Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Charles Gibson Frets: 'Liberal Republican Gets Forced Out, What Happened to the Big Tent?'
Newsbusters ^ | 11/2/2009 | Brent Baker

Posted on 11/02/2009 7:46:15 PM PST by SeekAndFind

Following a Monday night look at Tuesday's special election to fill New York's 23rd congressional district seat in which Republican Dede Scozzafava dropped out after falling behind the Democrat and the Conservative Party nominee, ABC anchor Charles Gibson -- instead of wondering why the GOP establishment failed to pick a candidate who upholds basic Republican principles -- delivered the usual liberal media upset over the GOP's lack of a “big tent,” a phrase you never hear when Democrats pick left-wing candidates:

A liberal Republican gets forced out of the race by a more conservative guy who was actually not a Republican, was running on the Conservative ticket. What happened to the big tent in the Republican Party?

John Berman framed the preceding story on the “moderate” Scozzafava “who supports abortion rights and the President’s stimulus plan,” around the premise that going with a conservative candidate will hurt in the long run: “A Republican drops out of a race which might guarantee Republicans keep the seat, which might be bad for the Republican party long term.” Berman concluded with how the conservative candidate, Douglas Hoffman, “says not all views are welcome” as he suggested “there's always boundaries.” To which Berman intoned: “The question for Republicans is will those boundaries become a burden?”

Journalists are certainly trying to make them so.

In between, Berman did at least note “that Scozzafava endorsed the Democrat Bill Owens, sparking I-told-you-so's from the right.” Viewers then heard from Rush Limbaugh: “DeDe Scozzafava is illustrating precisely what moderate Republicans will do.”

The MRC's Brad Wilmouth corrected the closed-captioning against the video to provide this transcript of the story on the Monday, November 2 World News with Charles Gibson on ABC:

CHARLES GIBSON: Now, to politics. There are off-year elections tomorrow. In New Jersey and Virginia, governors will be chosen. Maine has a critical vote on gay marriage. New York City chooses a mayor. But there is nothing to compete with the House of Representatives race in upstate New York which has taken bizarre turn after bizarre turn. John Berman ventured up to Watertown, New York.

JOHN BERMAN: Try to follow this: A Republican drops out of a race which might guarantee Republicans keep the seat, which might be bad for the Republican party longterm.

DOUG HOFFMAN, NEW YORK CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE: All along I’ve been fighting for the soul of the Republican party.

BERMAN: Thing is, Douglas Hoffman is not the Republican party nominee. He's a third party candidate who entered the race when New York Republican leaders selected moderate DeDe Scozzafava, who supports abortion rights and the President’s stimulus plan, to fill a seat in a district won by President Obama in 2008.

CLIP OF HOFFMAN AD WITH FEMALE NARRATOR: Tired of choosing between two liberals for Congress?

BERMAN: Scozzafava came under withering attack from the likes of Sarah Palin and national conservative groups who flooded the district with money and volunteers. Where are you from?

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: I'm actually from the Denver, Colorado area.

BERMAN: And this weekend, trailing in the polls, Scozzafava, the handpicked Republican nominee, dropped out of the race. This was Republican candidate Scozzafava’s campaign headquarters, now completely shut down. This after the Republican party and its national campaign committees spent $1 million backing her in this race. Stranger still now that Scozzafava endorsed the Democrat Bill Owens, sparking I-told-you-so’s from the right.

RUSH LIMBAUGH: DeDe Scozzafava is illustrating precisely what moderate Republicans will do.

BERMAN: The Republican National Committee is now backing Hoffman, and polls show he may be able to ride the wave of conservative dissent to victory.

FORMER REP. TOM DAVIS (R-VA): We need those people. They're going to be a major part of who we are. But they also have to tolerate other points of view.

BERMAN: But Douglas Hoffman says not all views are welcome. The tent can only be so big?

HOFFMAN: Well, isn't that true in life in general? There's always boundaries.

BERMAN: The question for Republicans is will those boundaries become a burden? John Berman, ABC News, Watertown, New York.

GIBSON: And our chief Washington correspondent, George Stephanopoulos, joins us. George, let's talk about the elections tomorrow and let's start with that House race. A liberal Republican gets forced out of the race by a more conservative guy who was actually not a Republican, was running on the Conservative ticket. What happened to the big tent in the Republican Party?

