GOP candidates pull out of YouTube debate. Won't face questions from Americans.

[Hamlette]

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

[pinkpops]

1. Excerpt:

..."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."

Well, I think the public is biased against Republicans at this point for sure

[baldguy]

4. Just like daylight is biased against darkness

[BlooInBloo]

13. Ya gotta feel for 'em. *Reality* and *goodness* are biased against republicans...

... They've actually done a bang-up job succeeding electorally despite that - and to the eternal demerit of the American public.

[dorkulon]

24. As Colbert says, reality has a liberal bias :) nt

[comtec]

45. That makes sense really

After all, youtube represents PEOPLE! not corporations!

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

2. They cannot and will not face...

The unvarnished and unwashed masses. For verily, they are, to a man, gormless.

And most are too fucking stupid to think on their feet in a forum such as that.

[CitizenLeft]

3. oh you're kidding

Cowards. And they say Democrats "cut and run?" They're too skeert to even answer questions! BOOOOOOK-bok bok - chickens!

[senseandsensibility]

5. As if woflie or whoever

wouldn't absolutely roll over and pant for them.

[smtpgirl]

10. CNN "Liberal", Wolfie has pandered to the right for 6 1/2 years

what are the republicans afraid of?


THE TRUTH!!!

[C_U_L8R]

6. Hilarious: Republican retreating from Americans

Oh that really sums them up... the cowards.
Don't they know they are running
to be the President of ALL Americans ???

[orleans]

28. yes, all americans EXCEPT those who put videos on youtube

and those who listen to progressive/liberal talk radio (apparently they won't be caught dead there either)

[in_cog_ni_to]

7. CHICKENHAWKS TO THE END! Bawk! Bawk! Baaaaaaaaaaaaawk!

What a bunch of wimps.

[Pharaoh]

8. K&R this far and wide!

HAHAHA!! freaking wormshits :bounce:

[Bluebear]

9. Baaaaawk buck buck buck buck buck!

[wicket]

40. Bwahahahahahahahaha!!!

:rofl:

:yourock:

[Liberal In Texas]

11. They'll find a nice venue on FOX.

Someplace where they can be asked softball questions and invoke the spirit of St. Reagan.

[K8-EEE]

12. What, scared of lil old us??

LOL!!! Chickenshit republicans, afraid of taking questions from the American people!!

[ProgressiveEconomist]

14. Here are some of the questions Giuliani et al may fear being asked, from URL

http://stevenwhite.typepad.com/steven_white/2007/07/questions-for-t.html (reached by continuing to click through links starting from the Andrew Sullivan link in the OP):

"Steven White: Questions for the Republicans

Tom Schaller has a few ideas for questions the Republicans should be asked at their YouTube debate, considering some of the provocative and leading questions asked last night to the Democrats:

1. Do you believe in the rapture? (I confess to stealing this question from Joe Klein.)

2. Gov. Romney is a Mormon, so I'd like to ask each candidate if he believes Mormonism is a cult religion?

3. How many people in your family have served in the military, and why did you serve or not serve when you were age-eligible? (A version of this question was asked of Democrats.)

4. Sen. McCain and Mayor Giuliani: Both of you are divorced, so why should Americans take cues or lectures from you about family values?

5. Conservatives say they believe in free markets, but then support everything from farm subsidies to no-bid contracts for contracts in Iraq. What capitalist principles are animated by subsidies and non-competitive contracting? ...."

[rhiannon55]

15. What a pathetic bunch of losers

poor little babies, they might have to think on their feet. And answer questions that might embarrass their party bosses...

[Marr]

16. I'd expect nothing more from the party of scripted "town hall meetings".

I guess they must realize that only 2% of the 25% that still support them can actually read, much less type. And that 2% is all oil executives, anyway- they're too busy counting their stolen money.

[Cha]

17. I'll tell ya what my first thought was..

"Run chickenliveredshithawks, RUN! :scared: :scared: :scared:

[TruePatriot44]

18. I don't blame them, these are hardly debates, more like sound bites

I want to see candidates going back and forth with each other in heated attacks on the positions. I am really sick of 8 to 10 candidates giving 30 second reponses and brining very little conversation to the debates.

I've watched all the debates for the Dems and GOP and I've only really seen one interesting conflict. That was between Rudy and Paul concerning why we were attacked on 9/11 in South Carolina. We need more of that in the debates.

[Bluebear]

19. Well, TruePatriot, shouldn't they have withdrawn before the "Dems" debate?

They committed to it after all, buncha chickens.

