There might not be a GOP CNN/Youtube debate

[ariesgem]

GOP: Youtube Too Scary for Us
By Josh Marshall

It's looking like there might not be a GOP CNN/Youtube debate. Rudy appears to be opting out and Mitt Romney doesn't seem far behind. And GOP party functionary Hugh Hewitt is already laying down a line of covering fire for the retreat, arguing that CNN and Youtube are biased against Republicans.

"Liberal Bias", whatever else it once was, now appears to be the new Republican code word for any venue or events not controlled by Republican commisars like Hugh Hewitt along the lines of President Bush's notorious Social Security townhalls in which only certified flunkies who swore to a Bush loyalty oath were let into the room.

As I said here on the night of the debate, the CNN/Youtube debate wasn't perfect. And there were for my tastes a bit too many questions based on a rather cliched sort of viral video silliness. All told though I found it surprisingly successful in getting fresh questions into the mix and edging at least somewhat more candor out of the candidates than the usual fare.

I'm not sure whether the resistance is rooted is the profound feebleness of the current GOP field or the fact that the current Bush Republican party is so beholden to a worldview based on denial and suppression of evidence that exposure to unpredictable questions presents too great a danger. But if they can't face Youtube how can they defeat the terrorists?

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/015889.php

[SaveElmer]

1. Cowards...nt

[alfredo]

23. You said it.

[Faygo Kid]

2. GOP/YouTube debate: All the submitters would be hypocritically exposing their small penises.

I really don't want to see (or even think about) the videos submitted by Bushites. Ewwww. . .

[proud patriot]

20. republican *cough* cowards *cough*

are despicable

[Mojambo]

3. "If they can't face Youtube how can they defeat the terrorists?"

Nice.

:rofl:

[WCGreen]

18. Now that....

Is freggin funny...

A tip of the hat..

[Dulcinea]

33. Send that question to CNN!

http://www.cnn.com/feedback/forms/form5.html?65

[Mojorabbit]

4. This is a joke right?

Talk about alienating a segment of the population!

[jefferson_dem]

6. Oh. Please please please let it not be a joke.

This would be a freaking mondo gift to the Dems.

[Mz Pip]

5. Mitwit

doesn't want anyone asking him how he reconciles his support for the war with the fact that he has 5 chickenhawk sons.

AWKWARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mz Pip
:dem:

[hatrack]

7. They probably can't find the "any" key on their computers . . .

Then again, the feeble/in denial argument has its merits as well . . .

[MadMaddie]

8. Awwww...so the bottom line is they can't stand in front of

a live audience and take questions from the American public....


You see this is what the Democratic party should be taking and using as evidence that the Repugs don't want to hear from the populace.....it's not rocket science...

[tridim]

9. I'd be shocked if the Dems didn't use this against the Pukes

They will.

[MadMaddie]

10. I hope they do...but they have to use it effectively...not some

half ass attempt and then when the Rethugs complain...the Dems apologize for it and say how inappropriate it was......

They need to use it, stick by it, and play it over and over

[buff2]

11. " But if they can't face Youtube how can they defeat the terrorists?"

The terrorists have won. (at least when it comes to the GOPervert chickens)

[OHdem10]

12. Since the GOP are wedded to Market Fundamentalism--

an exaggerated and wildly irrational belief that Markets
can SOLVE all Problems, just cut taxes, cut taxes, cut taxes;
cut the size of government enough to make it fit in a bathtub.

With these principles, there is no way on earth they want
real live people asking them questions which have to do
with the well-being of our country and the American people.
How can they answer the questions???? Privatize everything
and rely on yourself--your government owes you nothing.

Best not to particpate ---now you know why.

[TwilightGardener]

13. If this doesn't prove that the media is propping up the GOP, I don't

know what does. Anything that exposes them directly to the PEOPLE is apparently dangerous.

