No idea what Bush was thinking. But, no doubt Hillary was thinking why go on a program that is so obviously biased against her. That Gloria, Jack C. and most of your panelists are very biased against Hillary. The only person who is fair and balanced is Jeffery T, along with Bill S. who sticks to polling. The rest of you are trying to help Obama get elected. It may surprise you, but there are still many of us out here in the country who are Hillary supporters and your one-sided reporting will not deter us. I’ve watched CNN since it came on TV and this year I’ve been more disappointed in your reporting than ever before. You’ve become another FOX - biased. It’s time you give more time to Hillary and Edwards and not all to Obama.

David,
I have never heard such rhetoric as was in President Bush’s state of the union address. Since when has Pres. Bush done anything for the environment?
The economy is failing, the war is a disaster, but somehow our President is going to pull it all together and make it “right” in his eighth year. . . NOT!
If the situation wasn’t so sad, it would have almost been a comdy routine, but alas, the crisis is real.
Hillary was a huge dissappointment. Too bad she gave no reason for pulling out of the interview with Anderson. I would feel better if she an a damn good reason.
Whew, I guess so much can happen before the election.
I’ll stay tuned and hang tight. I have a feeling it’s going to be a wild ride!
Thanks!

Betty Ann
Nacogdoches,TX

Bush’s speech was about what I expected. The only good thing about it was that it’s the last one we will be subjected to.

It’s my understanding that Senator Clinton cancelled all her network and cable news interviews last night with the exception of NBC. I’m not going to speculate any more than to say that if I were she, I would be disgusted and peeved at the way I was being treated by the press. I’m really surprised at the generally poor coverage of her campaign on CNN. Somehow I expected much better. Your commentary, David, has been mostly fair, but I can’t say the same for most of your colleagues. I believe strongly that the press has a responsibility to tell the news, not to create it. Perhaps your colleagues think their biases do not show in their commentary. This isn’t the case. They need to take a long, hard look at themselves or CNN is going to lose a lot of viewers.

Why do the media treat Senator Obama with kid gloves? Have they been lulled by the siren song of the Senator’s impressive oratory? Are they worred about being called racist if they don’t coddle him? I think he deserves better than that, if only because if he gets the nomination, he will have to stand up to a hard campaign in a general election. If he can’t handle Bill Clinton’s gentle criticisms, what will he do against swift boaters? Democrats have a right to know how strong a candidate he would be before he is nominated, not after.

David,

I would like to thank you for being one of the few on CNN to be giving some fair commentary. Not all, but at least you are trying to present all sides. I think the way Hillary Clinton is being portrayed in the media, and especially on CNN is just not right. Why are you all so hard on her? And even more surprising to me is why Obama is getting away with no-answers every time. When is the media going to do their work and start getting him to answer the questions posed? The last thing America needs is to get behind and elect a candidate that doesn’t give a straight answer. He says that he is different than the rest of the politicians…. well let him explain how. Pose the questions and when he doesn’t answer, repeat, repeat and repeat until he answers. If I could do it myself I would. The problem is that we cannot so we need you/the media to do your jobs.

David and Anderson.

Are you really surprised Hillary was a no show last night ? You call it a lost opportunity. What is lost ? Your continuous microscopic interviews and biased opinions, and that of your guest speakers, of her are laughable as a viewer. Can it be any more obvious how much you dislike her. Have you heard the expression “you get more bee’s with honey than vinegar”? Try extending an olive branch to her instead of being so nasty. As a viewer from a foreign country, I find this whole process interesting to watch as it unfolds. What I don’t understand is the level of hatred toward the Clinton’s ? I thought you were to report on the story not be the story and shape it to your narrow view.

It would be interesting to see you place Obama under the same microscope you have Hillary under ? Put a little heat under his feet to answer the tough questions and explain his position. It was laughable last night watching Anderson loose his backbone while interviewing Obama. Knowing how sensitive the “Race” issue is, I wonder if you are so afraid of being tared by this brush, and risk being called a racist, that you will not put the heat under Obama’s feet? After all, he is potentially your next President ? He is a very likeable person. Do you want another Bush style President in the White House ? You better find out what he stands for. All I know about Obama is he is a great speaker.

The fact that you are still talking about Hillary as a no show last night means she’s still getting coverage. Again I remind you, more bee’s with honey.

As for Bush, the American people voted him in. Suck it up and live with the mess he made for your country. Oh, and take ownership of the fact that he won the last election. The American people voted him in didn’t they ? Really, what were you expecting in his speach, something different? It’s the same crap, different year! The history books will complete this chapter.

David, Nanaimo, BC

I think Hillary should have sucked up and done the interview with Anderson. Who said politics is fair? It’s not.

Bush’s speech was wonderful IF you put your television on mute. Otherwise it was as dull as ditch water, just like Bush himself.

As for Clinton, CNN has made it quite clear in the coverage, the word choices they use to describe her and what she or her campaign or her husband does, etc. that there is going to be no fair deal for her on CNN. I would have canceled too - why after a long tiring day of campaigning appear in an interview that you know is going to be hostile.

