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JoanofArgh

(14,971 posts)
Wed Jun 2, 2021, 09:06 AM Jun 2021

LOL RNC Threatens to Stop Putting Candidates Forward for Presidential Debates

The Republican National Committee has threatened to stop putting presidential candidates forward for TV debates unless organizers give in to a long list of their demands. According to CNN, RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel sent a furious letter to the Commission on Presidential Debates on Tuesday, laying out what changes need to be made for her to advise future Republican nominees to take part in the debates. “Our sincere hope is that the CPD accepts this criticism and works to correct its mistakes,” she wrote. “If not, the RNC will have no choice but to advise future Republican candidates against participating in CPD-hosted debates, and the RNC will look for other options for its candidates to debate the issues before the American people in a neutral and nonpartisan forum.” McDaniel’s list of complaints included the timing of the debates, the political allegiances of some CPD board members, and its choice of hosts. They echo the relentless complaints from Donald Trump during the 2020 campaign.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/republican-national-committee-threatens-to-stop-putting-candidates-forward-for-presidential-debates?utm_source=web_push


The debate commission, once a largely anonymous organization, has hosted presidential and vice presidential general election debates since 1988, acting as the nonpartisan organization that works with the major-party presidential campaigns to put the events on. While the commission has drawn some controversy in the past, it drew considerable ire from Trump during the 2020 campaign. He and his campaign aides often railed on a number of perceived issues with the commission, including the selected moderators, the commission's decision to hold the second debate virtually and the choice to mute each candidate's mic during the final debate after the first contest included considerable interruptions from the then-President.
https://edition.cnn.com/2021/06/01/politics/rnc-letter-presidential-debate-commission/index.html


I still miss when the League of Women Voters held the debates.

NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
October 3, 1988

LEAGUE REFUSES TO "HELP PERPETRATE A FRAUD"

WITHDRAWS SUPPORT FROM FINAL PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE

WASHINGTON, DC —"The League of Women Voters is withdrawing its sponsorship of the presidential debate scheduled for mid-October because the demands of the two campaign organizations would perpetrate a fraud on the American voter," League President Nancy M. Neuman said today.

"It has become clear to us that the candidates' organizations aim to add debates to their list of campaign-trail charades devoid of substance, spontaneity and honest answers to tough questions," Neuman said. "The League has no intention of becoming an accessory to the hoodwinking of the American public."

Neuman said that the campaigns presented the League with their debate agreement on
September 28, two weeks before the scheduled debate. The campaigns' agreement was negotiated "behind closed doors" and vas presented to the League as "a done deal," she said, its 16 pages of conditions not subject to negotiation.

Most objectionable to the League, Neuman said, were conditions in the agreement that gave the campaigns unprecedented control over the proceedings. Neuman called "outrageous" the campaigns' demands that they control the selection of questioners, the composition of the audience, hall access for the press and other issues.

"The campaigns' agreement is a closed-door masterpiece," Neuman said. "Never in the history of the League of Women Voters have two candidates' organizations come to us with such stringent, unyielding and self-serving demands."

Neuman said she and the League regretted that the American people have had no real opportunities to judge the presidential nominees outside of campaign-controlled environments.

"On the threshold of a new millenium, this country remains the brightest hope for all who cherish free speech and open debate," Neuman said. "Americans deserve to see and hear the men who would be president face each other in a debate on the hard and complex issues critical to our progress into the next century."

Neuman issued a final challenge to both Vice President Bush and Governor Dukakis to "rise above your handlers and agree to join us in presenting the fair and full discussion the American public expects of a League of Women Voters debate."



24 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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LOL RNC Threatens to Stop Putting Candidates Forward for Presidential Debates (Original Post) JoanofArgh Jun 2021 OP
That'll make the fact-checker's jobs easier. LiberatedUSA Jun 2021 #1
Oh No... The Magistrate Jun 2021 #2
I look forward to watching a future Republican debater hold his breath until he turns blue. FSogol Jun 2021 #3
This is the Republican Party gone authoritarian and acting out Hortensis Jun 2021 #4
What is interesting to me... Hugin Jun 2021 #5
This 👆🏼 UpInArms Jun 2021 #9
1988? Hugin Jun 2021 #6
Yes, I think the GOP were initially behind the move to wrest the debates from the JoanofArgh Jun 2021 #10
Have a debate without them then !!! uponit7771 Jun 2021 #7
Geez, Republicans have been hurt and are complaining about past debates. Omnipresent Jun 2021 #8
"...in a neutral and nonpartisan forum" JohnnyRingo Jun 2021 #11
Does anyone really give a shit if we hear from any of them mdbl Jun 2021 #12
This! PortTack Jun 2021 #13
I'm not sure the debates change anyone's mind anymore. Lonestarblue Jun 2021 #23
The only problem with the college debate format is mdbl Jun 2021 #24
OK. Make my day. lagomorph777 Jun 2021 #14
The League of Women Voters held the best version of debate and I have been disappointted since ... marble falls Jun 2021 #15
Yep, it's become about trying to manufacture clickbait and headlines. JoanofArgh Jun 2021 #16
The debates are another example of the tweeting down of America. A lot of DUers seem to ... marble falls Jun 2021 #18
SNL should have a secondary broadcast focused on Republican debates. LiberalFighter Jun 2021 #17
Neutral and nonpartisan.. Permanut Jun 2021 #19
Why have a debate? Dan Jun 2021 #20
no backsies ZonkerHarris Jun 2021 #21
Update to the 1988 press release... reACTIONary Jun 2021 #22

Hortensis

(58,785 posts)
4. This is the Republican Party gone authoritarian and acting out
Wed Jun 2, 2021, 09:18 AM
Jun 2021

aggressive and often lawless authoritarian maneuvers in the middle of a democracy. Yet another in their blizzard of actions intended to break the institutions they once helped create.

