Boycott against Disney and Its Advertisers

[PragmaticIdealist]

I haven't seen last night's debate between Senators Obama and Clinton, yet, but, evidently, quite a few people are unhappy with it because the Internet is ablaze this morning with organizations of boycotts against Disney and its advertisers.

The issue seems to be that there were no issues. Instead, the moderators, Charlie Gibson and former Clinton Press Secretary George Stephanopoulos, used the forum to engage in a far less substantive discussion that seemed intended to manipulate the American electoral process improperly.

I'll see whatever other information I can find.

[PrincessY]

I watched about 5 minutes of this last night, and they were rehashing the whole Obama pastor thing.

You know, this is only the 857th debate this year between these two. They have run out of substantial topics to discuss, so bring on the fluff!

[Aura of Foreboding]

The problem is those issues are key in voters minds and need to be cleared up. What better place than a debate forum (with millions watching) to do so? After clearling up those problems, we got to issues that have not been addressed before (like gun control), which neither one of them seemed to be able to answer well. At least they provided good answers to those "less than substantive" questions...

[disneytim]

The only controversy I heard about was Disney/ABC notifying other news agencies that they would only be allowed to use one 30-second soundbite from the debate in their coverage. The larger networks were expected to ignore the restriction under fair use laws.

From The New York Times:

ABC defends the restrictions as being “very reasonable.” After all, ABC is footing the bill to stage the debate at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.

“We have an obligation to our West Coast affiliates to not make chunks of the debate available until their viewers have had a chance to see them,” an ABC spokesman said.

By tape-delaying the debate for its West Coast television stations, the network seems to be treating the debate as a television show rather than as a live news event. When cable news channels sponsor debates, they telecast the forums live across all time zones.

Full story: http://r.smartbrief.com/resp/kpwEshtVyAoTzuSBBM

[bigwavedave]

Go McCain! With Gas prices the way they are. If he keeps up with the gas tax holiday, and why Hillary and Barack continue discuss whose more in touch. You might as well hand McCain the presidency. So much for the GOP getting killed this fall!

[PragmaticIdealist]

Go McCain! With Gas prices the way they are. If he keeps up with the gas tax holiday, and why Hillary and Barack continue discuss whose more in touch. You might as well hand McCain the presidency. So much for the GOP getting killed this fall!

One-third of the price of gasoline is due to speculation in the oil markets that is due to the Iraq War and other geopolitical instability. Sen. McCain has a commitment to the same Neo-Con. ideology Dick Cheney and the other members of The Project for the New American Century crafted when he was C.E.O. of Haliburton, which just happens to be a defense contractor and an oil company. So, expect the P.N.A.C.'s proposals to create a permanent occupaton of Iraq and to invade Iran to be realized if the Senator happens to get elected.

The P.N.A.C. think tank has also proposed invading a series of other Middle Eastern and northern African countries. And, these policies guarantee that gasoline prices and oil-company profits will only increase if Sen. McCain happens to be elected.

Sen. McCain is insulting the intelligence of the American people by proposing a temporary suspension of the gas tax that amounts to a subsidy of the oil industry and an increase to the national debt while he stays the course in Iraq and while he rattles his proverbial saber at Iran.

[alphabassetgrrl]

The gas tax holiday is a useless idea. It's not going to help the average citizen, it's going to reduce available money to the government, and it lets the citizens continue their merry little way burning as much gas as possible. Burns my bacon, I tell you. Increasing our gas and oil use is *not* what we need. How about *reducing*???? That'd help us. On a lot of levels.

[PragmaticIdealist]

Robert A. Iger,
President & CEO, The Walt Disney Company (Parent Company of ABC)
HQ Phone: 818-560-1000
(Fax: 818-560-1930)

ABC Email Contacts:
Charles Gibson: [email protected]
George Stephanopoulos [email protected]
Gibson's Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/CharlesGibson
Peter Salinger (THE MAN IN CHARGE OF ELECTION COVERAGE) Director, Special Events & Sports 212.456.5105 [email protected]

ABC NEW YORK NEWSROOM: [email protected]
Cristi Landes, Manager, Programming: [email protected]
Wayne Fisk Director, Programming [email protected]
Jeff Fitzgerald, Executive Director, Operations: [email protected]
Heidi Oringer, Executive Director, Entertainment: [email protected]
Jon Newman, News Coverage: [email protected]
Joyce Alcantara, Assignment Manager: [email protected]
Jim Kane, Deputy D.C. Bureau Chief: [email protected]
Andrew Kalb, Executive Director, Programming: [email protected]
Robert Garcia, Executive Director, News & Sports: [email protected]
Steve Jones Vice President ABC NEWS RADIO: [email protected]
ABC email: [email protected] also: http://abc.go.com/site/contactus.html?lid=ABCCOMGlobalFooter&lpos=CONTACT
Leave a comment on the ABC News Feedback page: http://abcnews.go.com/Site/page?id=3271346&cat=ABC%20News%20Specials
ABC Contribute Page (up to 2,000 characters): "If you have facts or information to add to the story, fill out the form below and we'll get in touch with you." http://abcnews.go.com/Site/page?id=3072379