Obama gives a great speech but you never hold his feet to the fire to explain his details. I’m glad you all have made up your minds as to who you think should be the nominee - now would you quit showing your biases and report impartiality on all the candidates, including Hilliary, so the rest of us can make up our minds on fair information. What ever happened to finding the facts, getting out of the way, and letting the story tell itself??

Annie Kate
Birmingham AL

David

I agree. Bush missed it but in true Bush form, he indicated an Orwellian “executive order” to cancel any earmarks but he failed to mention that his order will only apply to a future president (who will more than likely retract that order). His final SOU was more rhetoric and less specifics, especially at a time of great economic uncertainty. He really could have championed some enthusiasm but then again, he was typical Bush.

Hillary I think calcuated her chances on Super Tuesday. Her snub probably had more to do with running out the clock than an opportunity missed. I would have liked to have seen her offer a reaction to the SOU but we are mere days away from Super Tuesday. That calculation may have taken presidence.

Robert
Jakarta

David (and Anderson):

Look I’ve been a big fan of yours, David, for all of my adult life–I admire your intellect and fairness beyond measure. You have retained an almost heroic ability to navigate between political “poles” in a way that I believe is a true service to the country.

But as I have witnessed with the entire coverage of HRC by CNN, there seems to be nothing she can do right. I truly do not understand this coming from what I have always thought of as a fair and objective team, and particularly from you, who I consider an wise elder statesman.

Here’s the rub from my point of view: CNN has consistently and strikingly aggressively taken a critical stance on HRC. If she is very strong and bold in her approach you interview people who think of her as part of the old boy’s establishment. If her husband acts out you make him a bigger story than her (he is not running for president. He’s a husband). If she cries you make her crying the story (When John Edwards teared up talking about class in the last debate there were exactly ZERO stories…I checked). If she wins you downplay it, or call it “meaningless” (Florida). Do you honestly expect us to believe that all the people who showed up to vote for her are meaningless? I mean THEY knew no delegates were at stake. If is was meaningless, why’d they bother?

I’m trying not to turn my back on CNN, since I’ve been a loyal viewer for so long. But this is getting to be too much. Obama is great. Only a moron would disagree. But Hillary is in this race, and she deserves credit and respect for her enormously impressive accomplishments, the specificity of her policy ideas, the magnitude of her fortitude, and for the astonishing fact that she’s gotten herself here at all.

In my lifetime, that is remarkable.

How about it?

Professor Lidia Yuknavitch

There seems to be a theme within the current comments that Hillary Clinton is unfairly being attacked. Many comments have referenced how Hillary Clinton is being pushed by the media to talk about Bill. My question to all of you is how do you suggest we fully explore the reality of a co-presidency if the Clintons were to be elected? Questions need to be put directly to Bill Clinton. the candidate for president, and Bill Clinton cannot insult our intelligence any longer by stating he’ll take a back seat.

David,
I did watch as well as listen to the State of the Union address, and I must say that from your point of view one of us missed the core of what our President had to say. President Bush is more than lightly em-passioned about the past, current and future state of our “home”. And what is remedy that will take unity and like mindedness to accomplish.

Sen. Clinton surprised me at showing her face at the address after her demoralizing and shameful comments concerning Pres. Bush just hours before. Is this her only platform? To campaign by way of division? What an embarrassment !
The world is watching and I am sure that people who are looking for drama instead of substance are getting an overdose.

The people of our great nation will be heard and that around the world. What do you want them to hear and see? More drama or a nation that values the foundation blocks that it has been built upon? Strength, integrity and unity has good results.

I am an American, and I will vote for America.

Sarah Strain
Paris, Texas

Obama has been getting so many free hall passes from the media no wonder she bailed. Smart move. Hope she got some rest.

Dear Anderson
Why are you so blatantly nasty towards Hillary Clinton?
Why hasn’t “keeping them honest” checked out Barack Obama’s purchase of his home for $300,000 less than the going price?
Why is Barack Obama getting such a free ride when he’s obviously been on the take in his home state?
Does CNN really think that the republicans will let such things go unnoticed?
Please try to keep us poor idiots informed. Thank you.

The real BIG news is the endorsement for H. Clinton by the powerhouse politician Maxine Waters,the hardest working woman in the politicing business.
that is wonderful real and true.people better take a look proven leadership, experience and dedication to the people. make a rain check for H. Clinton to come back on the show you will be glad that you did when you look back in 9 months from now. thank you peace

Just like Rudy was number #1 and is now history, so will the Billary machine fall behind. It so clear now that momentum is on Obama side. Hillary has no chance against McGain. Obama does.

I think it is a tradgedy that the so-called Republican debate felt more like an interview with McCain and Romney. If the focus was going to be only to hear what they had to fight about, why not air that seperately! It would have been more productive to actually hear from all the candidates in a more proportional manner. I feel like CNN is only promoting their republican top 2 instead of all the candidates that are actually in the race. Is this because the democratic side is down to 2 also?

davey boy Gergen is an elitist bohemian grove homo,

he worships the devil and has sold out our country, hes a despicable person not even a man