Remembering that in the 2020 primary Republican voters were effectively allowed one "candidate" to vote for. And, horribly, most were just fine with that.

Hugin

(33,135 posts)
5. What is interesting to me...
Wed Jun 2, 2021, 09:30 AM
Jun 2021

I'm starting to recognize the former guy's phone habit.

He no doubt has all of these people on speed dial. We know from bitter experience that about all Comodus II does is sleep until noon, watch far right wing media, lose court cases, cheat at golf, make perfect phone calls, and tweet until Jack took the Twitter away. So, having no Twitter, he's formed a means of social-networking by proxy.

Cheney gets booted from the GrOPper leadership. We see Gaetz and Greene jet off seemingly spontaneously to Wyo or AZ. Announcements are made by various random RNC brass. The formation and activation of the AZ Fraudit via the Trumpanzees in the AZ Senate. & other weirdness ad nauseum. Behind each of these a direct contact from the wanna-be dicktator can almost be felt as palpable. In this case, it was Ronna (Don't ever say it out loud) "Romney" McDaniel.

Great scott! He's formed a human Trumpipede! Horrors!

JoanofArgh

(14,971 posts)
10. Yes, I think the GOP were initially behind the move to wrest the debates from the
Wed Jun 2, 2021, 10:00 AM
Jun 2021

League of Women Voters but came to a deal with the Dukakis campaign. Parties wanted more control over the debates ; I think this is a mistake and they should be independent.

Omnipresent

(5,707 posts)
8. Geez, Republicans have been hurt and are complaining about past debates.
Wed Jun 2, 2021, 09:54 AM
Jun 2021

If they weren’t so thin skinned, like the former guy, I would tell them, “fuck your feelings!”

JohnnyRingo

(18,628 posts)
11. "...in a neutral and nonpartisan forum"
Wed Jun 2, 2021, 10:19 AM
Jun 2021

In other words, instead of going face to face with the democrat, they'll send them for an intense grilling from Sean Hannity.

Actually, I think the RNC has upper hand here. It might be enough to saturate their potential voters with faux interviews on right wing media. Like one long and free campaign commercial.

mdbl

(4,973 posts)
12. Does anyone really give a shit if we hear from any of them
Wed Jun 2, 2021, 10:28 AM
Jun 2021

The clown car of repugs is a waste of TV time.

Lonestarblue

(9,981 posts)
23. I'm not sure the debates change anyone's mind anymore.
Thu Jun 3, 2021, 08:50 AM
Jun 2021

Most of the moderators do a good job (though Chris Wallace was terrible in the 2020 debate), but a format of allowing a minute or two to answer lessens effectiveness. They’re mostly sound bite answers now that have been repeated by the campaigns over and over. It would be interesting to use a college debate team as a model. Those are real debates.

I’m sure Trump wants Hannity and Tucker Carlson as moderators or perhaps one of the QAnon people.

mdbl

(4,973 posts)
24. The only problem with the college debate format is
Thu Jun 3, 2021, 09:18 PM
Jun 2021

you can lie or make it up if you can get away with it.

marble falls

(57,080 posts)
15. The League of Women Voters held the best version of debate and I have been disappointted since ...
Wed Jun 2, 2021, 10:50 AM
Jun 2021

... it stopped hosting them. LWV knew how to ask questions in a non-partisan manner without gotchas. The debates now are a sound bite-a-rama with some questioners looking to get their two cents in.

JoanofArgh

(14,971 posts)
16. Yep, it's become about trying to manufacture clickbait and headlines.
Wed Jun 2, 2021, 11:05 AM
Jun 2021

I think LWV holding the debates would actually benefit the Democrats. No more GOP interference in how debates are run.

marble falls

(57,080 posts)
18. The debates are another example of the tweeting down of America. A lot of DUers seem to ...
Wed Jun 2, 2021, 11:20 AM
Jun 2021

... derive their opinions with 'news' from Twitter. All soundbite and no depth. And only a link.

Dan

(3,554 posts)
20. Why have a debate?
Thu Jun 3, 2021, 12:12 AM
Jun 2021

There is nothing that the GOP candidates are going to say that would make me vote for them.

The really sad part is, it does not matter who or what party their opponent is with, I'm still not voting for a GOP candidate.

reACTIONary

(5,770 posts)
22. Update to the 1988 press release...
Thu Jun 3, 2021, 08:09 AM
Jun 2021

Americans deserve to see and hear THOSE the men who would be president face each other in a debate on the hard and complex issues critical to our progress into the next century.

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