Comedian Colin Quinn was deadly accurate when he referred to CNN as Al Jazeera West. It has also been called the Chirac News Network. Democrats run like lily livered cowards from Fox News, but republicans should expect hostile treatment from the Conservative National Nightmare. I will blog in a separate post about how the candidates did, but the big loser in this debate was CNN, which continues to lose ratings because of its blatant anti-republican and anti-Bush bias.
The first question dealt with trying to get republicans to say how they would act if they had hindsight. Mitt Romney politely stated what I screamed out…that it was a stupid question. It made me want to ask Ann Coulter if she would favor abortion if she knew the child would grow up to be a CNN executive.
The next question asked what we should do if General Petraus comes back with a negative report. Rudy Giuliani correctly pointed out that if the report is positive, will the media whitewash that? Of course they will.
Then it was asked if we should have dialogue with Iran? Thankfully most of the candidates took the time to announce that all options, including a preemptive nuclear strike, were on the table.
The immigration bill was the first question dealing with actual legislation. CNN is a blinking VCR, accurate twice a day. The candidates had substantive disagreements. Intelligent discussion actually can take place, it just requires intelligent questions.
They then went back to nonsense, asking the candidates what they thought about Fred Thompson? I like Fred Thompson, but until he enters the race, spend times asking the candidates questions on stage about real issues. Somehow CNN did not bring up Paris Hilton and Sara Silverman. After all, it would lower their brand, if that was possible.
Then CNN asked a question that implied that it is scientific fact that global warming is man made. No! This is not a universal consensus. It is disputed. Mixed in this question was a soapbox about whether we should deal with big oil companies and their profits. Some of the candidates fell into this idiotic trap, others chose not to do so. I feel CNN anchors make too much money, and should be replaced with cheaper, trainable monkeys. May I confiscate their salaries now, or should I allow the free market to work? Even miscreants are entitled to paychecks if the market says so.
They then asked a legitimate question about gays in the military and ending “Don’t ask don’t tell,” which was phrased in a biased manner by stating that England and Israel allow gays to serve. So what? Israel is a Jewish State. Does the American President have to be Jewish? How about we ask Mozambique or Lichtenstein what they think? This idea that other nations should dictate our decision making is one reason John “Global Test” Kerry lost the election. Is it that hard to ask questions in an unbiased way? For CNN, yes.
The question about what role George W. Bush should play after the election was nonsense. The question about what happened to the GOP in 2006 was mildly thought provoking, although the liberal media loves to let republicans discuss what they do wrong. It saves the democrats money and research. These “mea culpas” will be in campaign commercials. Does CNN ask democrats why they keep losing presidential elections, and why for the last 40 years, liberalism is on the run?
The Lewis Libby question was fair, and separated the strong candidates from the mealy mouthed clowns scared to fight back. Before the citizens who were picked by their desire to represent the GOP the least were allowed to ask questions equally designed to hurt the GOP, Candy Crowley remarked how surprised she was that the debate was so civil. What did she expect, the guys to punch Wolf Blitzer for asking horribly slanted questions (it crossed my mind.)? These people wanted republican conflict, but republicans are adults who discuss policies. We do not hurl invective.
One woman asked how we can bring the troops home. My heart goes out that her brother died serving, but she was used by CNN for anti-war sympathy. The candidates handled the question masterfully, refusing to endorse cut and run, for the most part. The question should have been, “how do we win?” I do not fault the questioner, but CNN knew what it was doing, which it rarely does.
After an intelligent question about how we should stabilize the Iraqi government, somebody asked if ONE could be a conservative and a conservationist. Are you kidding me? Why not ask if someone could be a conservative and still be a good human being? One can like the environment without accepting Al Gore’s assault on sanity.
After a prescription drug benefit plan and health care question, somebody asked about a single payer Canadian style health care system. How can somebody proposing something to the left of Hillary Clinton on health care be even a moderate, much less a republican? The Clinton News Network struck again.
The question about the most pressing moral issue facing Americans was fair, and separated the wheat from the chafe. Then one person asked Romney a loaded question about flip-flopping because he was against illegal immigration, but airing ads in Spanish. The question was racist. Not every Hispanic person in America is here illegally, and one can be for border enforcement and still believe in outreach, which is positive. This was an attempt to accuse anyone against illegal immigration as brown bashers. Who are these republicans?
The worst question of the night was when someone asked the candidates how they differed from President Bush. CNN was delighted. They want the candidates rebuking Bush. It will not work, as Al Gore found out when he ran away from Clinton. The republican nominee is tied to Bush, and there is no escape. More importantly, nor should there be. Wolf Blitzer then changed the question and falsely stated that the question was what Bush’s biggest mistake was. That was not the question. One can disagree with him without him being “wrong.” Most of the candidates were smart enough to state what the republican party did wrong in 2006, rather than bash Bush. Those that took the bait should lose out. A question asking how they agree with the President would not be asked, but it is important since the republican candidate in 2008 will be running on the Bush record, and little else.
What it means to be an American was nonsense, and how to bring back republicans moderates and independents implies that 2006 was a realignment. It implied that being “too conservative,” was a mistake. The candidates saw through this.
I genuinely wish CNN’s executives would be deported to Guantanamo Bay, or better yet, a place that is actually dangerous for inmates, perhaps in Pakistan.
I congratulate the republican candidates for having the courage to enter enemy territory, and can say that they are now all decorated combat veterans. The next time democrats complain about Fox News, they should take their biased heads and shove them up their…what is a word to describe it…oh yeah…CNN.
eric
Great job. Reflected my thinking totally.
CNN has been biased for years. The surprise is, that anyone would expect any different. It’s a shame, in that I like their format, but their news reporting simply can not be trusted. I generally only watch them when traveling, because I don’t know any “live bodies” that actually watch them.
Oh yea, Glenn Beck seems to be different – maybe CNN is wiseing up a little.
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