CNN Cancels March 1 Debate After Candidates Decline

nationaL JOURNAL ^ | Updated: February 16, 2012 | 3:59 p.m.

[BenLurkin]

CNN canceled its March 1 Republican candidates' debate Thursday after three of four candidates declined to participate, citing busy campaign schedules leading to Super Tuesday.

"Mitt Romney and Ron Paul told the Georgia Republican Party, Ohio Republican Party and CNN Thursday that they will not participate in the March 1 Republican presidential primary debate," CNN said in a statement. "Without full participation of all four candidates, CNN will not move forward with the Super Tuesday debate."

Former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum also said he would not participate, leaving only former House Speaker Newt Gingrich committed to attending.

[b4its2late]

Good, CNN sucks.

[BenLurkin]

Certainly took the Republicans a long time to wise up to the Clinton News Network’s shenanigans.

[Keith in Iowa]

Republican Debates on CNN are about as objective as PETA reviewing steakhouses.

[tcrlaf]

Well, it’s not like they were going to ask any questions that MATTER to the American public, or EVER mention the Holy Words, “Barack Obama”, anyway.

[McGruff]

What are they afraid of?

[Linda Frances]

Not good. This helps romney. John mccain was saying he did not want to have debates anymore a few weeks back. Townhall today, who leans romney and has ann coulter as a writter, had a poll question asking if the more debates were pointless and overdone. Approx. 75% said no more debates. Right. Sounds like CNN is working with the “establishment”.

[ansel12]

Santorum and Romney feel that they have succeeded.

[newzjunkey]

What are they afraid of?

Exactly.

[Josh Painter]

Chicken chitz afraid Newt will have a good debate on his own turf with a friendly audience.

[tentmaker]

Chicken chitz afraid Newt will have a good debate on his own turf with a friendly audience.

Exactly! And the GOP-e surely had a hand in this.

[Cicero]

It’s the GOP-e who handed control of the debates to CNN & Co. in the first place. They did it for a reason—to make sure a real conservative doesn’t win.

[Linda Frances]

Maybe some conservative groups could put one together before super Tuesday. I know fox won't help since they love romney. MAYBE RUSH COULD DO IT. IF ROMNEY DOESN'T SHOW UP IT WILL LOOK BAD FOR HIM. SOUNDS LIKE HE IS AFRAID OF THE COMPETITION. SHOULD HE BE OUR NOMINEE,IF HE CAN'T HANDLE DEBATING FELLOW REPUBLICANS? HOW IS HE GOING TO HANDLE OBAMA?

You think we could get thousands of people to ask Rush to do it? What a show that would be! Romney can spend his time and money destroying everyone else. Newt and the others rely on debates to get there message out.

[tobyhill]

It sounds like they’re all tired of the bait questions and the ones presented to them by the White House.

[makomako]

Good, CNN is just an O’Blasphemer Mouth Piece and should be treated as such.

[Linda Frances]

No debates is going to help romney. He can spend on his money destroying our candidates & they don’t have the money & now the free debate time to respond to romneys hits on them.

[skeeter]

Its more likely the candidates weren’t up to two hours of questions concerning contraception.

[Jonty30]

If no debate, than it’s a fine time for Newt to give a great big speech as to what he’ll do for America when elected.

[napscoordinator]

Chicken chitz afraid Newt will have a good debate on his own turf with a friendly audience.

Oh brother. They have a debate next week and then one on 19 March. Enough is enough. I am glad that is the last debate. 22 debates is quite a lot. It will never repeat. 10 debates should be the max.

[GOPJ]

Our people are fools to debate with a bunch of liberal moderators who hate them - and us...