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Well, what Republicans would say, Charles, is that Dede Scozzafava is just stretching those tent poles too far: Pro-gay rights, pro-choice/pro-abortion rights, even had the backing of the Working Families Party, that she really wasn't part of the mainstream of the Republican Party according to those party officials. Democrats say that's a sign that the extremists have taken over the party....

—Brent Baker is Vice President for Research and Publications at the Media Research Center


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: bigtent; charlesgibson; gop; liberals; rinos

1 posted on 11/02/2009 7:46:16 PM PST by SeekAndFind
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

He thinks both parties need to be liberal.


2 posted on 11/02/2009 7:47:32 PM PST by mrsmel
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

Charlie Gibson has the nerve to fret about a party he doesn’t ever want to see win...but he hasn’t heard of the ACORN scandal.

And he REALLY considers himself a “journalist”????

We have better citizen journalists here on Free Republic.


3 posted on 11/02/2009 7:49:07 PM PST by Recovering_Democrat
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

From Fox News Sunday:

WALLACE: So do you think that the Republican Party — do you see it as a big-tent party or small-tent party?

RUSH: Big tent.

WALLACE: But — but you sound like you’re kind of saying to the moderates, the — particularly on social issues, “If we lose you, too bad.”

RUSH: Well, I look at — when I say big tent, I look at the United States of America, so I — I — I’m an American. I love this country. I want everybody in it to do well.

The conservative message is not, “OK, Hispanics, we have this plan for you. Women, we have this plan for you.” That’s what the Republican Party’s trying to do, and emulate group politics. And the history is that — you know, why be Democrat lite? Let them handle that.

Let’s go after the big tent that is the country, and let’s go get every person in this country — I don’t care what their race is, what their gender is, what their sexual orientation.

If they are told that there is somebody that’s going to lead this country or party that is actually going to strengthen them, give them the tools, get out of their way and let them make this country work, the Republican Party can attract a majority like they haven’t seen since the ‘80s.

http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=ZGQzMDUxN2VjN2YxZGFlODgyZjM5MjkwZGVkZmZhMWI=


4 posted on 11/02/2009 7:50:57 PM PST by jiggyboy (Ten per cent of poll respondents are either lying or insane)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

Gibson’s such a smug a-hole.


5 posted on 11/02/2009 7:51:04 PM PST by DemforBush (Now officially 100% ex-Democrat.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

“when New York Republican leaders selected moderate DeDe Scozzafava”

Again, Scarface was not a ‘moderate’ or even a ‘RINO’, as those people still tend to support Republican values at least some of the time (like on judges).

She was, as a local talk-show host stated, simply a Double Agent...and we outed her.


6 posted on 11/02/2009 7:51:15 PM PST by BobL
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

Hey Charlie, she didn’t get forced out. She was getting beat and quit.


7 posted on 11/02/2009 7:51:22 PM PST by tennmountainman
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

The “big tent” they are feetting about is theirs. So long as Republicans try to be Democrat’s, Democrat’s win and their tent expands. As we have witnessed. Toss the Liberals out, operate on a conservative platform and suddenly their big tent shrinks as “blue dogs” become extinct again while the Republican party expands.


8 posted on 11/02/2009 7:51:29 PM PST by Soul Seeker
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind
Democrats say that's a sign that the extremists have taken over the party....

Dede was the extremist trying to take over the party, not Doug Hoffman.

9 posted on 11/02/2009 7:51:39 PM PST by hsalaw
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Recovering_Democrat

I was about to make the same point regarding this professional teleprompter reader, who plays a journalist on TV.


10 posted on 11/02/2009 7:52:09 PM PST by ABQHispConservative (A good Blue Dog is an unelected Blue Dog. Ditto Rino's!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: DemforBush

I got your tent Charlie! Now go home and get your f##kin’ shinebox.


11 posted on 11/02/2009 7:52:43 PM PST by MotorCityBuck (Page 73, Johnson, Navin)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Recovering_Democrat

Who is Charles Gibson?...


12 posted on 11/02/2009 7:53:02 PM PST by massatoosits
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

Sorry, Charlie. You’re an idiot!


13 posted on 11/02/2009 7:54:12 PM PST by lonestar (Obama and his czars have turned Bush's "mess" into a national crisis!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

I force out a Dede Scozzafava every morning.


