GOP Youtube Debate a No Show?

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-t...be_1.html#more

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so far, only Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) and Rep. Ron Paul (Tex.) have agreed to participate in the debate, co-hosted by Republican Party of Florida in St. Petersburg. . . .

Sources familiar with the Guiliani campaign said he’s unlikely to participate. . . .

In an interview Wednesday with the Manchester (N.H.) Union Leader, Romney said he’s not a fan of the CNN/YouTube format. Referring to the video of a snowman asking the Democratic candidates about global warming, Romney quipped, “I think the presidency ought to be held at a higher level than having to answer questions from a snowman.” . . .

“We’re very hopeful that all the campaigns will get on board,” said Steve Grove, head of news and politics at YouTube.

Added state Republican spokeswoman Erin VanSickle: “It’s an important debate in an important battleground state that just moved its primary to Jan. 29th. In other words, we have every confidence that they will attend. They can’t afford not to.”

Considering the success of the Democratic debate, it's pretty distressing that such a massive disconnect exists between the GOP and the internet.

When the only two guys who agree to take questions from people screened by CNN are a man whose campaign only exists because of the internet, and a man whose campaign is constantly being suspected of tanking out at any time, it's pretty distressing.

A Youtube debate with just Ron Paul would be pretty hilarious, though.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

To be honest, I think he actually believes it. Guys like Romney are stuck in a mindset where the presidency is to be deified, and guys like Reagan should be turned into demigods. These are the guys who showed up at FDR's grave to give him homage for being an asshole.

Politicians in general are so full of shit that they think respect should be afforded to them because of position and not because they're actually respectable.

I think they're more afraid of the race questions, because something like "Global Warming" can be easily researched and argued for and against convincingly.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

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Why does anyone even give a fuck about any of these debates?

Because they're fun to watch, and they give lots of candidates the rope to hang themselves.

I thought the Democratic debate was great since Obama came out OK'ing nuclear power, Biden outed himself as an asshole, and Richardson did his best as of yet.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

There's nothing wrong with Serious Business for presidential debates, regardless of how little exposure it may get because we're all so fat and stupid.

The real problem is that these aren't really debates, but an I-go-you-go-mostly the free frontrunners-go exercise in talking points. The Youtube format has been the closest thing to something that actually gets the candidates to think about what they're saying, since the nature of who is asking the questions allows for tougher issues.

Clinton earned huge Beltway Brownie points because she answered a question on presidential dynasty without breaking a sweat. I mean, I still think she's a dynastic authoritarian bitch, but it was impressive.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

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It just indicates that she's a really good liar. ^_^

No shit. "I sent Chelsea to Private School to protect her from the media."

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I agree, but why does it take YouTube to accomplish this?

Because they can operate under the pretext of a "town hall." Because it's Joe Blo asking the question, and not CNN appointed faces, then it's easier for CNN to dissociate themselves from the questions being asked. CNN won't lose brownie points for letting normal people ask questions, and nobody can really be targeted for asking loaded questions.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Gravel's effectively demonstrated that he can't do anything other than make a lot of noise by now, though, so I'm not exactly shedding tears over baby's miniscule speaking time.

Giving more time to the frontrunners has been the problem with all of the debates so far.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

I didn't.

It was the same kind of base pandering that Giuliani used when he said he never heard of blowback. Insulting a gun owner isn't the best way to make rural districts go blue.

FELIPE NO

He was wearing a tank top and shorts.

The joke fell flat, but come on. The best part about it was that how Biden didn't pick up on the fact that he bought the rifle under the Brady Assault Weapons Ban.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

I like Romney's new standup routine.

What's even better are the beltway hacks coming on MSNBC and Fox News, harping on the snowman.

I think Tommy Thompson is going to announce that he'll attend the debate, so that makes 3.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Looks like Tommy won't be attending:
http://influencepeddler.blogspot.com...draw-from.html

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Without your help and support this week, Tommy Thompson’s campaign cannot go on.

Tommy Thompson has made it clear that if he doesn’t finish first or second this week in Ames, Iowa at the straw poll, he will not go on in this race.

To date he has outworked every other candidate running for president in Iowa. His ideas on ending the war in Iraq, fixing America’s ailing health care system and finding a cure for cancer are being heard, but not by enough people.

Oh well. Maybe Huckabee will wisen up.

There's nowhere I can't reach.