ABC Fax Numbers
David Weston- President of ABC News- His personal & private fax number: 212-456-4292
ABC Newsroom Fax Machine 212.456.5150

ABC Telephone Numbers
George Stephanopoulos' voice mail: Call the Switch Board: 212-456-7777 and ask for the voicemail of George Stephanopoulos
Once his box is full there is a redirect: 202-222-7890
Leave a message for ABC: 818-460-7477 press 2, then 6- you get 30 seconds to leave a comment
Also: dial 818-460-7477 press 2 then 6 then 639 (not sure where this goes)
David Weston- President of ABC News- His personal & private fax number: 212-456-4292
Peter Salinger (THE MAN IN CHARGE OF ELECTION COVERAGE) Director, Special Events & Sports: 212.456.5105
ABC NEW YORK NEWSROOM: (212) 456-5100
Cristi Landes, Manager, Programming: 212.456.5107
Wayne Fisk, Director, Programming: 212.456.5327
Jeff Fitzgerald, Executive Director, Operations: 212.456.5554
Heidi Oringer Executive Director, Entertainment: 212.456.5541
Jon Newman News Coverage: 212.456.5100
Joyce Alcantara, Assignment Manager: 212.456.5106
Jim Kane, Deputy D.C. Bureau Chief: 212.222. 6604
Andrew Kalb, Executive Director, Programming: 305.567.2269
Robert Garcia, Executive Director, News & Sports: 212.456.5103
Steve Jones, Vice President ABC NEWS RADIO: 212-456-51
ABC Main Number: 212-456-7777

ABC, INC
500 S. Buena Vista St.
Burbank, CA 91521-4551

[PragmaticIdealist]

The boycott is targeting local advertisers, especially, so, if you are joining it, you'll need to also call or e. mail your local ABC affiliate and identify the local advertisers you'll be contacting and boycotting.

In the Los Angeles area, that affiliate is: http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/

[disneytim]

So basically, people are urging a boycott of Disney/ABC advertisers because Charlie Gibson and George Stephanopoulis didn't ask substantive questions of public figures.

Good lord, we should've been boycotting CNN years ago for Larry King alone.

Seems a bit silly if you ask me.

[ChrisFL]

This makes about as much sense as people not buying Nissans in the months before the Iraq invasion...............


the reason? because nissan had been bought out by Renault, who is a company in France, who's Government was against the invasion.

I've seen stretching to boycott, but seriously, these things are going beyond ridiculous

[PragmaticIdealist]

So basically, people are urging a boycott of Disney/ABC advertisers because Charlie Gibson and George Stephanopoulis didn't ask substantive questions of public figures.

Good lord, we should've been boycotting CNN years ago for Larry King alone.

Seems a bit silly if you ask me.

Everyone has a right to boycott a company if he or she chooses. The nature of the free market allows people to vote with their dollars.

In this case, one of the main problems many people seem to have had with the way the moderators conducted the debate is the fact that ABC used the public airwaves to stage 52 minutes worth of McCarthyist interrogations of a political candidate one week before an election.

Mc·Car·thy·ism (m-kärth-zm)
n. 1. The practice of publicizing accusations of political disloyalty or subversion with insufficient regard to evidence.
2. The use of unfair investigatory or accusatory methods in order to suppress opposition.

[Aura of Foreboding]

Everyone has a right to boycott a company if he or she chooses. The nature of the free market allows people to vote with their dollars.

In this case, one of the main problems many people seem to have had with the way the moderators conducted the debate was the fact that ABC used the public airwaves to stage 52 minutes worth of McCarthyist interrogations of a political candidate one week before an election.

Mc·Car·thy·ism (m-kärth-zm)
n. 1. The practice of publicizing accusations of political disloyalty or subversion with insufficient regard to evidence.
2. The use of unfair investigatory or accusatory methods in order to suppress opposition.

Let me just say this. I like Obama, but he should be able to answer these questions. They weren't McCarthyistic either. They were serious questions that a lot of people have about him. He was able to provide answers to them. There really isn't a problem.

[PragmaticIdealist]

The voter organization, MoveOn.org, has started a petition, as well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=<a hr...s3vbklTXd0</a>

http://pol.moveon.org/enoughdistractions/

[Aladdin]

So basically, people are urging a boycott of Disney/ABC advertisers because Charlie Gibson and George Stephanopoulis didn't ask substantive questions of public figures.

Good lord, we should've been boycotting CNN years ago for Larry King alone.

Seems a bit silly if you ask me.

I agree with you. A boycott just gets media attention for 24 hours, and then doesn't do a heck of a lot. It should be in the news because only softball non consequential questions that were asked, but calling for a boycott? It's one little debate primarily for PA Democrats. And quite frankly, PA news will have a heck of a lot other interviews with both Obama and Clinton before they vote. It just ain't that big a deal.

Heck more people probably saw Obama and Clinton on the Colbert Report on the Comedy Channel, than on the ABC debate. Hey, I'll call for a reverse of a boycott ~ and what would that be? Have the entire audience at the next debate wear Mickey Mouse ears!