Save us from Ourselves: Donald Trump to Moderate GOP Debate
In case you haven't heard yet, Newsmax has announced today that Donald Trump will be moderating the December 27 GOP presidential debate in Des Moines. This is astonishingly foolish.
Trump's participation offers no tangible benefit for Republican voters. This is the man, remember, who lusted over universal health care and wants a full-scale trade war with China, so it's not as if he's representing the intellectual impulses of the right. He's also the most prominent public face of birtherism, so including him in the proceedings elevates gutter populism of the worst sort at exactly the moment that the broader public will be tuning in to learn what the GOP field is all about.
Worst of all is that this debate will take place in the holiday week between Christmas and New Year's. While that may translate to lower ratings for the live broadcast of the debate, it also means that the clips will likely be circulating for days in the midst of a slow news week. This will diminish every one of the candidates and the broader Republican Party. And it will benefit Trump, an unrepentant pimp, who will use this stage as he does all stages -- as a platform for a prolonged infomercial.
Most of these presidential candidates have spent the past several months telling us that this is one of the most important elections of our lifetimes. It's time to start acting like it. For this one moment, the field needs to band together and work as one. And they need to tell Newsmax, "Either Trump doesn't show up or we don't show up."
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Aug '10
Re: Save us from Ourselves: Donald Trump to Moderate GOP Debate
That would be a precursor to the Mr. America event production.
without the heavy-lifting of course
(combover has do-over ?)
Edited on Dec 2, 2011 at 12:21pmJul '10
Re: Save us from Ourselves: Donald Trump to Moderate GOP Debate
Foolish? Such a gentle word for such mind-numbed stupidity.
Sigh. Can we imagine Calvin Coolidge on stage with Donald Trump? To paraphrase Henry Adams, evolutionary improvement can be disproven by observing the procession of American politics from the Lincoln-Douglas debates to a debate moderated by Donald Trump.
Edited on Dec 2, 2011 at 12:26pmMay '10
Re: Save us from Ourselves: Donald Trump to Moderate GOP Debate
You'd think this guy could afford a decent haircut. Or hairpiece. Does he have cats? How about a kitty toupee: http://kittytoupee.blogspot.com/?
Edited on Dec 2, 2011 at 12:43pmJul '10
Re: Save us from Ourselves: Donald Trump to Moderate GOP Debate
Hopefully Newsmax will work be able to decide whether Donald's Hair can ask separate questions. Come to think of it, Newt's hair and Mitt's hair also have distinctive personalities. Maybe there should be a segment where the respective Hairs debate, and Donald's Hair gets to shout over them.
Feb '11
Re: Save us from Ourselves: Donald Trump to Moderate GOP Debate
The candidates would do well to boycott the debate. Will any of them have the backbone to do it?
Aug '10
Re: Save us from Ourselves: Donald Trump to Moderate GOP Debate
Hunstman is taking the dignified stance on this. For all the reasons Troy laid out I hope the other candidates join him.
Aug '10
Re: Save us from Ourselves: Donald Trump to Moderate GOP Debate
You don't understand. His hairpiece isn't what it seems. It's a parasitic fungus that uses attention-seeking behavior to spread its spores. That's why stuff like this keeps happening.
Robert here is starting to catch on...
Dec '10
Re: Save us from Ourselves: Donald Trump to Moderate GOP Debate
No, worst of all is the announced topics: Education and the Environment. The Stupid Party candidates are bound to blow these topics, by pandering to lefty nonsense. If every one of them doesn't memorize the ridiculous levels of increase in education funding, with flat results, then we should just give up, now. As for "the environment", they might as well ask each of the candidates if they have stopped abusing their spouses; there will be no "correct" answers from these folks that, as a group, know as little as possible about this fettish topic. Gawd, I wish Palin were up there; she at least knows these topics.
I hope I am wrong, but fear I am not.
Apr '11
Re: Save us from Ourselves: Donald Trump to Moderate GOP Debate
Please say this is a joke. Shall we have a debate where all the moderators are the stars of a "reality" show? Maybe Paul Teutul from American Choppers and one of the Ice Road Truckers ought to be on there, along with some Kardashian or another. It makes me sick that several candidates have gone to kneel and kiss his ring hoping for his blessing.
Dec '10
Re: Save us from Ourselves: Donald Trump to Moderate GOP Debate
Not bad for a guy that's gone bankrupt so many times. Kind of fitting for the party actually...
Nov '10
Re: Save us from Ourselves: Donald Trump to Moderate GOP Debate
Why bother with Peter Robinson when you can have Donald Trump?
Mar '11
Re: Save us from Ourselves: Donald Trump to Moderate GOP Debate
A stunt like this could make the Republican field look like a collection of inept, second-rate losers... oh wait....
Jun '11
Re: Save us from Ourselves: Donald Trump to Moderate GOP Debate
Can we all have a Ricochet live chat for the Trump Debate? Please Santa, please?
Feb '11
Re: Save us from Ourselves: Donald Trump to Moderate GOP Debate
I respectfully disagree.
Trump is a clown, but at least he will mention the concerns of average voters instead of telling them to shut up and listen to their betters.
I'm not sure why I should think less of Trump for lusting after universal health care when the preferred establishment candidate is Mitt of the Romneycare Romneys. I think we've been in a trade war with China for many years, and I bet most voters agree. Trump is at least willing to notice and talk about it, instead of just voting for a gimmicky China currency bill and never speaking of it after. Trump was even willing to ask questions about Obama's past, including about the birth certificate, which Republicans are utterly terrified of asking.
Meanwhile, just about every personal document about every Republican ever is immediately leaked to the public, including sealed divorce records and embarrassing college transcripts. But everything about Obama seems to be a state secret beyond question.
Laugh if you want, but Trump was able to make a splash and get good poll numbers for a brief while. The preferred establishment GOP candidate can't even do that, despite years of trying.
Sep '10
Re: Save us from Ourselves: Donald Trump to Moderate GOP Debate
I'd like Steve Wynn to moderate the debate instead.
Aug '11
Re: Save us from Ourselves: Donald Trump to Moderate GOP Debate
I heard Rush Limbaugh say that that was the scheduled topic, but can find no confirmation of it. Can you give me some linkage? I thought the topic was far more laughable than the idea of Trump moderating it.
Aug '10
Re: Save us from Ourselves: Donald Trump to Moderate GOP Debate
Oh goodie! Now the GOP can cement the reality show vote, not to mention making a serious dent in the combover vote.
Feb '11
Re: Save us from Ourselves: Donald Trump to Moderate GOP Debate
Xennady, you have my agreement, except my rational differs slightly. This is theatre and we are all going to to entertained, yes, even the liberal minded who cannot resist watching. This is what I like best about democracy, even the least qualified, most showy get their chance to ask questions. I think it will be much better than CNBC's version.
Aug '10
Re: Save us from Ourselves: Donald Trump to Moderate GOP Debate
Whither gravitas ?
May '10
Re: Save us from Ourselves: Donald Trump to Moderate GOP Debate
Take a breath. The candidates have already endured plenty of Lefty moderators. And these debates already took the form of gameshows.
The only difference is that Trump is smarter than the average moderator. He will succeed in tripping someone up, but only someone too dull to not see the question coming.