NewsMax CEO Christopher Ruddy’s cynical and sensational selection of Donald Trump to moderate the next presidential debate has backfired. Ruddy united conservative and liberal commentators and candidates in denouncing him and NewsMax for the obscene idea — with Ron Paul and Jon Hunstman leading the way in immediately refusing to participate in such a circus. Perry, and Romney were the next (rather belatedly) to refuse to participate. Bachmann has now also declined to participate on a program with look of The Apprentice and the dignity of the Jersey Wives. That leaves Santorum and Gingrich who have confirmed that they will appear with a carnival snake charmer to get on TV.

Perry yesterday “respectfully declined the invitation due to other campaign commitments. It was less than honest as the basis for the rejection and certainly less redeeming than the condemnations of Paul and Huntsman for Ruddy’s effort to degrade American politics even more with the use of such an absurd reality television star.

While Ruddy is a conservative who has long been popular figure with the hard-right of the party, various conservative commentators immediately came forward to denounce his use of Trump.
Paul’s spokesman was clearly disgusted:

“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.”

Huntsman called Ruddy’s proposal a “joke” that would “dumb down” the debate.

Trump responded in signature fashion. He first reaffirmed that he might run for president himself and then attacked Paul and Huntsman:

Ron Paul has zero chance, zero, of getting elected or getting the nomination. He will do OK in Iowa and after Iowa he will fade into oblivion. So, Ron Paul, you know, frankly that some of these people aren’t there, Huntsman is another one. He called my office, I don’t know if you know this, wanted a meeting. I didn’t give it to him. Maybe I should have. I didn’t give it to him. But he wanted to come up and see me. And then I see him in a debate saying, unlike you people, I didn’t go and see Donald Trump. So, he’s a Mormon, so I’m sure he wouldn’t lie about it. But the fact is that, all these people, I mean, the two people that we are talking about, I’m glad they aren’t going to be there because then I can sort of focus on people that really have a chance of winning.

Trump immediately reaffirmed predictions that he would convert the debate into a circus with him in the center ring. However, the Barnum to this circus remains Ruddy who showed little concern over journalistic integrity or the integrity of our presidential election in trying this ploy. Now he will be left with what is down to a three-person freak show with Santorum and Gingrich in a race to the bottom of American politics.

Source: CNN

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