The Plant Life Of Anderson Cooper And CNN (FreeRepublic mentioned)

Captain's Quarters ^ | Nov. 29, 2007 | Ed Morrissey

[jdm]

CNN deserves the brickbats it will receive for its atrocious research skills.

Ed Morrissey doesn't get it this time around. CNN knew who these people were and didn't care. End of story.

[Question Liberal Authority]

it doesn't appear that the questioners made any attempt to hide their affiliation; they simply posted their questions, and CNN blithely selected them at face value.

Could it be that the questions were selected SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE of the affiliation of the questioner?

Let's say the YouTube profile indicated that someone was a staunch conservative. I guarantee CNN would have vetted THAT.

[originalbuckeye]

And no where in the MSM is this being reported. What a sleazy, conniving, dishonest bunch of Democrats the MSM is. We will have to work very hard to overcome the cheating before and during the next election.

[astounded]

...”The best thing about Republicans agreeing to do the CNN/YouTube debate is that it created yet another invaluable opportunity to expose CNN’s abject incompetence.”...

Incompetence? I think the word should be “mendacity” or “treachery”. Clearly not incompetence. They have been - and are - biased toward the democrat party to the extent that they have no credibility with thinking Americans. Of course, that qualification leaves out most democrat party voters.

[mission9]

I spoke to Jim Greer, chairman of the RPOF last night. I congratulated him for his leadership of the Party which has resulted in new found contributions and additional national prestige. I urged him not to give in to the temptations of an endorsement of a candidate prior to primary day. Florida has spent real political capital to challenge other states for the role of an early decision state. If we do not appear to be honest brokers, and stack the deck, then any influence that our state may have gained as a primary state will be sacrificed for political expediency. Our precedence in this election will have repercussions for 2012 and beyond.

I also challenged him to cut off the media feeding frenzy from the debate process. I was personally embarrassed for the eight men on stage who had to suppress wincing over another guitar guy serenading the field with inane witticisms. The false premises loaded into many of the questions should have been left on the cutting room floor. The media has repeatedly proved themselves unworthy of presenting cogent questions, and receiving thoughtful answers. We are allowing the media to set our agendas when the RPOF should be setting the agenda. I asked him point blank, why should we, as in a prominent Republican like Newt Gingrich, not be moderating the debate instead of Anderson Cooper?

Why are we giving paychecks to the media whores who would like nothing better than to see eight Republican Statesmen squabble over which one is more like Ronald Reagan? The media builds their ratings on our squabbling, not our reasoned, civil debate.
As I made my case to Jim, I was challenged by a man who was standing with Jim. “Oh but we don’t have the power, they have the audience, 300 million people, that is why we need them.” I replied that the NFL charges the networks for programing, but would never allow the networks to pick the referees, build the stadium, or make the rules of the game. We have the power, I said. Then, I found out that the man was a former studio executive.

[kabar]

CNN deserves the brickbats it will receive for its atrocious research skills. However, Republicans should be prepared to answer the questions the candidates received in this debate. At some point, this will cease being an intramural fight and we will have to convince all of America to vote for our nominee. That won't happen if we can't handle fastballs, with a couple of curveballs in the mix.

Sounds like another "fake but accurate" excuse by Morrissey. He may accept these "good questions" by Democrat operatives, but there is a double standard. Why are the Dems getting involved in the Rep primaries and setting the agenda? Why is CNN being complicit? This isn't tit for tat. It is all one way. There is no doubt that the questions were intended to paint Reps as racist, bigoted, war-mongering, religious fanatics and homophobes. The bible and Confederate flag questions were particularly over the top and were selected by CNN to be aired. And the final "pearls or diamonds" question to Giuliani was just a blatant attempt to help Rudy.

[basil]

So what! Seems you must think that only Republicans can ask Republicans questions.

IMHO, the harder and more off the wall questions are, the more we can see how these candidates respond under stress.

No one that I heard asked a question that shouldn't have been asked, and most were questions that many Americans wanted answered.

[Question Liberal Authority]

Republicans should be prepared to answer the questions the candidates received in this debate. At some point, this will cease being an intramural fight and we will have to convince all of America to vote for our nominee. That won't happen if we can't handle fastballs, with a couple of curveballs in the mix.

Except they're ALL fastballs, all the time coming from the Establishment Media. GOP politicians should be able to discuss their own agenda in their own terms, not continually be hounded by Democrat talking points. ESPECIALLY in an "open format" like the YouTube debate.

If we lose the War On Terror, it will be precisely because ankle-biting liberals have been able to phrase the questions. How much time has the administration wasted on Joe Wilson and Abu Grahib and Waterboarding, "The NSA Spy Program", and the ridiculous notion that the war in Iraq is a distraction from the War On Terror?

[MadelineZapeezda]

BS basil. How about the ‘rats start answering some questions other than pearls vs diamonds?

[HD1200]

I don’t mind the questions as long as the people asking the questions are properly identifying themselves so the answer is in the correct context as well as the QUESTIONER!

CNN made the allusion these were undecided or GOP voters asking questions. They were NOT.

[HD1200]

Wow. My respect for the Captain just plunged.

So I guess in his world it would have been ok for a person to IMPERSONATE an American soldier that had served in Iraq and was questioning the rational for the war; since in context we would know somewhere out there in America there is a real soldier with the same concern!

These people were FAKE! That is the problem.

[Question Liberal Authority]

And no where in the MSM is this being reported.

Actually, it was reported on the sappy love song station that my wife has on the clock radio. Not big details, just that "some Republicans are saying 4 of the questions were planted by Democrat operatives".

Of course, that station is probably owned by the eeevil Clear Channel Communications, but still, it's an interesting news angle that regular people can wrap their heads around.

[tlb]

In fairness I think it must be admitted CNN treated democrats and republicans alike in these debates. In the democrat debate they planted democrat operatives, and in the republican debate they planted democrat operatives.

How can anybody object to balanced treatment ?

[Crawdad]

CNN deserves the brickbats it will receive for its atrocious research skills.

Ed Morrisey--Useful Idiot.

[johnny7]

Ed Morrissey doesn't get it this time around.

Howie Kurtz could'a wrote this...

[Badeye]

I’m just wondering if Anderson Cooper has a ‘personal relationship’ with this General Kerr....

[kabar]

No one that I heard asked a question that shouldn't have been asked, and most were questions that many Americans wanted answered.

Nonsense. For example, how many Americans are concerned about the Confederate flag issue and why is it relevant for the Presidential campaign? We went through this in SC in 2000.

[Andy'smom]

Where is the RNC on this? Why don’t they issue a statement?

[LetsRok]

How come the Democrats get policy questions and the Republicans only get morality questions at these debates????