It’s been said, but it’s worth reiterating: during the GOP primary, the only questions that are “valid” are those that actually matter to GOP voters. Do most GOP voters give two farts about DA/DT? Enough to base voting decisions on it?

Anderson Cooper and his CNN buddies are elistist and snobbish, and the questions were either selected because CNN really believes we’re a bunch of rednecked morons, or, at the least, they wanted to create that impression.

I’m happy to say that, for the most part, our candidates presented themselves (and us) pretty well in this regard.

About the debate – it keeps getting worse!
http://www.americanthinker.com/2007/11/cnnyoutube_questioner_kicked_r.html

And about Fox news – they might be getting worse as well…!
http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2007/11/fox_news_youtube_and_our_frien.html

Down here in South Carolina we remember when that was a huge campaign issue. But it no longer is.

There are many more things the GOP voters are interested in learning about from candidate debates and among the issues that concern us most we would not include the flag issue, don’t ask, don’t tell, jailing women you abort fetuses or the rest of that You Tube crap!

This debate revealed once again the deep seated prejudices and biases of both CNN and the You Tube boobs whose questions they selected.

Brian – If this were the general election, I would agree with you. But this is the primary process where Republican voters are trying to determine which candidate should represent their ideals, principles and values. As such, Republican-voters should be asking the questions about issues most important to them. We should not be having Democrat-voters asking questions about issues most important to them. This is the Republican primary. It is ridiculous that Democrats-voters are allowed to frame the debate about what the Republican party will represent in 2008.

But, as I said, in the general election, I think your suggestion is a good one. Because really, that is when the candidates will want to appeal to Independents and opposition party voters. So it makes sense to ask questions from them.

This was such a sham and downright pathetic. The Democrat Party and the mass media are colluding to undermine the entire Presidential campaign and the mass media does not even report on it. This morning, the only places where it was known that the debate was full of Democrat plants was FOX News Channel and the right side of the blogopshere. Pathetic.

Here is the part to which I alluded earlier about CNN’s intentions for the debate:
*****
From: Sneak Peek at CNN/YouTube Debate Videos/By Ariel Alexovich, dated November 21, 2007.

…many of the remaining posts involve asking the candidates to defend their opposition to gay marriage and abortion. Those kinds of “lobbying grenades” would be disqualified by the CNN selection team, Mr. Bohrman said.

“There are quite a few things you might describe as Democratic ‘gotchas,’ and we are weeding those out,” Mr. Bohrman said. CNN wants to ensure that next Wednesday’s Republican event is “a debate of their party.”

[ . . . ]

Some crafty people seem to think that addressing debate host Anderson Cooper in their video will give them the edge to be chosen, but Mr. Bohrman said such pandering to CNN is grounds for disqualification. Mr. Cooper and two of his researchers are involved in the selection process, Mr. Bohrman noted.
*****

Hear, hear.

One of the questions at the end of the Republican debate should not be “did any Republicans actually get to ask any questions”?

In one sense, I’m surprised at how ham-handedly CNN handled their role after the drubbing they’d taken a few weeks before but in another sense I would like to see more of this except above board.

Have Republicans field questions from Democrats and vice versa. You should always be able to take whatever comes your way. If it’s a chance to stand up for what you believe in then say it loud and if someone is making a false statement then nail them dead to rights. In real time.

It’s the deception that bothers me.