http://dictionary.reference.com/...
Main Entry: blowback
Part of Speech: n
Definition: an unintended adverse reaction or effect from an action or cause, especially political
This was not an Obama gaffe. This was not a scandal. This was a calculated attack. The American people are not stupid. They see this for what it is, a hatchet job and it will not hurt Obama, but ABC and perhaps Clinton somewhat for piling on.
Look at what's already being said on the blogosphere... (in advance major hat-tip to Andrew Sullivan where I found links to a lot of these quotes)
"The loser was ABC News: one of the worst media performances I can remember - petty, shallow, process-obsessed, trivial where substantive, and utterly divorced from the actual issues that Americans want to talk about. At the end of the debate, it appeared that the crowd was actually heckling Gibson. "The crowd is turning on me!" complained Gibson. He has no idea. But he will soon enough. "
~ Andrew Sullivan
"I had thought the Clinton campaign couldn't sink any lower, but thus far she's really just been giving us the full GOP. Listening to her talk about Barack Obama is like reading a Weekly Standard blog post. The lame excuse that she's making this and that outrageous smear because the Republicans will do it later is pathetic. Maybe they will. But she's the one doing it now."
~ Matt Yglesias
"Looking around other sites, I guess I'm not the only one that thought this debate was unmitigated travesty."
~ Josh Marshall
"Will there be a backlash?
That, I think, is the only question* that matters now, in terms of Tuesday's result in Pennsylvania. Will the Keystone State's Democratic voters -- remember, these are Democrats, not general-election voters -- rebel against the negativity, the "gotcha"-ism, the endless drumbeat of cynical word-twisting and opportunistic gaffe-pouncing, that has become the central operating principle of the Clinton campaign, and vote instead for the man whose message of "hope" and "change" and a "new kind of politics" so inspired voters in the early stages of this nomination contest? If there's ever a moment for that message to gain new traction, it would be now."
~ Brendan Loy
"When Barack Obama met Hillary Clinton for another televised Democratic candidates' debate last night, it was more than a step forward in the 2008 presidential election. It was another step downward for network news -- in particular ABC News, which hosted the debate from Philadelphia and whose usually dependable anchors, Charlie Gibson and George Stephanopoulos, turned in shoddy, despicable performances."
~ Tom Shales
"...And, for Hillary Clinton to get so giddy about the Wright question was really just sad. She was the official purveyor of fringe talking points. Shockingly so. And, she seemed to enjoy it. There’s a reason people think Clinton is dishonest as we saw today in the findings of the Washington Post-ABC News poll. She’s not only in this to win, she’s in it to win dirty — and to destroy Obama. She invoked Louis Farrakhan tonight for no reason — just to say it."
~ 'The Swamp'
"Wow. What the hell was that? Seriously, I'm a bit stunned. The level of discourse has reached a new low -- a very new low. To be clear, I don't think the debate was a disaster for Obama. He did fine. I think it was a disaster for our political system.
It was the worst debate ever. Gibson and Stephanopoulos were horrible. The questions were literally right out of right wing talk radio."
~ Joe Sudbay 'AmericaBlog.com'
"Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the health care and mortgage crises, the overall state of the economy and dozens of other pressing issues had to wait for their few moments in the sun as Obama was pressed to explain his recent "bitter" gaffe and relationship with Rev. Wright (seemingly a dead issue) and not wearing a flag pin -- while Clinton had to answer again for her Bosnia trip exaggerations.
Then it was back to Obama to defend his slim association with a former '60s radical -- a question that came out of right-wing talk radio and Sean Hannity on TV, but was delivered by former Bill Clinton aide Stephanopoulos. This approach led to a claim that Clinton's husband pardoned two other '60s radicals. And so on. The travesty continued."
~ The great Greg Mitchell have Huff Post.
So for those worried about what this will do to Obama? I say, worry only about ABC's continued credibility. This is going to blowback on them big. After that debacle and what seems like ALMOST universal condemnation (thanks, Brooks), we're going to see the networks re-evaluate what should and shouldn't be discussed.
My conclusion? Healthcare, war and the economy trump cheap flag lapels (where was Gibson's), a defunct radical group from the 60's and "he said" "she said" political gotcha bullshit. The American people want to move on, but it seems corporate interests and the network sponsors want to keep us mired in this swamp of petty mud-slinging that make the most important job in the world look as important as who gets to be the last house-mate on "Big Brother."
Too tired to write anymore.... Feel free to add your own quotes.