Unhappy with the way CNBC handled the Boulder GOP debate, the campaigns of about a dozen GOP presidential candidates developed a list of demands for future debates.
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But revolts like these only work when compatriots link arms, and in this case, Donald Trump, Chris Christie, Carly Fiorina, John Kasich, and Ted Cruz – constituting a third of the Republican field – have each said they’re not endorsing the demands. The campaign manager for Jeb Bush, said that Telemundo was suspended till February’s debate and shouldn’t be since his party wants to reach out to Hispanics. “As long as the rules are established and everybody plays by the rules, I’ll be OK”.
As for CNN’s Democratic debate, it really was a bit softer on the candidates than the Republican debates…CNBC, by contrast, sought to focus its debate around economic policy, and so its angles of attack reflected critiques of the candidates’ plans on taxes, immigration reform, monetary policy, and more. I like the debates.
“I just want to answer the questions and be done with it”, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump told ABC’s George Stephanopoulos on Good Morning America on Tuesday.
While Trump’s campaign has been little short of a three-ring circus, debate moderators should have their own standards, and a few have clearly fallen short. “They are just not our boss”. The meeting ended with candidates agreeing to insist on several specifics in future debates: mandatory opening and closing statements, an equal number of questions for each candidate, and pre-approval of any on-screen graphics used by moderators.
They also sought to avoid “gotcha” questions, as well as candidate-to-candidate questioning.
But several campaigns later backtracked on the possible stipulations, saying they would rather negotiate individually with the hosting television networks.
Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski likened the new strategy to their conversations with networks before the third GOP debate in October, telling CBS News that “it’s no different than what we did with CNBC”.
The idea that the Party needs to partner with mainstream media outlets, regardless of their political leaning, creates a problem that can be summed up thusly: “By being everything to everyone you are nothing to anyone”. I like the debates”, Trump said, adding, “The networks are making a fortune with the debate.
The CNBC debate was too much about CNBC and not enough about the candidates.
“Stop complaining”, Christie said.
Bennett, who has helped to organize the effort, is now tracking down other candidates and seeing who will participate in signing Ginsberg’s new letter.
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It was legitimate for the moderators to ask Ben Carson – the GOP front-runner – about his affiliation with a nutritional supplement maker that has paid $7 million in settlements over its claims that its products could cure autism and cancer. Carson even went so far as to suggest that the GOP didn’t need the cable networks and could stream debates on YouTube.
