**Updated**
MAKE SURE you tip toe around our elite establishment candidates, Ms. Crowley. They’ve agreed to certain rules, as has “the commission,” so you don’t want to go rogue and actually follow up on their canned answers, because Mr. Cool and Mr. Ice might get thrown off their game.
If this doesn’t perfectly encapsulate our elite political system nothing does. That it’s being reported by uber insider Mark Halperin is the perfect delivery system for what’s stirring behind the scenes.
While an early October memorandum of understanding between the Obama and Romney campaigns and the bipartisan commission sponsoring the debates suggests CNN’s Candy Crowley would play a limited role in the Tuesday-night session, Crowley, who is not a party to that agreement, has done a series of interviews on her network in which she has suggested she will assume a broader set of responsibilities. As Crowley put it last week, “Once the table is kind of set by the town-hall questioner, there is then time for me to say, ‘Hey, wait a second, what about X, Y, Z?’” – Mark Halperin
God forbid the two men vying for the presidency have an unscripted moment in the debate.
You can understand their concern. Obama was made a fool by the format Jim Lehrer stuck to in the first debate, which was to be invisible. Lehrer took so much grief he had to do a media tour, appearing on “Morning Joe” and with Hannity of Fox News Channel, to try to resurrect his reputation. At that same debate Mitt Romney benefited from his prep work and the fact he was willing to Etch-a-Sketch Governor Mitt back on to the scene.
Now both candidates want to make sure there is nothing that might further expose either of them.
Hiding is the goal.
Does anyone believe either Gary Johnson, Jill Stein or Rocky Anderson would put up such a hissy fit if they were given the chance to appear in front of the American people? Not to worry. They might rough up the two elite fraternity club politicians and their entrenched corporate parties, so even having them appear alongside Obama and Romney is too scary to risk.
Barack Obama and Mitt Romney want to be leader of the free world, taking on all manner of challenges. Yet, they balk at taking follow-up questions from an unbiased, respected and veteran journalist like Candy Crowley.
This reveals the rot in our political system better than anything, which begins with the press’s role in what’s left of our democratic republic. The American people should care about this and see it for what it is. An effort to hide presidential candidates from full view of their plans for this country, while making sure only the elite establishment candidates are allowed to address the American public.
To date, neither Barack Obama or Mitt Romney have outlined their plans for our future. It’s been about attack ads, SUPER Pacs and character assassination on both sides, as if this game matters more than what Obama or Romney will do on the environment, are asked what our drone policy is costing this country, as well as what they’re going to do to actually bring good union wage jobs back to the middle class.
The election is becoming a sham, because the American public are being shown two candidates who are being allowed to hide behind rules and agreements that don’t serve the public’s right to know.
Candy Crowley is unfazed, which is as it should be.
Crowley seems unfazed by the behind the scenes maneuvering. Even after concerns were raised in the wake of the Malveaux interview, Crowley made additional comments that make clear she does not feel bound by any agreement between the Commission and the Obama and Romney camps. On October 11, on the day of the vice presidential candidates debate, she told Wolf Blitzer, ”I’m always interested in the questions because you don’t want to — in a debate, you don’t want to go over plowed ground. Now, this is the vice presidential candidates as opposed to the presidential candidates. So, is there room there to come back to a presidential candidate and say, well, your vice presidential candidate said this? I’m always kind of looking for the next question…. So there’s opportunity for follow-up to kind of get them to drill down on the subjects that these folks want to learn about in the town hall.”
So, teams Obama and Romney have no choice but to get ready to blame the messenger, while preparing for what may come tomorrow.
Battle lines are drawn and the enemy of the candidates is Candy Crowley, representing the Fourth Estate, the only friend left of the American people in a country where most of the press has picked sides.
UPDATE: The town hall agreement has now been leaked [h/t Mediaite].
2012 Debates Memorandum of Understanding Between the Obama and Romney Campaigns
The history, and the purpose, of the Commission on Presidential Debates makes it obvious that the Duopoly decided that the League of Women Voters was much too dangerous a group to allow to host what’s still called “debates,” but is just another production controlled by the two parties. Having the “debates” on college campuses, I still think, is an attempt to add some “gravitas,” or at least a level of “seriousness.” If Ms. Crowley can help highlight this particular act in the Two Party Front for the Oligarchy presidential year production, good for her.
