I think this is somewhat symptomatic of our digital instant-gratification society. Romney says something profoundly dumb about PBS, Big Bird and Jim Lehrer in a debate, the blogosphere seizes hold of it, and hysteria ensues. Sigh...
The sound bite happy media is the exact reason why our political system has become crap (for lack of a better, stronger, less G rated word). We're obsesses with gaffes, misquotes, half of a quote for incrimination, and artistic license paraphrases for where we get our information. And let it be known for every Freudian slip Romney made that the Obama campaign/Democrats take into account, there's half quotes and misspeaks Obama made that Romney/Republican exploit too.
As annoying as gaffes being news is, Romney says some very
disturbing things, pretends to back off on them, sort of implies he's really not backing off them, and his supporters say "Don't back down! We agree with your extreme views" (in various levels of ultra-disturbing). Seems most Dems backed off on the PBS gaffe (and they actually did a while ago), and now they're focusing on his
far more disturbing comment of needing a binder to hire women and his comments on waiting to be married to have kids will solve gun violence.
In all, Obama/Democrats passive aggressively pushed a joke too far, the right even more passive aggressively pushed back (What about the Jeorrrbs and teh EE-conimies?) and this became a mess. Sesame Workshop didn't want either of that, but I still think they'd be afraid to take the side that they can benefit from due to the whole "Sesame Street is liberal brainwashing propaganda" that right wing Propagandists would usually have dig for to rationalize their tin foil hat scare tactic agendas.