[TruePatriot44]

21. The format was bad and they recognized it

Anderson Cooper did almost nothing to engage heated discussion and debate. He played the videos and let the candidates do their 30 second sound byte. Extremely uninteresting and a waste of time, can you blame the repubs for pulling out?

[ConsAreLiars]

29. Enjoy your stay! n/t

[cynatnite]

My teenager loved it...

She'll be of voting age by the 08 election. She sat and watched the entire debate, commented on the issues, asked questions and was thoroughly engaged.

If the repukes pull out they are damn cowards.

[cynatnite]

31. n/t

[VP505]

37. Yes I can

its not about Anderson Cooper, it about them facing the American people and answering questions unscripted, which IMO ANY person wanting to be President should be able to do without effort.

[blogslut]

41. The format was not "bad"

The format was fine. I was delighted with the real questions from real people. I was less than thrilled with the answers but that does not dissuade from the fact that the Dems at least, had the fortitude to face questioners who weren't proxies for lobbyists and the corporations.

The Repubs that bail on this debate are shooting themselves in their collective lead feet. These cowardly candidates have solidified their disconnect with the citizenry and their retreat from YouTube debates will not sit well with the few, remaining voters that support them.

[Rockholm]

42. I thought the YouTube debate was just fine.

There was no need for heated discussion. Let the campaign spokespeople yell out their disagreements on Tweety or Wolfie. I thought he questions were very good, even the one's with actors portraying real people.
Guess your republican friends are just a little scared of answering real questions. Oh, wait...Since CNN is SO LIBERAL (As is YouTube, those damned internets companies are all fags and liberals) CNN and You Tube will probably STAGE fake questions to trip up poor Mittens and Rudi. (misspelled on purpose).
Shame on them for being so UNAMERICAN.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

44. "can you blame the repubs for pulling out?"

Yup. Same as I can blame their fathers for having not...

[in_cog_ni_to]

26. Being on CNN's YOUTUBE debate has nothing to do with the number of candidates running.

I bet they won't turn down a debate on FAUX NEWS moderated by Sean Hannity! This is just payback for the Dems snubbing the propaganda network, the repuke's network, FAUX.

[eridani]

20. Did Ron Paul pull out too?

If not, he could just go on by himself, no?

[KitchenWitch]

22. Tell me, is this a big surprise to you?

I didn't think so. The Rethugs only want transparency in the Democratic Party.

[Cary]

23. Pussies. n/t

[cynatnite]

25. The Dems ought to ask for another youtube debate...

to show what cowardly fucks those repukes are.

I am disappointed. My teenager loved the last one and we've been talking about supplying a question for the next one.

[Change has come]

33. Can you imagine what YouTube questions

The freepers would submit? :rofl:

I'm disappointed too. I was looking forward to watching them squirm.

[cynatnite]

34. We were considering the subject of recruiters...

asking something along the lines of recruiters being allowed access to teenagers like my daughter.

[dorkulon]

27. Really goes to show what kid-gloved treatment they've come to expect from the media.

Even vetted questions from the unwashed masses are too scary for them. "Mommy! The bad man asked about lobbyists!"

[TwilightGardener]

30. The GOP spin is the Dems are "afraid" of Fox. The truth is that the GOP

is afraid of the American people.

[IChing]

35. Are afraid my friend Are afraid .

Even Cnn is afraid of the American people they
wimped on the number 1 question by you-tube on impeachment.

They wouldn't ask that question.

[LSK]

32. wow, that is beyond pathetic

Amazing.

[proud patriot]

36. *cough* cowards *cough*

"if they can't face youtube how can they defeat the terrorists?"

:rofl:

[ProgressiveFool]

38. well, they sure do find exit strategies quick enough when it's their asses in the sling /nt

[alfredo]

39. I hope Ron Paul and some of the lesser candidates agree to go so they

can call Rudy and Mittens on their cowardice.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

43. I'd Say Even Freepers Recognize The Cowardice In This.

I don't care how they attempt to spin it. Deep inside, within their own minds, the freepers know damn well why the GOP candidates are opting out. The candidates are cowards with no balls. How sad that must be for the GOP base to have to know that.

This is laughable how scared their candidates are of reality. So, so, so pathetic.

[bdamomma]

46. cowards, and totally arrogant and ignorant to the People

well, repigs continue their spiral.

[Seedersandleechers]

47. TPM states "might not"

So, I'm guessing the youtube debate has not been cancelled...

[Hubert Flottz]

48. They are Chickenhawks because they are COWARDS!

[AwakeAtLast]

49. Taking cues from Dubya

Not gonna answer unless it is a scripted question, full of potential to sound like a regular, aw shucks person.