While some are talking about who won last night's first presidential debate of the 2012 election, others are focusing not on the candidates but instead have decided to pile on the moderator.
And I wish I didn't have to join them, but longtime PBS Newshour anchor Jim Lehrer lost control right off the bat. He never got it back. Lehrer even had to throw out an entire part of the debate because he just couldn't bring the candidates to heel.
Both President Obama and Governor Romney pretty much went where they wanted, when they wanted, for as long as they wanted. And it's awfully hard for viewers - some of whom still haven't decided for whom they're going to vote on Nov. 6 - to keep up with things when they meander so far off course.
The reviews - on social media, TV and elsewhere - were, at best, pretty harsh:
- Today's Al Roker: "I hope Jim Lehrer gets the license plate of the truck that drove over him in this debate."
- MSNBC's Rachel Maddow: "I do believe that we saw this debate format die a very painful death on camera tonight ... the format and, I think, the moderator, honestly, with all due respect to Jim Lehrer."
- Fox News' Chris Wallace said Lehrer "seemed to lose control" of the debate.
- The Huffington Post's Howard Fineman: "Jim Lehrer was useless as a moderator."
- Me: "One thing both sides will likely agree on: This will probably be Jim Lehrer's last outing as moderator."
- Andy Imlay of Evansville: "It was like watching (an) NFL game with the replacement refs all over again."
And if you've been watching news coverage this morning, they're still talking about it ... oh, and occasionally mentioning what the candidates had to say. (Folks woke up and remembered there actually were things to fact-check in there; I've actually seen a little of that.)
Two debates remain between the President and Gov. Romney, and fortunately, they won't be moderated by Jim Lehrer. CNN's Candy Crowley will moderate the town hall-style debate on Oct. 16, with CBS' Bob Schieffer handling the one on the 22nd. And of course the vice-presidential candidates will be in Kentucky next week, where ABC's Martha Raddatz will keep Vice-President Joe Biden and Rep. Paul Ryan in line.
I dare say they will pay heed to what happened to Lehrer last night and not let that fate befall them.
If they don't, we'll all be worse off for it.
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