Posted on 10/15/2015 10:12:12 AM PDT by conservativejoy
A nearly 90-minute conference call between CNBC and representatives of Republican presidential candidates on Wednesday turned heated over a CNBC decision regarding the next GOP primary debate.
Many of the Republicans complained about a CNBC plan to drop opening and closing statements to allow more time for questions from moderators at the event, scheduled for Oct. 28 at the University of Colorado, Boulder.
The plan was included in a memo the network distributed prior to a conference call that claimed the campaigns had already agreed to the format change, Politico reported.
Eliminating opening and closing statements would allow a more free flowing discussion, lively candidate interaction, fair treatment of all candidates, the memo stated, according to Politico.
But during the call, it was clear the campaigns werent going along.
The first to object was Ed Brookover, a campaign strategist on the Ben Carson campaign. Two sources on the call told Politico that Brookover threatened to take his concerns public.
Other campaign staffers chimed in, including representatives from Rand Paul, Jeb Bush, John Kasich, and Chris Christie.
A top Mike Huckabee aide, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, argued that doing away with the traditional statements would further marginalize lower-tier candidates.
Michael Glassner, a top aide to front-runner Donald Trump, expressed his agreement with those complaining.
Republican National Committee officials who were on the call to said they would take up the matter with CNBC, Politico reported.
In an email to Politico, Sean Spicer, an RNC spokesman, wrote: The entire purpose of the calls is to provide a two way street of information and feedback. As was stated we are taking their feedback and will follow up.
Why cooperate with this crap?
Isn’t it time to cull the field of weak candidates out?
Any candidate polling 3% or less bye bye. Just one debate.
Since this is the 3rd debate no opening statement we know who is who by now.
Closing question not a closing statement. More questions and a shorter debate.
Except for Trump nobody is being specific. If this debate is on the economy, I want specifics not blah, blah blah
Screw CNBC. After the Democrat / CNN love fest the Republicans should pull out of it.
Trump doesn’t seem to mind. He feels he can handle anything they throw at him. I think he’s right.
But it disgusts me to see the Right allowing the Left to run the Right’s show and the Right’s campaign. It is astonishing really.
If they don't like it, declare "breach of contract" and cancel the thing.
I love your name...it really fits me too!!
The RNC needs to put its foot down and not leave it to the individual candidates to be fighting with CNBC. They should never allow these libtard networks to host GOP debats anyway. Its insane.
Its not about taking questions. CNBC wants this so their Leftist moderators can frame the debate by asking more completely stupid questions. For example the last one where all the questions were designed get set the candidates fighting with each other rather then address serious policy issues.
I say each candidate should be given the opportunity for a 30 second bass guitar solo.
Huckabee is good on Guitar. Jeb could sing “Tiptoe Thru The Tulips”
I’d tell CNBC to screw off. They’re obviously setting it up for bias.
If you want to see these candidates introduce themselves, and tell us how much they love their wife, watch their biographic video on then website.
Seems like it doesn’t really matter all that much to the voters who can see right through the BS.
And you fixed it with total accuracy.
BINGO!!!!
Hey! Some of my favorite television programming has turned out to be what airs on C-SPAN.
Which Left-wing Clown Media organization do you work for?
Timpanagos1 Since Sep 5, 2015
Grab 10 random people off the street and have a crowd of people who are clueless about them listen to random answers and try to form solid opinions based on their answers to moderator directed questioning.
Brilliant plan.
Most of the people watching wouldn’t know Ben Carson from Carly if they ran into them at a baseball game and you think shotgunning all the candidates at them at random will leave any with clue one about them?
Without a statement of what their about, the rest lacks proper context.
...No what it dos is allow the leftist media moderators to control the debate...
You can bet it won’t be a love fest like the Hillary and Bernie show.
Give the candidates one question to answer in one minute for a closing statement.
"What are the two most pressing issues facing America you will fix"
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