CNN Ignores Ron Paul, Tom Tancredo, and Duncan Hunter

http://www.jbs.org/node/6461

ARTICLE SYNOPSIS:

CNN plays favorites during its YouTube debate, largely ignoring three candidates with serious, well-considered positions on the issues of the day.

COMMENTARY:

As I watched the CNN YouTube debate last night, I had one regret: I didn't have a stopwatch. I had the distinct feeling while watching the "debate" that it was being skewered in favor of certain candidates. A stopwatch would have been handy to check my assumption.

Fortunately, I see that someone else was thinking the same way. MSNBC posted "the counts for how long each candidate spoke during the first part of the debate," as compiled by NBC staffer Lauren Appelbaum. Surprise, surprise, the results show that Mitt Romney was given the longest exposure.

It is interesting that it was Romney who was in the spotlight, given his inability to say anything of substance. Aside from his very clear and seemingly convincing statement that he was wrong to have taken the pro-abortion side of the abortion debate once in the past, his answers to questions during the debate were vague and devoid of content. He was a blank slate on which voters could project their own image of what they might be looking for in a president. This is troubling: He may have firmed up his pro-life stance, but he is still too wishy-washy to be president.

Coming in second in terms of time allotted during the first half of the debate was John McCain, who was in a virtual tie with Rudy Giuliani. They may as well be tied, since they're virtually interchangeable. And, as an aside, can we stop taking McCain seriously? The guy actually suggested last night, in response to Ron Paul, that America was responsible for Hitler coming to power. Please, Senator McCain, retire from politics and pick up a history book!

After that it was the rumbling, bumbling, stumbling Fred Thompson followed by Mike Huckabee, Ron Paul, Tom Tancredo, and Duncan Hunter.

NBC's Appelbaum quips that "Huckabee did not get a chance to speak until 26 minutes into the debate and Paul did not get his chance until more than a half hour into the debate."

Huckabee got more time later on, but the real shame of the debate, as with previous debates, is that Rudy McRomney again got all the attention while Ron Paul, Tom Tancredo and Duncan Hunter were ignored in comparison. The members of the latter trio differ on some issues — as one might expect. But what they have in common is a serious, well-considered, well-informed adult outlook on the issues.

It is possible that viewers might disagree with some of the various positions taken by Paul, Hunter, and Tancredo. But what everyone should like about these three is that they are obviously capable of thinking for themselves and are seemingly unafraid to stand by their conclusions, even in the face of sustained opposition.

By comparison, the other sound-bite candidates are children, subservient to peer pressure, just going along to get along. By focusing on them, CNN is doing a severe disservice to all Americans.