The talk this morning isn't so much about the candidates as it is about Candy Crowely interjecting herself into the debate.
By Joseph Curl
Another debate, another debacle for Americaâs media.
In the runup to the second presidential debate, CNNâs Candy Crowley declared that she would not just be a âfly on the wallâ as she played the tiny role of moderator, that she would step in whenever she chose to say, âHey, wait a second, what about X, Y, Z?â
And boy did she, cutting off Republican Mitt Romney repeatedly and often throwing the floor to President Obama with an open âlet me give the president a chance here.â
More, she alone decided the topics for the debate, picking questions from the 80 so-called âundecidedâ voters chosen by the Gallup polling organization. Her selections were tailor-made for Mr. Obama â Mitt Romneyâs tax plan, womenâs rights and contraception, outsourcing, immigration, the Libya debacle (which gave Mr. Obama to finally say that the buck stops with him, not, as Hillary Clinton said, with her).
She even chose this question, directed to both men: âI do attribute much of Americaâs economic and international problems to the failings and missteps of the Bush administration. Since both of you are Republicans, I fear the return to the policies of those years should you win this election. What is the biggest difference between you and George W. Bush, and how do you differentiate yourself from George W. Bush?â
Ms. Crowley, who called Mr. Romneyâs selection of Rep. Paul Ryan as running mate a âticket death wish,â asserted her unilateral power at the outset, telling the audience before the cameras went on that she planned to âgive the debate direction and ensure the candidates give answers to the questions.â
After both candidates answered Question One, she blurted: âLet me get a more immediate answerâ â whatever that means. But when Mr. Romney sought to correct falsehoods told by the president, she cut him off: âWe have all these folks here.â In the end, Mr. Obama would get 9 percent more time.
At Question Two, Mr. Obama, asked by Mr. Romney how much he had cut federal oil permits, took over the floor â with Ms. Crowleyâs silent approval. âHereâs what happened,â he said as he filibustered for a full minute. Mr. Romney sought to get the last word â as the president had the question before â but the moderator shut him down: âItâ doesnât quite work like that.â
When Mr. Romney sought to counter Mr. Obamaâs assertion after Question Three, Ms. Crowley again cut him off: âBefore we get into a vast arrayâ¦.â she said before asking a completely different question.
The next question was pure Obama â workplace inequality (the president mention at every stop his Lily Ledbetter legislation). But the query gave him the platform to demand Americans pay for contraception for all women, saying the governor âfeels comfortable having politicians in Washington decide the health care choices that women are making.â
For the record, Mr. Obama spoke for two minutes, then Mr. Romney, then Mr. Obama again. Ms. Crowley then rushed into the next question.
When the immigration question came up, both candidates gave their answers. Then the moderator once again butted in, ordering Mr. Romney to âspeak to the idea of self-deportation.â
By then, Mr. Romney had had enough, and talked over her demands. âNo, let â let â let me go back and speak to the points the president made and â and â and letâs get them correct.â
At the next question, the moderator lost all control. âCandy,â Mr. Obama said. âHold on.â âMr. President,â the governor said, âIâm still speaking.â They mixed it up for a bit, then Ms. Crowley said: âSit down, Mr. Romney.â
More
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/oct/17/curl-crowley-skews-hard-obama-disastrous-debate/
By Joseph Curl
Another debate, another debacle for Americaâs media.
In the runup to the second presidential debate, CNNâs Candy Crowley declared that she would not just be a âfly on the wallâ as she played the tiny role of moderator, that she would step in whenever she chose to say, âHey, wait a second, what about X, Y, Z?â
And boy did she, cutting off Republican Mitt Romney repeatedly and often throwing the floor to President Obama with an open âlet me give the president a chance here.â
More, she alone decided the topics for the debate, picking questions from the 80 so-called âundecidedâ voters chosen by the Gallup polling organization. Her selections were tailor-made for Mr. Obama â Mitt Romneyâs tax plan, womenâs rights and contraception, outsourcing, immigration, the Libya debacle (which gave Mr. Obama to finally say that the buck stops with him, not, as Hillary Clinton said, with her).
She even chose this question, directed to both men: âI do attribute much of Americaâs economic and international problems to the failings and missteps of the Bush administration. Since both of you are Republicans, I fear the return to the policies of those years should you win this election. What is the biggest difference between you and George W. Bush, and how do you differentiate yourself from George W. Bush?â
Ms. Crowley, who called Mr. Romneyâs selection of Rep. Paul Ryan as running mate a âticket death wish,â asserted her unilateral power at the outset, telling the audience before the cameras went on that she planned to âgive the debate direction and ensure the candidates give answers to the questions.â
After both candidates answered Question One, she blurted: âLet me get a more immediate answerâ â whatever that means. But when Mr. Romney sought to correct falsehoods told by the president, she cut him off: âWe have all these folks here.â In the end, Mr. Obama would get 9 percent more time.
At Question Two, Mr. Obama, asked by Mr. Romney how much he had cut federal oil permits, took over the floor â with Ms. Crowleyâs silent approval. âHereâs what happened,â he said as he filibustered for a full minute. Mr. Romney sought to get the last word â as the president had the question before â but the moderator shut him down: âItâ doesnât quite work like that.â
When Mr. Romney sought to counter Mr. Obamaâs assertion after Question Three, Ms. Crowley again cut him off: âBefore we get into a vast arrayâ¦.â she said before asking a completely different question.
The next question was pure Obama â workplace inequality (the president mention at every stop his Lily Ledbetter legislation). But the query gave him the platform to demand Americans pay for contraception for all women, saying the governor âfeels comfortable having politicians in Washington decide the health care choices that women are making.â
For the record, Mr. Obama spoke for two minutes, then Mr. Romney, then Mr. Obama again. Ms. Crowley then rushed into the next question.
When the immigration question came up, both candidates gave their answers. Then the moderator once again butted in, ordering Mr. Romney to âspeak to the idea of self-deportation.â
By then, Mr. Romney had had enough, and talked over her demands. âNo, let â let â let me go back and speak to the points the president made and â and â and letâs get them correct.â
At the next question, the moderator lost all control. âCandy,â Mr. Obama said. âHold on.â âMr. President,â the governor said, âIâm still speaking.â They mixed it up for a bit, then Ms. Crowley said: âSit down, Mr. Romney.â
More
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/oct/17/curl-crowley-skews-hard-obama-disastrous-debate/