Politico, Slate, Los Angeles Times among media outlets to criticize CNN for length and quality of GOP faceoff
Jordan Chariton | September 17, 2015 @ 5:50 AM
Last Updated: September 17, 2015 @ 8:59 AM
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CNN is hoping for big numbers from Wednesday’s second GOP presidential debate, but so far, reaction from the media hasn’t been stellar.
Politico‘s Hadas Gold went with the bold headline “CNN’s three-hour debate from hell.” She pointed out how the candidates looked ready for bed by the contest’s last hour.
“A sweating Marco Rubio ran his hands through his hair, Chris Christie’s face turned red, a sagging Donald Trump grasped his lectern for support and, at times, seemed to crumple into his suit.”
The Los Angeles Times‘ Mary McNamara wrote about the big-event backdrop orchestrated by CNN.
“The news network went ‘American Gladiator: Celebrity Edition,’ doing everything within its power to make the event a must-watch, live-tweetable, ‘anything could happen’ political smackdown,” she wrote. McNamara also offered a bit of a backhanded compliment.
“Intense is one way to describe it. So is overlong, shamelessly orchestrated and surprisingly effective. At three-plus hours (four-plus if you count the first low-poll-percentage debate), it may be the first Republican debate to qualify as a binge-watch.”
Slate‘s Justin Peters knocked moderator Jake Tapper and the event as the “worst debate I can remember.”
“Most of the time, Tapper is a capable journalist and host, one who isn’t afraid to challenge his guests if they’re being evasive. But very little of that attitude was on display at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, and it desperately needed to be,” Peters wrote.
“The blame for this doesn’t wholly redound to Tapper and his sort-of co-moderators, radio host Hugh Hewitt and CNN’s Dana Bash, who probably should have brought books to read … and the odd ground rules by which the debate was conducted did Tapper no favors, either. ‘I’ll give you time to respond if you’re singled out for criticism,’ Tapper promised the candidates at the outset. He fulfilled that promise.”
The debate was indeed too long for the shorter-attention-span TV news viewer of 2015, but CNN also deserves some praise.
With 11 candidates on stage — and few of them caring much when Tapper tried to move on to the next subject — the CNN anchor was able to fit in a wide variety of topics. Gun control, climate change, religious freedom and marijuana legalization made appearances at CNN’s debate where they were absent from its Fox News predecessor.
Tapper was also flexible, allowing candidates to jump in out of turn when they were particularly peeved about something another candidate said. Viewers at home might have disliked this feature, but with 11 mouths to feed, it’s only fair to let the lower-polling candidates go back for seconds.
One consensus takeaway: Eleven debaters on stage are too many, both for the candidates, viewers and journalists. It would behoove CNN and other networks to devise an outside-the-box configuration for subsequent debates than can narrow the number down to six or seven at a time.
2016 Presidential Contenders: The Race to the White House (Photos)
Republican Texas Senator Ted Cruz was the first person to officially throw his hat into the ring on March 23.
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Republican Senator Rand Paul announced his candidacy on April 7.
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Former First Lady and Secretary of State, Democrat Hillary Clinton announced she would again seek the Oval Office on April 12.
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A Tea Party favorite, Florida Senator Marco Rubio announced his candidacy on April 13.
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A self-described democratic socialist, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders announced he would run on April 28.
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Retired neurosurgeon, Dr. Ben Carson announced his candidacy on May 3. A native of Detroit, the Republican lived in Baltimore for 36 years.
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The first woman to lead a Fortune 20 company, Republican Carly Fiorina announced her candidacy on May 4.
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Former Arkansas governor and Fox News host Mike Huckabee announced his second presidential run in the GOP field on May 5.
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A former Republican senator from Pennsylvania, Rick Santorum announced his second presidential bid on May 27.
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Former New York Governor George Pataki announced the launch of his presidential campaign with a YouTube video on May 28.
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Martin O'Malley, a Democrat and former governor of Maryland, joined the race on May 30.
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Lindsey Graham, a Republican senator from South Carolina, announced he would run for the highest office on June 1.
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A former Republican and independent governor of Rhode Island, Lincoln Chafee announced his bid for the Democratic nomination on June 3.
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Rick Perry threw his hat into the ring for a second time on June 4. The Republican was the longest serving governor in Texas history.
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The son of one former president and brother of another, former Florida Governor Jeb Bush announced his bid for the Republican nomination on June 15.
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Republican real estate mogul Donald Trump threw his hat into the presidential ring on June 16, saying he'd be “the greatest jobs president that God ever created.”
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"I'm running for President of the United States of America," tweeted Louisiana's Republican Governor Bobby Jindal, who used social media to announce his candidacy on June 24.
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After declaring that "both parties have failed our country," New Jersey's Republican Governor Chris Christie announced his intention to run on June 30.
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Jim Webb, a decorated Vietnam vet and the former Democratic governor of Virginia, announced his candidacy on July 2.
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Wisconsin's Republican Governor Scott Walker announced his candidacy on July 13 with a campaign video.
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Ohio Governor John Kasich announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination on July 21, saying no other candidate else has his experience dealing with deficits, unemployment and national security.
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Jim Gilmore, former Army intelligence officer and Republican governor of Virginia, announced his candidacy on July 30.
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From Jeb Bush to Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, the race continues to grow
Republican Texas Senator Ted Cruz was the first person to officially throw his hat into the ring on March 23.