CNBC's disastrous handling of the Oct. 29 Republican presidential debate in Boulder, Colorado has come back to haunt them. The Republican National Committee, disgusted with the blatantly biased moderating, has officially severed ties with NBC and will offer the February Houston debate to one of their rival networks. In a statement released Monday, the RNC informed voters where they should now plan to tune in:
“The Republican National Committee has decided to move forward without NBC’s participation in the February debate in Houston, Texas. The RNC has awarded the debate to CNN, who will broadcast it on Thursday, February 25 in Houston at a location to be decided. The RNC is ensuring the partnership with Telemundo and conservative partners National Review and Salem Communications will continue as planned.”
The CNBC debate was unfortunately most memorable for the moderators' pointed style of questioning. In one instance, they dared to ask Sen. Marco Rubio if he "hated" his job as senator, in regards to his missed votes. Their bias was so awful it produced a rare bit of unity among the candidates. Cruz's best moment of the night came when he insisted the debate "was not a cage match." The Media Research Center conducted a study to discover that 65 percent of the 43 questions posed to the contenders “hit the candidates with negative spin, personal insults or ad hominem attacks.”
Following the shameful spectacle, RNC Chairman Reince Priebus penned a letter to NBC News condemning the anchors' unprofessional behavior and announcing his intentions to cancel the partnership the committee had with NBC for the debate planned at the end of February.
So, it seems, CNN comes out the victor. The network has proven to be a worthy debate partner for its tough, yet fair line of questioning.
The RNC is justified in its NBC snub. The candidates deserve better than to be lectured.