CNN/Youtube Debate, GOP Style.

[SirNitram]

While 'Gay General Slams Republicans'(There's a mental image no one wants) documents one of the fun moments in the night, the madness of this debate really deserves some picking over.

Let's consider this, this, shall we?

"There is some sense of the unknown and so they're going to be a little bit out of their normal comfort zone, which is a good thing," Bohrman said.

An admirable goal. Let's see whose questions got in.

Chris Dodd, Democratic Presidential Candidate, submitted a question, introduced himself, made no attempt to hide who he was. He was punted, because apparently it's important to not have 'Gotchas'. I mean, it says so here.

Most questions online have been pulled from public viewing for review, but many of the remaining posts involve asking the candidates to defend their opposition to gay marriage and abortion. Those kinds of “lobbying grenades” would be disqualified by the CNN selection team, Mr. Bohrman said.

“There are quite a few things you might describe as Democratic ‘gotchas,’ and we are weeding those out,” Mr. Bohrman said. CNN wants to ensure that next Wednesday’s Republican event is “a debate of their party.”

Remember: Defending your stances on depriving people of rights, or seizing control of a women's body? A gotcha.

“Congressman Kucinich, I want to move to a different area, because this is a serious question. The godmother of your daughter, Shirley MacLaine, writes in her new book that you sighted a UFO over her home in Washington State, that you found the encounter extremely moving, that it was a ‘triangular craft, silent and hovering,’ that you ‘felt a connection to your heart and heard directions in your mind.’

Now, did you see a UFO?”

Remember: Defending your positions on social conservatism == 'Gotcha'. Defending the idea you might have seen a UFO == SERIOUS POLITICAL QUESTION.

Then there's Grover Norquist asking a question of the candidates about taxes. Let's see.. DC Insider whose whole purpose is to lobby about taxes to Republicans.. How are we taking these clowns out of their comfort zone again?

The final insult on top of this blatant pandering to the GOP is this: They specifically took efforts to mollycoddle the GOP and make it a GOP-zone, and admit to it. Then they utterly fail to notice that people whose questions they took(Including said slamming gay general) have ties to political campaigns.

Not only are they blatantly biased, they're bad at it. Sad to watch.

(For those wondering, if it had a winner, it was Huckabee. I think he's a dangerous psycho theocrat, but he did better than the rest of the idiot brigade on stage.)

[Guardsman Bass]

That was definitely an easy go for the GOP, with the one exception of the Kerr-gay soldier question (and apparently, if they'd known he was involved in Hillary's campaign, we wouldn't even have that). Notice the utter lack of any questions on energy issues, the environment, education, or health care? Not one.

Instead, we got a lovely accumulation of three videos on guns - including an entirely pointless question asking the candidates what guns they own, as if we didn't already have a fluff question at the end for Giuliani- , several on immigration, three on "fiscal responsibility" (including, as you mentioned, that preposterously easy Norquist question that allowed all of the candidates signing the pledge to channel Ronald Reagan), and, of course, a Bible Thumper in a pear tree.

Seriously, what the fuck was up with CNN on the video selection? Even if you say, "well, it's a debate of their party", the Democrats certainly didn't get any exemptions on issues they probably did not want to have to touch (like immigration) in the last debate. Jesus, the fucking Fox News Debate was more rigorous on the GOP candidates.

Anyways, I think I'll pass if CNN hosts another debate, Democratic or Republican. At least MSNBC, in addition to picking a decent moderator (Tim Russert), didn't spend ten minutes allowing the candidates to waltz in, stand around, and have a free photo-op opportunity, even though they're going to be standing right in front of said news people for the next two hours anyways.

[Xisiqomelir]

(For those wondering, if it had a winner, it was Huckabee. I think he's a dangerous psycho theocrat, but he did better than the rest of the idiot brigade on stage.)

If anyone missed the debate, Nitram is spot-on here. This is very disturbing, since Huckabee is more of a lunatic than people accuse Ron Paul of being, but I was mostly ecstatic that Romney crashed and burned.