14 posted on 11/02/2009 7:55:58 PM PST by RichInOC (No! BAD Rich! (What'd I say?))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

These people are such fools

No wonder only idiots watch their programs now


15 posted on 11/02/2009 7:56:02 PM PST by A_Former_Democrat
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind
This is the idiot that idiot McCain made Palin interview with and he gave this B S about the Bush Doctrine.
16 posted on 11/02/2009 7:57:43 PM PST by Stepan12 (Palin & Bolton in 2012)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind
The liberal establishment's definition of an "extremist" is downright scary when you think about it. It's someone who still believes exactly what he always has instead of constantly adapting to the "forward evolution of society." This means that the so-called "moderates" achieved that status by changing their minds on everything.

Who would have ever dreamed that one day being opposed to homosexual "marriage" would be an "extreme" position? Logic alone dictates that at this rate opposition to bestiality will eventually become an "extremist" position, and quite possibly in a very short time.

17 posted on 11/02/2009 7:57:53 PM PST by Zionist Conspirator (Vatabbet 'ishto me'acharayv; vatehi netziv melach.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: massatoosits
Who is Charles Gibson?...

She is a news reader, overpaid and underinformed.

18 posted on 11/02/2009 8:00:08 PM PST by Recovering_Democrat
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: Zionist Conspirator

And children. There are already pervert groups working on that. This society is depraved, but we’re “extremists”. This world is insane.


19 posted on 11/02/2009 8:01:07 PM PST by mrsmel
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: Soul Seeker
The “big tent” they are fretting about is theirs.

Before Hoffman joined the race, it was between Tweedledede and Tweedledumb.

20 posted on 11/02/2009 8:01:17 PM PST by immadashell
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: Recovering_Democrat

You mean Katie Couric? I am confused...


21 posted on 11/02/2009 8:05:36 PM PST by massatoosits
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind


Seems ACORN is all over the news these days...

22 posted on 11/02/2009 8:05:39 PM PST by quantim (Victory is not relative, it is absolute.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: quantim

LOL!


23 posted on 11/02/2009 8:08:45 PM PST by Rocky (OBAMA: Succeeding where bin Laden failed.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

To: RichInOC

Ohh my! :0


24 posted on 11/02/2009 8:09:31 PM PST by MotorCityBuck (Page 73, Johnson, Navin)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

Did Gibson complaiin about the Dems not having a “big tent” when they kicked out Lieberman?????????????????????????

Gibson is such an ill-informed bigot.


25 posted on 11/02/2009 8:09:37 PM PST by cookcounty (Obama: ---Despiser of the Honduran Constitution and contemptuous of ours.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

Georgie actually got it right:

Well, what Republicans would say, Charles, is that Dede Scozzafava is just stretching those tent poles too far: Pro-gay rights, pro-choice/pro-abortion rights, even had the backing of the Working Families Party, that she really wasn’t part of the mainstream of the Republican Party according to those party officials.


26 posted on 11/02/2009 8:11:57 PM PST by rwa265 (Christ my Cornerstone)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

You need a Conservative Leader to bring them into the tent. If Dims have to pretend to be Conservative to get elected, why not give them the real thing.

Pray for America’s Freedom


27 posted on 11/02/2009 8:16:20 PM PST by bray (Silent No More)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

Don’t any of these turds remember that Joe Liberman was defeated in the Democratic primary the last time around for not being leftist enough? We’re talking about a sitting Senator who was the VP nominee of his party just a few years before, too. The lying dirtbag mainstream media can’t go out of business fast enough.


28 posted on 11/02/2009 8:20:33 PM PST by Question_Assumptions
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind
People seemed to be content.
Fifty dollars paid the rent.
FREAKS were in a circus tent.
Those were the days.
29 posted on 11/02/2009 8:23:17 PM PST by cva66snipe (Two Choices left for U.S. One Nation Under GOD or One Nation Under Judgment? Which one say ye?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

Charlie Gibson is overdue for retirement. He apparently hobnobs with those “elitist” politicians who have no scruples. He doesn’t have the first clue that Americans are sick and tired or lobbyists, dirty politics and dirty media.


30 posted on 11/02/2009 8:38:50 PM PST by MamaDearest
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: cva66snipe

I think I saw Mr. Gibson once inside the Big Tent. He had a very large red nose, floppy clothes, funny shoes and was riding a tiny bicycle.


31 posted on 11/02/2009 8:38:55 PM PST by JPG (NY-23...the shape of things to come.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 29 | View Replies]

To: MamaDearest

correction: or should be “of” - I apologize for not catching that.


