NewsMax succeeded against all odds this month in finding a way to actually lower the standard of American politics even further with an invitation to Donald Trump (reality television star and professional uber-egotist) to moderate the next presidential debate. Not surprisingly, only two candidates immediately declined on the grounds that the presidential office demands a modicum of dignity: Ron Paul and Jon Huntsman. These two men continue to try to bring some level of principle to the debate and have been rewarded by being continually marginalized by the media. Newt Gingrich just accepted the invitation.
Paul spokesman left little question about how they view NewsMax’s effort to add a Circus theme to the presidential campaign:
“The selection of a reality television personality to host a presidential debate that voters nationwide will be watching is beneath the office of the Presidency and flies in the face of that office’s history and dignity. Mr. Trump’s participation as moderator will distract from questions and answers concerning important issues such as the national economy, crushing federal government debt, the role of the federal government, foreign policy, and the like. To be sure, Mr. Trump’s participation will contribute to an unwanted circus-like atmosphere.
Mr. Trump’s selection is also wildly inappropriate because of his record of toying with the serious decision of whether to compete for our nation’s highest office, a decision he appeared to make frivolously. The short-lived elevation of Mr. Trump’s stature as a candidate put him on the radar of many organizations and we recall that last spring he was invited to keynote the Republican Party of Iowa’s annual Lincoln Day Dinner, yet at the last minute he left RPI holding the bag by canceling. In turn, RPI canceled its biggest fundraising gala of the year and suffered embarrassment and in addition RPI was required to engage in refunding measures. Our candidate will not even consider participating in the late-December debate until Mr. Trump publicly apologizes to Iowa party leaders and rectifies in full the situation.
Therefore our candidate Ron Paul, the champion of the Constitution, has advised he will not attend.”
NewsMax should be ashamed if there were any room left for shame in its corporate headquarters. Not only did NewsMax select a person widely viewed as a scary clown, but someone who is still suggesting that he might run himself. What is particularly astonishingly is that former CNN figure Eason Jordan has lined up to help produce this sensational event.
Newsmax CEO Christopher Ruddy has issued a statements predicting “the largest audience of any Republican primary debate to date.” Of course, if you add strippers and a contortionist, ratings might be even higher.
The race to the bottom in national coverage is also reflected in this question from Fox News to Ron Paul:
It is important to note that it is the mainstream media that is accelerating this deep dive in quality and decorum. As with faux court programs, politics is being merged into the entertainment industry. This must be reassuring to the world that reality show stars will now help select the next president.
Source: Politico
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George Will, puke your guts out. You deserve it.
The truth is that most of our newz is simply “entertainment”. The incompentcenti who run things hand out circuses with no bread. There is an interesting series on Libertarianism on the blog, naked capitalism. It is interesting in many ways. First, for what it reveals about that ideology and secondly, it is an in depth interview ranging over 6 parts. The questions go deep and detailed answers are expected. This is the type of interview that should be given to every presidential candidate including Obama.
CNN, NPR, the NYTimes, you won’t find a lot different in those places than this “Trump affair”. All of these newz sites are venues for entertaining and propagandizing our people, they just work their magic on different parts of the electorate. We should demand better.
Trump Yells at Chuck Todd About All the People Calling His Office
“Donald Trump’s efforts to squeeze himself back into the news cycle seem to be paying off. Now he’s caught people’s attention by berating an MSNBC host about all the people phoning him, including MSNBC itself. He chewed out Chuck Todd on air this morning while he interviewed Trump by phone about that GOP primary debate he’s hilariously trying to host. Todd started out with seemingly fair question about a new poll that suggests that a Trump endorsement could hurt a candidate’s chances. ”
http://www.theatlanticwire.com/politics/2011/12/trump-yells-chuck-todd-about-all-people-calling-his-office/45739/
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/12/05/trump-hits-joke-candidates-paul-and-huntsman/
This should be characterized as the Alfred E Neuman Debate thus recognizing that we have come full circle from 1956 when Neuman’s identity became fixed on the cover of Mad Magazine (#30) as a write-in candidate for the Presidency.
http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/12/04/lies-damned-lies-and-elections/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/05/donald-trump-gop-debate-karl-rove_n_1129155.html Karl Rove objects to Trump’s debate, and current GOP party chair Priebus does not.
Of what Mike S. Speaks,and example:
“eniobob
1, December 3, 2011 at 2:50 pm
“Today, in a much different context, the American multitudes avidly follow the lives of the powerful, rich and famous, via innumerable outlets including Facebook and Twitter.”
Can’t think of no better example of that statement,when it was announced that,Donald Trump will be moderating the next Republican debate.
Not Jim Lehrer,but Donald Trump,WOW!!”
Once you have leading candidates agreeing to participate in a debate sponsored by *Newsmax*, having Donald Trump as moderator isn’t a significant step down. It’s the Eason Jordan angle that’s surprising; wasn’t he anathema on the Right for spiking all those stories about Saddam’s atrocities until after the war?
Are Republicans embarrassed yet? One would think this travelling carnival freak show has to be demoralizing and uncomfortably cringe-worthy for the majority of GOP voters, no? It certainly should be, but that might require having a sense of shame which thus far has either been MIA or purposely avoided by every member of that party’s leadership, so there’s no example to follow.
My guest blog over the weekend specifically used Trump as an example of how celebrities have become our version of an aristocracy. As much of a fraudulent clown as many of us know he is, for many his celebrity has made him credible. Considering the desire of most of the Republican candidates to appeal to the basest instincts of the electorate, abetted by the corporate media, he is a logical choice. The amusement in this “debate” will come from seeing if he can keep from injecting himself into the debate. Having been disgusted by his overweening ego for years, my guess is that he will be unable to resist his own editorializing and preemptive obnoxiousness.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/13/fashion/raising-eyebrows.html Paul needs to get his eyebrow toupee fixed before the next debate. It is becoming a distraction.lol
This is dumb
What do you expect from FAUX AND a BLONDE? Truly a deadly combo.
Paul is in second place in Iowa and well with in the margin error. I would not mind seeing Paul nominated but I could not vote for a creationist that signed a pledge to only appoint judges and cabinet members that are anti-abortion so I am staying out of the republican primary. Too many intelligent people are automatically disqualified, and you are left with a bunch of creationist judges and cabinet members in charge.
http://mediamatters.org/blog/201112020018 It is quite fitting that the most prominent birther conduct the REPUBLICAN debate.
I hope The Don fires all of them except Huntsman.
Wait! Noot & the Donald on the same stage? What is the critical mass for over inflated egos? This could easily cause an explosion that blows the atmosphere off the planet.
“These two men continue to try to bring some level of principle to the debate and have been rewarded by being continually marginalized by the media.”
Principle? I’d settle for a modicum of sanity!