Salon - "CNBC did ask substantive questions. That’s why Republicans are mad" [View all]

[TomCADem]

The most amazing thing about the whole Republican debate debacle is the notion that CNBC is liberal. I guess when you are getting millions in corporate campaign support, the truth really is optional.

http://www.salon.com/2015/10/29/cnbc_did_ask_substantive_questions_thats_why_republicans_are_mad/

Both the liberals and conservatives chattering after the Republican debate on CNBC Wednesday night agree on one thing: CNBC did a terrible job running the debate. Liberals are angry because the moderators didn’t correct the astounding number of flagrant lies told by the candidates, nor did they do a very good job at cracking skulls when the candidates violated the rules. Conservatives are mad because, in their opinion, the moderators didn’t ask substantive questions.

The difference between the liberal complaint and the conservative one is that the conservative one is steaming nonsense. If you look at the actual record, it’s clear that what Republicans are really objecting to is that CNBC didn’t give the candidates a tongue bath. The “media bias” gambit is, as it has always been, an attempt by conservatives to shut substantive discourse down, not to encourage it.

Republicans really want you to believe that they were interested in substantive questions but didn’t get them. Reince Priebus, the chairman for the RNC, released a tsk-ing statement that claimed that, “Our diverse field of talented and exceptionally qualified candidates did their best to share ideas for how to reinvigorate the economy,” but somehow the moderators weren’t letting them.

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When you look at the big picture, the pattern emerges: Republicans are angry at CNBC for daring to challenge their candidates. The fact that Republican voters eat it up when candidates act victimized by journalists daring to ask them questions shouldn’t really be surprising. Republican voters want Republican candidates to win elections. When the focus is on the issues, Democrats tend to do better than Republicans.