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Hey RNC…did you watch MTP? And you’re letting THESE people, and Politico, host the first debate? Are you nuts?

I assume someone, anyone, at the RNC watches the Sunday talking head shows.

David Gregory continued his ambush tactics today, interviewing Scott Walker. Totally ignoring Walker’s reasoned responses, he often misstated facts. And then he spent several minutes asking Walker about the fake phone call from a liberal blogger (one who has since been outed as having rejoiced in the death and dismemberment of American comabt troops.) And to top it off he then suggested that Walker advocated planting thugs in the crowd to disrupt the demonstrations. This theme was then continued on the panel by AFL-CIO head Trumka, and MSNBC’s in-house self-admitted socialist, Lawrence O’Donnell. Last week, Gregory tried to get Speaker Baynor to admit a mistake in not denouncing conservatives and Republicans who question Obama’s history, citizenship, and religion.

OK, we get it, we really, really do..it’s what they do…it’s who they are. And Politico is no different. We get their political orientation, their focus, their ( in many cases self-admitted) bias, and their goal to protect, defend, and re-elect Obama. And we, individually can choose to watch, and read, or not.

But why in God’s name are we allowing these people to host the first GOP presidential candidate’s debate? This is nothing short of insanity.

Unless the world, and the Dem party, implode in the next year, Obama will be renominated. There is no political drama here. The GOP field, for the first time in decades, is wide open. Far more people in America self-identify as conservatives than liberals. We have the House, we’re well on the way to taking back the Senate. Choosing the next GOP nominee will be the biggest political story of the next 18 months.  Interest will be HUGE.

So what are we doing? Our first chance to introduce our candidates to the country, in a debate forum, will be shaped, defined, by NBC/MSNBC and Politico. This initial field will be huge, possible a dozen, and they will have to battle each other to offer a cogent response, and intelligent thought, without having to face asinine and slanted questions from NBC/MSNBC and Politco ideologues.

Who might the moderator be? Tom Brokaw? Maybe. He’s so disgusted with NBC/MSNC..he’s just about vanished from their air. Brian Williams? He-who-genuflects to Obama? Probably he’d get the gig. Panel questioners..One or two from Politico..pick your poison..they’re all slanted…they all inhabit  MSNBC. JOe Scarborough ( the in-house “conservative”?) REALLY? Andrea Mitchell..could be.

And let’s not forget who’d be tasked to host/appear on the pre and post debate shows…take your pickof any and all..Chris Matthews, Lawrence O’Donnell, and Rachel Maddow…and of course Howard Fineman andAriana Huffington. Heck, we’d probably get to see “Ed” and “Cenk.”  Maybe even Katrina vandenHeuvel… Gawd, gag me now…

Any takers as to what the first questions will be:

1. How did the tragedy in Tucson affect you?

2. Will you now pledge, during the primaries and the general election, if you are the nominee, to be more civil to you opponents?

And that’s even before we get to those idiotic questions that people will send email or Facebook in…and supposedly chosen at random to be “representative” of others.  To wit:

1. “I’m a single ( most likely black or Hispanic) mom of three young kids. I’ve been unemployed for 2 years. What are YOU gonna do to help me find a job?”

2. “I’m a third generation police officer, ( or firefighter, teacher, EMT) I’ve been a proud union member all my life, as was my father, and grandfather. So whay are you against unions and collective bargaining?”

3. “I’m on Social Security ( and/or Medicare/Medicaid) It’s all I have. I depend on it. Why are you trying to change/threaten it”?

AND OH YEAH, ALL YOU CANDIDATES, PAY ATTENTION..TO ANY/ALL OF THOSE NOT SO HYPOTHETICAL QUESTIONS..YOU HAVE 90 SECONDS TO GIVE AN INTELLIGENT RESPONSE.

It’s time to recognize the obvious - that the MSM is our enemy, and will be working actively to present our candidates in the worst possible light. So why should we give them the means to do so?

And equally as bad as the decision to allow NBC/MSNBC and Politico to run the event is the decision to make it exclusive.  Actually, it’s even stupider, by a large margin. Interest in this debate will be enormous. The RNC should want the biggest possible audience.  So this debate, and possibly the next few, should be open to ANY media outlet who wants to carry it.

The new head of the RNC, Reince Priebus, has promised needed changes, and indeed, is starting to implement many already. I would like him to state publicly how this decision, to allow NBC/MSNBC Politico to run this first debate, was reached, and who approved it, just BEFORE he announces that it is being reversed.

This frist debate should run TWO hours, ( with very limited time for commercial interruptions), to allow for all the candidates to have sufficent time to answer questions, rebutal, and hopefully question each other. The RNC should produce the broadcast..timing, cameras, and angles, etc..and as I said earlier, ANY media outlet that wants to cover it can take the feed. They should select the moderator, and the panel of questioners.

And there are many to choose from. WSJ’s Paul Gigot would be a superb moderator. I could even go with Tom Brokaw. He’d be OK as a modrator…and it would make the RNC not seem anti-NBC. ( Actually, that would be a nice touch. They can say..”see, we LIKE NBC..this is just BIGGER than one network.” ) For the panel, Brit Hume, George Will, and ( this may surprise some )..Kathleen Parker  ( nice touch, eh?)

