2016 Republican Debate: Fox Business Plays It Safe

Moderators douse fireworks and keep attention away with lofty questions and easy follow-ups.
By Hadas Gold

Politico
Nov. 11, 2015

You got your wish republicans, it has culminated in the most boring debate yet with not a single highlight. - ChrisIn August, there was Fox News’ Megyn Kelly challenging Donald Trump for using “fat pig” to describe women.

In September, there was CNN’s Jake Tapper asking Jeb Bush if he was a “puppet for your donors.”

In October, there was CNBC’s Becky Quick asking Ben Carson how he would cover a “1.1 trillion dollar hole” in his tithing-inspired tax plan.

On Tuesday’s Fox Business debate, however, Neil Cavuto bantered pleasantly with Carson and politely thanked candidates for their answers. Maria Bartiromo tossed up softballs about tax-cut plans and Barack Obama’s dismissal of Russia as America’s greatest security threat, along with other meaty but safe fare. And Wall Street Journal editor-in-chief Gerard Baker rushed to defend Donald Trump’s suggestion that China could benefit from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, thereby dousing an attempt by Rand Paul to inject some fire into the evening.

The result was a debate that was less an encounter between challengers than a series of stump speeches, as candidates took advantage of the long 90-second answer times and often talked past the times-up bell tone, with the moderators seemed reluctant to rein them in.

Read More













All original InformationLiberation articles CC 4.0



About - Privacy Policy