Conflicting strategies shape GOP debate furor

Republicans contend the debate was instead marked by petty, non-substantive questions created to either embarrass the candidates or compel them to attack one another. The RNC was not invited to a meeting organized by the candidates on Sunday.

In it, the candidates outline their demands.

“While debates are meant to include tough questions and contrast candidates” visions and policies for the future of America, CNBC’s moderators engaged in a series of “gotcha’ questions, petty and mean-spirited in tone, and created to embarrass our candidates”. They want approval over the graphics or biographies shown on the screen.

That’s right. It’s their party and they’ll cry if they want to. Another request is to keep the debate venue’s temperature a breezy 67 degrees.

To the editor: In the interest of fairness, should readers expect to read snide remarks about Democratic candidates (lord knows, there’s plenty of material), or is this just another example of media bias?

Fox created this media culture, and the Republican nominee’s inability to function outside of the conservative media bubble is one of the main reasons why Republicans are in a position to lose the 2016 presidential election. We do want to point out something important. Or do we simply want them to enable candidates to deliver live versions of their TV commercials?

Future Republican presidential debates will be no sweat for the candidates if GOP negotiators get their way – with new demands covering everything from the podiums to the thermostat. And you look at the questions – Donald Trump, are you a comic book villain? CNN’s Anderson Cooper managed the recent Democratic debate far better, while still including pointed queries. Trump said he would negotiate his own deals.

In an email to Ginsberg, the Fiorina campaign noted that “we have consistently and successfully discussed our concerns with the networks and the voters-and not behind closed doors like the political class seems to like to do”. In the room last night, the Bush campaign warned of the optics of shutting out a Spanish-language network and wanted to bring it back into the fold.

Perhaps they came to realize what Christie did.

When questioned about why he would not put his name to the list of demands, Christie told Fox News, “because it’s stupid”.