[jsamuel]

14. next thing you know they are going to start boycotting elections because the voters have a liberal

bias

[Colobo]

15. Fuck the GOP. Cowards indeed.

[RamboLiberal]

16. Whiny, Wimpy bunch of cowards

They can't appear in front of anyone except their hand-picked sycophants.

[cyberpj]

17. CNN is biased against Republicans? They just lie to lie now, don't they? nt

[AtomicKitten]

19. chickenshit little girls --- afraid of real questions!

[silverweb]

21. LMAO

Just too delicious for words!

:rofl:

[AmandaRuth]

22. Because I would ask a question like this...

Since you all have made it clear you will do what ever you can to make abortion illegal and unobtainable, can you tell me what exactly you think would be just penalties for a women who has made it known that her intent is to get an abortion. Jail? Jail for anyone who assists her, such as a husband or boyfriend who gives her transport? What if she already has children, would they become wards of the state? How would you force her to have the baby, ankle monitoring device?

They are too chicken shit ever go on record with answers to questions like those.

[loudsue]

24. Better yet...."With control of congress since 1994, why haven't the republiCONs

made abortion illegal??"

You wanna know why? Because it keeps their base riled up and in a frenzy, and leaves the fundies "true believers" in the republican party; that they are the party of anti-abortion....What they DECEPTIVELY call "pro life".

If abortion was outlawed, and put to rest, the fundies might be forced to actually LOOK at what the republicans have done to this country, while they deceived everyone into believing they were so "Christian" friendly. Nevermind that the republicans in and out of office are fucking perverts and child molesters.

:kick:

[goodgd_yall]

30. The problem is CNN would never select your question

That's the irony: Repugs too afraid to attend a CNN/YouTube debate yet the questions will not even be as hard as they could be since CNN is weeding out the toughest questions.

[go west young man]

25. As Ted Stevens is apt to say: Why would they want to scream into a series of tubes?

[jillan]

26. They are pathetic!

[avrdream]

27. Someone here at DU predicted this the other day,

during the Democratic debates. The words used basically said that the Republican candidates wouldn't be able to handle questions from real people.

Up-thread, though, someone mentioned that the videos would be from Republican voters. If true, the questions would probably be a whole lot easier, just like in the GOP debates so far.

[ariesgem]

28. Updated - new link to a Washington Post article....

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2007/07/26/but_dont_ask_him_on_youtube_1.html#more

Four days after the Democratic debate in Charleston, S.C,. more than 400 questions directed to the GOP presidential field have been uploaded on YouTube -- targeted at Republicans scheduled to get their turn at videopopulism on Sept. 17.

But so far, only Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) and Rep. Ron Paul (Tex.) have agreed to participate in the debate, co-hosted by Republican Party of Florida in St. Petersburg.

"Aside from those two candidates, we haven't heard from anyone else," said Sam Feist of CNN, who's co-sponsoring the debate with the popular videosharing site.

Rudolph Giuliani and Mitt Romney, both with dozens of videos on their YouTube channels, have not signed up. Neither have the rest of the Republican candidates, including Rep. Tom Tancredo (Colo.), whose "Tancredo Takes" on his YouTube channel draw hundreds of views. Sources familiar with the Guiliani campaign said he's unlikely to participate. Kevin Madden, Romney's spokesman, said the former Massachusetts governor has seven debate invitations covering a span of 11 days in September.

"We haven't committed to any of them yet," Madden said.

[thatsrightimirish]

29. haha

Weren't the same people complaining about the Dems skipping the Fox debate? This is even worse because these are actual citizens asking the questions

[goodgd_yall]

31. I was actually surprised they accepted

So I'm NOT surprised at this. I wonder what excuse Rudy is giving.

Yeah, really...real tough terrorist fighter we have there.:eyes:

[Perry Logan]

32. The only question they'll get is "WILL YOU GET THE HELL OUT OF MY COUNTRY?"

[Uncle Joe]

34. Regarding the last paragraph, I believe the answer is both.

They are feeble and segregating the American People from the truth is of paramount importance in order for Bush to stay in power.