GOP Corpses Don't Want to Debate in a Room Warmer Than 67 Degrees
The ideal GOP debate would feature little to no debating at all, if the working demand letter circulated Monday morning is to be believed.
Instead it would play out more like a spirited job interview which the candidates have pre-approved, according to the letter authored by GOP lawyer Ben Ginsberg and obtained by the Washington Post. Among the listed demands: no “candidate-to-candidate questioning,” no “gotcha” or “yes or no” questions, and equal screen time for each candidate.
All in a cool room: 67 degrees or less. Plus a few other non-negotiables:
Will you commit that you will not:
- Ask the candidates to raise their hands to answer a question
- Ask yes/no questions without time to provide a substantive answer
- Have a “lightning round”
- Allow candidate-to-candidate questioning
- Allow props or pledges by the candidates
- Have reaction shots of members of the audience or moderators during debates
- Show an empty podium after a break (describe how far away the bathrooms are)
- Use behind shots of the candidates showing their notes
- Leave microphones on during breaks
- Allow members of the audience to wear political messages (shirts, buttons, signs, etc.). Who enforces?
The second draft of the letter has not yet been adopted by the 15 campaigns that participated in the talks this weekend and reportedly rejected the first draft out of concern that it wasn’t strong enough.
To that end, the second draft includes new introductory language dictating that all participating networks must respond within 30 days of receipt, allow the candidates to design their own graphics and on-screen bios, and provide time for opening and closing statements.
The final draft of the letter will reportedly be sent to all participating networks—except one—can you guess it—it’s FOX.
