That’s the reaction from Richard Viguerie, chairman of Conservativehq.com and a decades-long fixture in the conservative movement, in reaction to Wednesday’s explosive debate on CNBC.
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Andrew Burton/Getty ImagesBen Carson speaks with the media after the CNBC debate.
Carson declined to specify exactly what changes he would ask for, but said his campaign was reaching out to the other campaigns to “lay out a plan” going forward for a new format. However, as The Washington Post noted, Rubio has demonstrated considerable crossover appeal, meaning he is capable of enlisting the support of mainstream conservatives and deep-pocketed contributors as well as tapping into a deep reservoir of Tea Party anti-government sentiment. Mike Huckabee was given the chance to denounce Trump as a bad choice to be the moral leader of the party.
The debate sprawled over economic and other topics, and other candidates had times when they sought to take the spotlight.
“It was just outrageous”, he told WND and Radio America.
An average of 14 million viewers tuned into the Republican presidential debate on Wednesday, according to the network. “Republicans are used to having biased liberal panelists for these debates, but this was over the top, and this was in a class by itself”. And just this weekend, you said you’re not a capitalist.
Besides the media, the Republicans most consistent target: Hillary Clinton.
But Viguerie does not put all the blame on NBC.
BOULDER, CO – OCTOBER 28: Presidential candidates Donald Trump speaks during the CNBC Republican Presidential Debate at University of Colorados Coors Events Center October 28, 2015 in Boulder, Colorado.
What do YOU think? Now you say they’re too harsh. Can Rubio take a good performance and the fact that he’s trending up in the polls and also in the online prediction markets, which is our new favorite metric this year? Ted Cruz of Texas have been lurking in the background of the Republican presidential campaign.
“This is not a cage match”, he said. You look at the questions. Donald Trump slammed the “ridiculous questions”, and Christie grew visibly irate at the moderators’ decision to discuss fantasy football instead of other issues. John Kasich complained about his rivals, saying “I’ve about had it with these people”.
For instance, when Jeb Bush joined in on criticizing his mentee’s absences in Senate votes, Rubio turned the criticism around. “Jeb Bush, why have your numbers fallen?”
In response to that substantive question about an issue a lot of people care about, Cruz used up his entire time lamenting that they weren’t “talking about the substantive issues people care about”, and didn’t bother to answer.
Viguerie was among those cheering.
In an interview with Fox News, Bush also said, “I knew this was going to be a long journey, but to suggest that the campaign is terminal…”
“I wish I could talk as well as a few of the people on the stage, the big personalities on the stage, but I’m a do-er”, he said during a campaign stop in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
“I don’t believe that the way I’m going to win is by going after him or anybody else”, Rubio said.
Ms. Quick mentioned the source later, but the moment had passed and the impression that Mr. Trump had won the exchange had been made.
“It has to be a partnership with the networks, and you have to pass judgment on the panelists”.
Bush attacked. “I’m a constituent of the senator”, he said, “and I helped him and I expected that he would do constituent service, which means that he shows up to work”. “John Kasich, will you insult two people over here?”
Crowley, then with CNN, famously interrupted 2012 GOP nominee Mitt Romney to claim President Obama had described the attacks in Benghazi as acts of terrorism from the very beginning.
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Viguerie is ultimately hopeful that the CNBC debate will serve as a wake-up call for the mainstream media, not out of a sense of fairness but for self-preservation. They were picking the lowest of low-hanging fruit, going for an easy way to endear themselves to a conservative audience. “They are a dying dinosaur”.
