The Travesty of the Republican Presidential Debates [Domenech]

When did we decide that it'd be a great thing for the Republican presidential debates to be a bunch of gotcha questions from liberal Democrats?

Because that's what it's turning out to be.

Drew linked my observations below about the stupid nature of this crappy debate schedule - but there's an added nugget that I've learned just today.

So this next debate, sponsored by WaPo/Bloomberg and hosted on Bloomberg TV, was supposed to be exclusively about the economy. At least that's something, right? We've seen ridiculous sideshow questions for too long - let's get down to brass tacks and talk about economic issues which this whole election is going to end up being about. If you go to the WaPo site, it still says as much (emphasis mine).

The Washington Post and Bloomberg TV, in partnership with WBIN-TV and host Dartmouth College, present the first debate of the 2012 campaign focused exclusively on the issue that matters most to American voters: the economy.

But guess what: that's a lie.

I'm told that the debate organizers have informed the campaigns as of yesterday that only the first half of the debate will be about the economy. The second half will be a free for all.

And anyway, because they're including eight candidates (everybody but poor Gary Johnson), they're limiting things to thirty second answers. Again. Typical.

Oh, and one more bonus:

Charlie Rose will moderate the Bloomberg Washington Post Debate with co-moderators Washington Post political correspondent Karen Tumulty and Bloomberg White House correspondent Julianna Goldman.

Karen Tumulty. Hmm. Would that be the Karen Tumulty who is part of the same WaPo political journalism shop behind the biggest smear campaign yet of the 2012 cycle? Is that Karen Tumulty, Journolist member? The unbiased journalist who thought the 2010 election was Obama being "punished for his effectiveness"?

My only question is: will she personally bring a racist rock to plunk down on the dais?

posted by Guest Blogger at 05:21 PM

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