32 posted on 11/02/2009 8:40:18 PM PST by MamaDearest
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 30 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind
"DeDe Scozzafava, who supports abortion rights and the President’s stimulus plan"

Ya....a Democrat.

33 posted on 11/02/2009 8:42:43 PM PST by Psycho_Bunny (ALSO SPRACH ZEROTHUSTRA)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

The tent grew too big that it didn’t have wall anymore so all kinds of creatures such as coyote, rhino, etc., entered and made a home out of it. So, it’s time to start with a smaller but manageable tent.


34 posted on 11/02/2009 8:45:19 PM PST by paudio (Road to hell is paved by unintended consequences of good intentions)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

Hey, Charlie. One word... ACORN.

Maybe it’s better to leave it to the blogs on the internet. Matter of fact, maybe it’s better to leave journalism entirely to the internet.

Meanwhile, you and George Stepha-what’s-his-face can go off in a corner and pretend that the world is hanging on your every word.


35 posted on 11/02/2009 8:45:52 PM PST by Rocky (OBAMA: Succeeding where bin Laden failed.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

We are cleansing the Republican party thats what we are doing. If you want to be a liberal vote for a Demoncrat.


36 posted on 11/02/2009 8:47:10 PM PST by ColdSteelTalon (Light is fading to shadow, and casting its shroud over all we have known...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Zionist Conspirator
Liberal definition of extremist include anyone who believe than Jesus Christ is the only savior. That definition covers a big chunk of what they consider extremist. Those who explode cars and planes are not extremist. They are either freedom fighters or mistreated and misunderstood people.
37 posted on 11/02/2009 8:50:06 PM PST by paudio (Road to hell is paved by unintended consequences of good intentions)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: paudio

that, not than.


38 posted on 11/02/2009 8:52:05 PM PST by paudio (Road to hell is paved by unintended consequences of good intentions)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 37 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

When these guys are upset, you know you are heading down the right track.


39 posted on 11/02/2009 8:52:18 PM PST by Lazlo in PA
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

I’m a big tent republican.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1821435/posts?page=6245#6245
Here’s an analogy to work with. Take a small box and fill it with some rocks. Then add some rice, filling it to the top. Now take all the same stuff, but in a different order. Put in the rice first, then add the rocks. What you’ll find is that if you put in the big stuff first, the small stuff will fit around it. But if you put in the small stuff first, the big stuff won’t have room. The republican tent is the box. The Big issues are the socon issues, to be put in first. The little issues are things that can be accommodated around the bigger stuff. A candidate who tries to focus on the smaller issues first and leave out the bigger issues has no way of getting all of us into the tent. He splits the party. The candidate who gets the big stuff right and as much of the little stuff that will fit, he can fit more into the tent. We’re often amazed at how much rice can keep fitting in. Rudy Giuliani flunks some of the big issues, and on some of the little issues it looks to me like anyone else’s rice would do just as well. All that remains for us to agree on is which are the bedrock principles and which are not. Why would there be so much invective aimed at rudy from the right? Because there are some bedrock principles that he is leaving out. Bad move. I see rudybot postings all the time saying that they would vote for Hunter, and I see socon postings that say they would not vote for rudy. That’s a BIG indicator of a few bedrock principles that are being left outside the tent in order to let in some rice.


40 posted on 11/02/2009 9:16:54 PM PST by Kevmo (So America gets what America deserves - the destruction of its Constitution. ~Leo Donofrio, 6/1/09)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: BobL

Bingo! She was prepared to switch parties IMHO very shortly after getting elected — Democrats under estimated that particular Congressional district.


41 posted on 11/02/2009 9:48:51 PM PST by PhiKapMom (Mary Fallin - OK Gov/Coburn - Senate 2010 ! Take Back the House/Senate! Stop ZERO!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

“Forced out”? - oh, like Lieberman was forced out in Connecticutt a few years ago - at least Scuzziwhatshername wasn’t the former VP candidate of her party......


42 posted on 11/02/2009 10:13:36 PM PST by Intolerant in NJ
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: mrsmel

Ofcourse he wants liberals controlling both parties. It would be nice if Conservatives controlled both parties. But the liberals in the Republican party have purposefully made the party into a pup tent. They are very happy to be a minority with themselves in charge and conservatives shut out of the potical process. That is why I don’t feel very kind towards Rinos. They don’t want a “big tent.” They want a pup tent.


43 posted on 11/02/2009 11:00:25 PM PST by SaraJohnson
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson