Sunday, November 1, 2015

TIME WE TOOK THE DEBATES BACK

For the longest time conservatives have distrusted the mainstream media, and for good reason. For decades we have seen the journalistic double standard in Washington and elsewhere that favored Democrats and liberals and dinged Republicans and conservatives. Why else would Fox News’ “fair and balanced” motto resonate the way it does? The CNBC debate last week should have neither surprised nor outraged most folks. It was par for the course in most ways. The difference is some candidates on the stage were willing to call the moderators on it.

Yet why is it that Republicans always seem to feel they were sucker punched in situations like the debates? The RNC said on Friday that CNBC’s actions were a “betrayal.” Really? As opposed to what? The performances of the debate moderators that were so sterling in 2012? Or ’08? Or ’96?

RNC chair Reince Priebus also let it be known that he is barring NBC from its February 2016 debate role and allowing the other debate partner for that event, National Review, to go it alone. That’s a good start, but where is it etched in stone, as if commanded by Almighty God, that any Republican presidential primary debate must be moderated by so-called “mainstream journalists”? Or that these journalists and these cable or broadcast outlets are even interested in substance when it comes to Republicans and their policies?

http://spectator.org/articles/64529/time-we-took-debates-back

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