Hopefully those who read this will add suitable others….

All the cable networks will take the feed, and broadcast it live, as will C-span, NPR and many radio stations and networks. So, the key question is: will the big four ( FOX, NBC, ABC, and CBS) also cover it? It will be interesting to see what they do. FOX will, absolutley. I suspect ABC and CBS will, because it’s hard to make the case that it is not an important event. Also, if they don’t, and  ratings are huge ( and remember, CBS and ABC don’t have a cable news outlet) they will in effect be abetting, and publicizing their own irrelevancy and demise of their network news operations.

Which brings us to NBC. They really have no choice..it will kill them, but they too will have to run it live. Dare they say that it was only worthy of broadcasting when then had the exclusive? Hardly. Could they  just air it on MSNBC, and say that’s doing enough? Possibly, but the danger in that  strategy is that probably 75% of MSNBC’s liberal audience won’t watch a GOP debate, and MSNBC’s rating for that event would thus be REALLY nonexistent..even moreso than now.

OK…that’s the problem we face. How do we stop it. How do we get the RNC to change it? To whom do we protest?

COMMENTS

  • http://redmerrimack.blogspot.com/ charliebravoNH

    I did some research on this issue as well as ask our new Republican Party Chair in NH about MSNBC moderating debates. It boils down to who is paying for the event. Who ever is sponsoring the event can decide the time and place as well as the moderator. The RNC is not sponsoring the first debate at the Reagan Library in Semi Valley CA. One option to fight back would be candidates could opt not to attend. Of course if a candidate doesn’t attend because they don like the moderators then that candidate looks petty, and not Presidential. Now if enough candidates boycott the debate then the sponsors would have to find a way to save the event by possibly changing the host. Activists like many of us here on RedState could put pressure on the candidates to bail on this debate, which I am all for for exactly the reasons listed in this diary..

  • keven

    I believe that Politico had the most journolisters of any news organisation with 7. If the RNC has agreed to NBC and Politico holding the first debate there is one obvious reason. Hurt the conservatives in the race and promote the most liberal candidates. This is something that the Dems, media, and Republican establishment have as a common goal. Its not surprising the RNC would agree to this debate if they have. Get used to it.

    Truthfully, having watched Fox News the last couple of days, I think they won’t be much better. The entire Television Media Complex will try and choose the “moderate” Republican establishment candidate whoever that is.

    They will be nice to some candidates and tough on others. Watch the difference between the way Scott Walker is treated by the media and Chris Christie as an example. Has Christie ever faced a gotcha question from the media? They have their favorites and they are their favorites for a reason.

  • gawken

    OK…good points..but still, if I follow you, it was the RNC that agreed to this debate..and thus, they can change their mind. The MSM is anti-GOP..why pretend otherwis, why enable them..and it should NOT be exclusive…

  • Common_Cents

    I’ve never understood this capitulation to the lame stream media either. It’s always the lone wolf Republican against the machine. There is no coordination and strategy amongst the right with respect to the mostly hostile lame stream media.

    Maybe its because the threat of no more access to media if you are too conservative or confrontational? Maybe its the allure of media exposure for self indulgent political celebrity?

    This is the same as a football team agreeing to play all their games on the road!

  • http://www.examiner.com/x-1597-Charlotte-Law--Politics-Examiner Mike gamecock DeVine

    has devolved into a preachy shill.

  • http://redmerrimack.blogspot.com/ charliebravoNH

    the interview with NBC. It is sad Gov Walker doesn’t have the political instincts to tell NBC and his staff to pound sand.

  • http://www.examiner.com/x-1597-Charlotte-Law--Politics-Examiner Mike gamecock DeVine
  • http://redmerrimack.blogspot.com/ charliebravoNH

    I do remember another diary on RedState with the author having the opinion that the RNC should be calling the shots. I can tell you this, if the RNC was calling the shots on this they would be footing the bill. Let’s not forget this debate was arranged last year before any candidate announced. A debate is an event and the event has to be paid for. Those who host the event can set the rules.

    Like you I have been concerned about this. I have been concerned enough about this to ask my new State Party chair this question when I talked to him in the greet line at my County Committee meeting.

    Google Reagan “Mr Green I paid for this microphone” That debate in 1980 was at the Gym at what is now Nashua South H.S. Debate controversies are nothing new especially here in NH.

  • http://www.theprecinctproject.wordpress.com ColdWarrior

    of the RNC and the Republican Party there is a way.

    Join it.

    Join the other conservatives already inside the Party as precinct committeemen so you can vote for the leadership of the Party and help get out the vote in the primary elections in your precinct with your fellow Republican precinct committeemen to help ensure that conservatives win those primary races.

    Thank you.

    ColdWarrior

  • http://www.examiner.com/x-1597-Charlotte-Law--Politics-Examiner Mike gamecock DeVine

    process to pick our nominee for president in 2012.