I just want our presidential candidates to be GRILLED.
It’s about journalism for me.
“The Two Party Front for the Oligarchy,” as you regularly call it, wouldn’t exist if the PRESS didn’t play along.
I like to see them ROASTED. Pardon the pun but I can’t bare to watch another so-called debate. I think I’ll just go to sleep and then read your blog tomorrow. If you don’t mind.
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Candy Crowley sic em! Tear into the both of them….don’t let them get away with any shit!
AMEN.
Truer words were never written…..thanks Taylor.
You bet, LLady.
This is appalling, but coming from Mark Halperin, the message should be clear.
Here’s the best way she can do it- at the last minute, she puts two more chairs on the stage and announces that Gary Johnson and Jill Stein will be joining the “town hall” debate. And then Romney and Obama can decide for themselves if they want to participate, or run away like scalded pigs.
Romney will evade the script anyway. Once the debate begins its a free for all, and may the best person win. The participants should be prepared for that. If they aren’t they are naive.
One thing that I hope Obama does not allow Romney to get away with that Biden gave Ryan a pass on was conflating individual acts of generosity and kindness with general Republican evil and cruelty.
Most Americans are generous and kind. We would all help a blind lady cross the street, or give to charity, or feel sorry for individual people. But Mitt Romney would not lose one night’s sleep if he fired half-million hard working Americans and shipping their jobs to China, if it would make him $100 million dollars. And Paul Ryan would call these same people losers and vote to cut off their unemployment benefits. It would do well if Obama clarified this.
I wasn’t going to watch the “2nd Presidential Debate” but now, since there’s pre-debate moderator CONCERN due to the fact that the MODERATOR may “keep it real”, I’m going to watch. Let me get some ice cold dark brew and put my feet up.
“Does anyone believe either Gary Johnson, Jill Stein or Rocky Anderson would put up such a hissy fit if they were given the chance to appear in front of the American people? Not to worry. They might rough up the two elite fraternity club politicians and their entrenched corporate parties, so even having them appear alongside Obama and Romney is too scary to risk.”
Spot on Taylor. Johnson, Stein, or Anderson would just say “get me on the stage and watch”. It’s why I’ve voted 3rd party since I was 18 and will be voting 3rd party (GREEN) as well this year. I’ll be in Yokohama, Japan during the election week for work so I’ll be getting an interesting perspective from across the bigger pond.
But hey, many of we 3rd party voters are labeled as throwing a tantrum by some so I’ll just get my pacifier and play in my walker.
Why do I have the feeling that this is just hype to get more people to watch to improve ratings? This is a town hall setting, so I wonder how far off script the moderator will go. If I had to bet, I’d say if people were expecting fireworks from the moderator they will be disappointed.
” Lehrer took so much grief he had to do a media tour, appearing on “Morning Joe” and with Hannity of Fox News Channel, to try to resurrect his reputation.”
I am sure the “spineless wimp” reputation of Jim Leher did not need a press tour to reinforce.
The opinions and positions of the mederators or even the people asking the questions are not important. What is important is the views andpositions of the candidates.
These debates do offer a service to the voters. These debates also reinforce the 2-party straglehold on the American People.
angels81, your feeling is shared. Qui bono from Ms. Crowley’s announcement that she might actually ask a follow up question?
With the NLCS and Monday Night Football on, fewer will watch this debate than the first, thus diminishing returns for Mr. Obama, but he will likely lose this one as well.
Ooops, the debate is not until tomorrow, but I expect that many will tune in to see the Yankees rallys after the loss of Jeter in game 3 of the ALCS.
Just do your job as a journalist, Candy Crowley, like Martha Raddatz did, and all will be fine with me as a citizen. And, how disturbing is it that doing one’s job as a journalist is now called “Going Rogue”.
“But hey, many of we 3rd party voters are labeled as throwing a tantrum by some so I’ll just get my pacifier and play in my walker.
T-Steel”