Moderator Accidentally Whispers “Oh God” Into Mic When Bernie Brings Up Vietnam [Updated]
[There was a video here]
[Update: PBS says the moderator was responding to a producer, not making an editorial comment. Their statement is appended below.] Following an otherwise lackluster (if not borderline uncomfortable) attempt at discussing foreign policy, Bernie Sanders moved to something he actually could speak confidently about: Hillary Clinton’s bizarre Kissinger boast. But as Sanders opened with a Vietnam reference, one of the debate’s moderators—apparently unaware her mic was still on—could be heard sighing in the background, “Oh, god.”
It was the reflexive response of an antsy kid who just had to listen to grandpa talk about his Iraq war vote for the 52nd time, and if you weren’t paying close attention, you almost certainly would have missed it. So in case you did, you can watch this rare bit of raw, uncensored moderator emotion above. Enjoy.
Update 12:07 p.m.:
PBS Executive Producer Sara Just has provided Gawker with the following statement on the incident over email:
Throughout the debate Judy and Gwen had occasional low volume, whispered conversation with each other and producers in the production truck about timing and upcoming questions. Because this PBS debate had no commercials, this kind of normal broadcast communications had to happen while on the air.
At this particular moment late in the debate, the producers and anchors were making decisions about questions we had hoped to get to and were running out of time to get to the obligatory closing statements.
There was no editorial comment made.
Contact the author at ashley@gawker.com. Disclaimer: I’ve donated money to Bernie Sanders’ campaign and fully intend on voting for him in the primaries and, god willing, the general election.