Tag: Debates

So, the next debates.

The Democrats are having a debate on MSNBC on February 4th that, as per tradition, nobody will watch: and the Republicans will be having a debate on ABC on February 6th that pretty much everybody will watch. I’m going to predict it now: Trump supporters will claim that the higher ratings will be primarily because Trump didn’t skip this one like he did the Fox News one.  The fact that ABC is to Fox News like Fox News is to CNBC will probably be, ah, overlooked.

More details here. Two Democratic debaters, and six Republican ones. That’s one too many Republicans, and two too many Democrats; but then, nobody asked me…

Tomorrow’s debate: the Jeb vs. Rubio Show.

At least, that’s my guess.

…and that’s bad news for every candidate not named Jeb or Rubio, although possibly Ben Carson would find it congenial to have the focus be on the two Floridian candidates all night. And I’m being serious when I say that Jeb would probably profit from this fight: when you’re in fourth or fifth place, anything that blunts the momentum of the people currently in first and second place is likely to rebound to your benefit.  Even if it’s just having a fight with the guy who’s more or less in third place.

Then again, Rubio also benefits from having the spotlight put on him, and for the same reason.  So… watch the debate! It promises to be possibly quite the scrum.

Quote of the Day, I Ultimately Found The CNBC Debate Delightful For This Very Reason edition.

Seriously.

Instead of being a chance for the Republican candidates to debate each other, the CNBC debate ended up pitting the candidates in a debate against the mainstream media.

And that’s what was awesome about it.

I take a very pragmatic view of debates: will what happened cost my party votes in the general election? And the answer here is an unequivocal ‘no.’ We had a lot of good video clip fodder yesterday, and it was all of Republicans smashing smug media idiots right in the metaphorical chops. And, as Robert Tracinski went on to note in that article: the media hates the Republican party, and wants us to die in a fire.  Best that our candidates get practice in dealing with that early.

Democratic debate viewership numbers were good… if you’re grading on a curve.

I understand that CNN is trying its best to gild their lily, but come on.

CNN’s Tuesday night debate averaged 15.3 million viewers, easily making it the highest-rated Democratic debate ever.

Primary debates at this point in past election cycles have averaged 2 to 5 million viewers. But there’s something special about this election — something that has a lot more viewers paying attention.

Continue reading Democratic debate viewership numbers were good… if you’re grading on a curve.

Tweet of the Day, …Geez, Moe, Yet ANOTHER Debate Post? edition.

Sorry! It’s a slow day, really. And I gotta watch this stupid thing, remember?  Besides, stuff like this is funny.

Continue reading Tweet of the Day, …Geez, Moe, Yet ANOTHER Debate Post? edition.

DNC smacks down DNC vice chair Tusli Gabbard for going off-message on debates.

Oh, wow.  Rep. Tulsi Gabbard thinks that the Democratic party thinks that she’s people: “Representative Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii, a vice chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee, said she was disinvited from the first Democratic presidential primary debate in Nevada after she appeared on television and called for more face-offs.” At least, that’s the only reason that I can think of for her being upset at the way the DNC chastised her for speaking out of turn. Hasn’t anybody explained the rules to Rep. Gabbard yet? Continue reading DNC smacks down DNC vice chair Tusli Gabbard for going off-message on debates.