Lou Dobbs doesn’t just play Lou Dobbs on TV.
TVNewser attended Dobbs’ first Independent Convention broadcast last night, as the CNN anchor is focusing this week on independent voters in the wake of the DNC and RNC.
When the broadcast ended just after 8pmET, Dobbs got ready to leave when someone in the 60+ person audience asked him a question. “Do you guys want to have a little political discussion?” Dobbs asked the crowd (video of that exchange is below). The answer was a resounding ‘yes,’ and for more than 30 minutes, Dobbs and his on-set guests fielded questions, and refereed debate, from his audience. In essence, it was a non-televised extension of Dobbs’ Convention Night 1.
“Tonight, we’re giving all Independent voters a voice, free of partisanship or hopefully too much blather,” he said at the beginning of last night’s broadcast.
Dobbs will travel to Washington, D.C. for Wednesday’s broadcast, culminating in a Friday rally at Freedom High School in South Riding, VA, where nearly 1,000 are expected.
During night 1, Dobbs took on lobbyists, voter fraud and the “liberal national media,” among other topics. And after the show, the discussion was similar.
“Neither man understands economics or the economy period,” said Dobbs to one question about the presidential candidates.
Another audience member questioned why Dobbs didn’t take on the “conservative media,” like Fox News and its claim that Brit Hume is unbiased. Dobbs didn’t budge. “I happen to think Brit is one of the most able journalists on the air,” he said.
When he pressed the audience member for his thoughts on CNN, the audience member said it was down the middle. “I agree with you,” said Dobbs, laughing.
After the jump, see the segment on the “liberal national media,” where Dobbs, Howard Kurtz and Ken Auletta discuss MSNBC’s anchor switch, Sarah Palin and more.
Dobbs begins taking audience questions:
Click continued to see Dobbs’ segment about media bias…