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
FLOG THE BLOG: Have you voted yet for the top legal opinion blog? WE NEED YOUR VOTE! You can vote at HERE by clicking on the “opinion” category. Voting ends December 31, 2011.
” Trump said that the Republican party was “very concerned” about his potential run as an independent. “I may run as an independent and they don’t want me to run as an independent. The Republican party is very concerned I have that possibility,” he said. “As long as ‘The Apprentice’ runs, I am not allowed to run. It’s a very unfair rule because Obama can go on Jay Leno he can go on every show there is and there is no problem but I can’t have a show. So it’s a very unfair rule.”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/09/donald-trump-debate-michele-bachmann_n_1138926.html
Dont know if you saw part ofinterview where he thought he was dissed by the pres because the pres did not call him for a meeting. This guy is so lacking in self esteem – or why would he have to put his namje everywhere and call attention to himself whenever he is out of the limelight for only a second or 2?
What a joke, all of it. No wonder people do not bother to vote. They are disappointed with Obama and the other side is a bunch of liars, freaks, and dwarves of mind.
Really ?
“Trump claims his debate will be a ratings bonanza, and consequently, a valuable vehicle for the candidates.”
The circus is supposed to be fun….The carnival is suppose to be fun…. This is a damn freak show……
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1211/70060_Page2.html GOPers prepare for “alpha dog” debate.
http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/198337-romney-hits-gingrich-on-ryan-plan-in-new-ad Romney hits Gingrich from the right. The so called “alpha” debate is this Saturday.
Frankly, Brown 25 has been shown to be useful for a number of applications.
“Now, Gingrich, Perry, and Romney have (rather belatedly) refused to participate. That leaves Santorum and Gingrich who have confirmed that they will appear with a carnival snake charmer to get on TV.”
Huh??
How can Gingrich be IN the debate and NOT in the debate? Is he in or not??
OS – so you are saying Santorum is good for something?
Frankly, all fission reactions can be tamped using a tamping agent. In this case it is the presence of the Frothy Mix of…….
This debate scares me a lot! putting Gingrich and Trump in the same space could allow their egos to converge and reach critical mass – the resulting explosion would end life as we know it on this planet.
The circus…..goes on and on and on. NOW the guy who was kicked out of the House, who wants child labor for the 1%, who is twice divorced, and who had an extra-marital affair with his current wife ….is in the lead among Republicans. AMAZING!! More than ever, as I look at the sorry set of “rivals” on the other side, I am THANKFUL to have Barack Obama as President, and as a viable candidate for re-election. Mr. Obama: your heart, your values, and your basic decency are all in the right place. BUT…your hands are tied. Unfortunately they were tied by us, the electorate…..when we failed to provide you with a Congress that you can work with. Instead, you are saddled with a don’t-tax-the-1%-do-nothing Congress that battles you at every turn, while the people suffer. God, they don’t EVEN let you pass your own appointments and nominees! It’s not Tea-publican gridlock -it’s Tea-publican sabotage. Heck, it’s Tea-publican treason….while the 99% BLEEDS. And then… they try to pin the blame on Mr. Obama! These people have no shame…or else its been purchased by those who can afford to do so. In her final, struggling years, Grandma gets a meager Social Security check, and they DARE to call it “socialism”. Give me a break! (…and Grandma too!) Thankfully, with Occupy Wall Street, America has found its voice: a voice that reminds us that people -ordinary down-to-earth working people- really DO matter. NOT “corporations are people -people” , but REAL people! Real people who are working two and three jobs just to keep up, real people struggling to raise their children, real people caring for our elderly, real people just trying to live with some dignity and security , real people looking for work, and real people that will graduate or come back from war and find no work…..while the rich become richer and more powerful, at our expense. Tea-publicans clamour for even M-O-R-E 1% tax-breaks and corporate-loopholes….while all the while these “job-creators” send our jobs overseas, and wish that we’d go away too…. as they buy every politician in sight. Hey, if these politicians don’t already have ENOUGH mistresses, I can hook them up with a few gorgeous -and RICH- oil companies. It would be a perfect blind date, except for the fact that they’re ALREADY in bed with them :-). But instead of talking about L-E-S-S government, and L-E-S-S taxes on the 1%, and M-O-R-E corporate welfare, and M-O-R-E painful cuts to those who can LEAST afford it….Occupy is a voice that demands a government that WORKS, a government that works FOR ALL OF US, not just for a favored few….NOT just for the rich. Occupy is a voice that comes up from the grassroots, and lifts us up in turn: because it insists that this land IS our land…and that we WANT IT BACK! It’s a voice that will help us re-elect the President AND give him a more progressive people-oriented Congress- a Congress that will work WITH Mr. Obama and FOR the 99%! Mr. Obama: I wish you well…. because you STILL give us hope!
Mespo that is an insult to the Three Stooges!
I will watch it if Trump promises to ask Santorum why he hates to have people Google his name.
That’s not a debate; it’s a Three Stooges episode.
Trump and Newt are made for each other and Santorum is off the map. This circus needs to fade away….far away.
Should be staged in Asbury Park since it has the gravitas of “The Jersey Shore” without the great physical attributes.
OOOOOPPPPPSS!!