Ted Cruz declines, so challenger Beto O’Rourke gets an hour on national TV by himself

Star Telegram ^ | Oct 9, 2018 | Anna Tinsley

[CondoleezzaProtege]

CNN is shining a light on three of the “most consequential races” in 2018 — including the Texas bid for U.S. Senate — through debates or town halls in the coming weeks.

But Texans won’t get to see incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz and Democratic challenger U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke of El Paso face off in this series.

“Sen. Ted Cruz (R) declined CNN’s invitation to participate in the town hall,” a CNN statement noted.

So O’Rourke will be featured in a live, one-hour town hall with CNN Chief Political Correspondent Dana Bash in South Texas on Oct. 18.

The Cruz campaign did not immediately respond Tuesday afternoon to a request on why the senator will not participate.

The solo town hall will air at 9 p.m. central time Oct. 18 and be televised from the McAllen Performing Arts Center.

[CondoleezzaProtege]

Aren't there 2 debates left? Whatever. Texas: please please don't let 'Beto' happen. Thanks.

[RooRoobird20]

A CNN Town Hall would have been a disaster. Cruz is better off in a classic debate format. These Rat Town Halls are a joke.

[Jeff Chandler]

A CNN “Town Hall”?

He made the right decision.

[Jeff Chandler]

Sick minds think alike.

[Islander7]

Well, it is CNN, so few will see it.

[LiberalismDestroys]

This is a good move... let CNN deliver their lies to an all leftist audience. CNN knows it has absolutely no influence, and it does not matter in the least to most Americans.

[freedom1st]

CNN won’t have too many watching. Sounds like a set up to ambush Cruz. There still is one debate left. Cruz wiped the floor with Beto in the first debate.

[fieldmarshaldj]

CNN is ISIS.

[rlmorel]

Agreed 100%. For years, I have wondered why conservative candidates even agree to these things, which are just Leftist ambushes.

[SmokingJoe]

Yup.
Talking about debates/townhalls, under no circumstances should President Trump agree to ANY debate on CNN, MSNBC or even ABC, CBS or NBC come 2020. Waste of time. Trump can just hold his own “Townhall” on Fox with Tucker, Ingraham or Hannity and will get higher ratings than all the Dem townhalls combined.

[SmokingJoe]

With very low ratings.

[Lent]

CNN is irrelevant. Good decision.

[conservative98]

He agreed to it originally.

[M Kehoe]

Boring.

5.56mm

[deport]

Only one left.

Oct. 16 in San Antonio.

[CARTOUCHE]

Cruz just got my first donation today. Not to worry. All of the Beto yard signs disappeared from my island neighborhood shortly after they were secretly planted in my neighbor’s yards a few weeks back.

O’Rourke’s support is akin to that of Abortion Barbie’s. All media hyped and not much else.

[gibsonguy]

Good call stay away from the CNN freak show.

[ncalburt]

Isn't this political donation by CNN!
Where are IRS and FEC ?

Is this legal ?

[CARTOUCHE]

Could be a donation on CNN’s part, then again, who’ll be watching?

[SharpRightTurn]

Cruz mopped the floor with “Beto” in the first debate.

I suspect Cruz figured that Commie News Network would handpick participants like men with man buns and feminazis with loaded leftist questions. Why bother with another ambush orchestrated by CNN? A waste of time and a good move to skip it.