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National Review’s Debate Problem
Byron York, writing for the Washington Examiner, raises a serious problem surrounding the February 26 debate, which until recently was to be hosted by NBC in partnership with National Review. Following the embarrassment that was last week’s CNBC “debate”, Reince Priebus has called into question the involvement of NBC in this debate. National Review, however, will participate regardless.
“While we are suspending our partnership with NBC News and its properties, we still fully intend to have a debate on that day, and will ensure that National Review remains part of it,” Priebus wrote in a letter to NBC.
As the debate approaches, however, it’s likely that critics will raise questions about the participation of National Review, the venerable conservative publication, because of a number of comments made by its writers and editors about Donald Trump. (I should put in a disclaimer high in the story: I worked for National Review from 2001 to 2009 and know, like and respect many of the people involved in this matter.)
To put it mildly, a lot of NR writers don’t like Trump.
York goes on to list the slew of invective that NR writers have hurled Trump’s way since he came down that escalator in June. It’s colorful stuff. Williamson, et al., know how to land a rhetorical punch. (For someone who insults so liberally, Trump, on the other hand, boasts a rather meager arsenal — “over-rated” has been over-used.)
I am no fan of Donald Trump, but he should raise all hell about NR’s participation in this debate. Clearly, no one who has called a candidate “a witless ape” (Kevin Williamson), a “thin-skinned performance artist” (Charles Cooke), a “low rent carnival-barker” (Jonah Goldberg), or has said of Trump what Rich Lowry did say should have any pretension to journalistic detachment. Prior to Lowry’s vivid description of Fiorina’s smackdown of Trump, I had assumed he would be joining Chuck Todd and Co. at the debate. But he and the others now have as much business moderating a debate involving Donald Trump as Ann Coulter has moderating one involving Jeb Bush.
Lowry says that won’t be a problem come debate time. “We obviously have strong opinions and don’t hide them, but that won’t keep us from being tough but fair with everyone,” he told me in an email exchange.
Maybe so. But the aforementioned four, at the very least, have forfeited their right to show so and should recuse themselves from participating, as much as I’d love to see Jonah question Trump without pants on.
If NR hasn’t completely tarnished itself as an anti-Trump force, Jay Nordlinger would be an obvious choice. He’s one of the greatest interviewers in conservative media and, to the best of my knowledge, has refrained from insulting Trump, although he is an avowed Ted Cruz supporter.
Of course, NR could send someone not on their editorial board but loosely affiliated with the magazine to represent them. Say, how about the greatest interviewer in conservative media? Indeed, in last week’s podcast Peter unwittingly agreed to as much and formulated the first question he’ll be asking the candidates.
Someone make this happen already!
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There is an O’Reilly interview that you can watch if you can track it down. Here’s the transcript.
Jay Nordlinger is a personal friend of Ted Cruz, has endorsed him, and is pretty open about his bias (he’s clearly pulling for him in every debate). I suspect he’d be the first to acknowledge it would be difficult for him to be even-handed.
I’m guessing it’s Jim Geraghty, who would be absolutely splendid. He would be even-handed in a conservative way. He would ask the tough questions conservatives want asked. We’d be well-served if he moderated them all.
I think that the discussion above regarding who should moderate demonstrates one of the benefits of deconstructing the debate format and doing it as a series of timed responses and rebuttals filmed in isolation. The moderator isn’t even really necessary. The questions can be submitted in writing by a group of smart conservative pundits and then read aloud by a voice over person. I personally think that the moderator role has grown too large and is susceptible to abuse and grandstanding.
Jay is a particularly thoughtful and well-prepared interviewer, ideal for longer, in depth conversations. He even made Jeb Bush seem halfway interesting in one of those.
To balance a debate panel which includes NR editors, just include Mark Steyn and Ann Coulter. Instead of the panel trying to get the candidates to argue with one another, you’d have the candidates trying to separate the panelists.
Oh, absolutely. I just think it might be a bridge too far to have a moderator who’s been openly pulling for one of the candidates on-stage. I suspect that in reality he’d be harder on Cruz to compensate. But that wouldn’t be ideal, either.
“Jay Nordlinger is a personal friend of Ted Cruz, has endorsed him, and is pretty open about his bias (he’s clearly pulling for him in every debate).”
I forgot about that.
OK, just Peter, then. But the debate audience would have to get used to the way… Well, you know, Peter has this thing where… He’s a GREAT interviewer, but sometimes he st… Have you noticed he often doesn’t finish his senten… But he *would* be great.
I KID BECAUSE I LOVE.
I trust NR to be fair to the conservatives in the race.
The most sensible choice to moderate the Republican debates, the Democratic debates, and the final Presidential debates is Brian Lamb of C-SPAN. No other journalist is as well-prepared as he is with questions and background information. No ‘moderator’ of past debates is close to him in fair-minded management of interviews (which require similar skills to management of these debates). He should do all of the coming debates by himself.
Endorse 100%
Who’s this Senik guy? Name rings a bell.