Update: TeaNN, ‘Survivor – GOP Presidential Primary’

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

First of all, New Rule: The media is banned from using the word "debate" to apply to whatever the hell this event was last night. It was not a "debate" in any way, shape or form. Stop debasing the English language. Candidate Forum is acceptable.

Late last year TeaNN (formerly CNN) entered into an agreement with the Tea Party Express, the corporate front group of the GOP for the Tea Party that mainstream Tea Party groups claim does not represent their "grassroots" (also corporate front groups) views. TeaNN agreed to add some Tea Party commentators to its election coverage, and to host some GOP Presidential Primary "Debates" (sic), including last night's event and a Tea Party "Debate" this fall.

I will leave it to others to question the propriety of the self-proclaimed "most trusted name in news" entering into an agreement directly with the GOP to provide favorable coverage to its candidates. Let's just agree that objectivity and journalistic integrity are "quaint" notions from a bygone era that no longer exist today in television news.

This background is important because of what occurred about eleven minutes into last night's event. Tea Party favorite Michele Bachmann was invited by TeaNN to participate in this event, even though she was not a declared candidate. (TeaNN refused to permit former New Mexico governor Gary Johnson, who is a declared candidate, to participate in last night's event). The "Minnesota Loon" Michele Bachmann used the opportunity to declare that she is a candidate for president.  She stole the show. This was certainly a first in presidential politics.

Now I have to ask if TeaNN, because of its deal with the Tea Party Express, knew about Bachmann's candidate announcement in advance of this event. Was this non-declared candidate, a Tea Party favorite, invited to participate in this event expressly for the purpose of making a dramatic candidate announcement? Did TeaNN stage this candidate announcement for the benefit of its business partner, Tea Party Express? The other campaigns should demand an answer. If so, television "news" (sic) has really crossed the Rubicon.

Substantively this debate was a wasted two hours of my life that I will never get back. It was the same worn out cliches and bumper sticker slogans we have been hearing from the GOP for the past 30 years. There was not a new or innovative idea from these lesser lights. And of course there were the ad hominem attacks on Barack Obama. Did you know that all of the world's problems since the beginning of time are the fault of Barack Obama? Me neither. Who knew?

And, of course, there was the incessant lying that went unchallenged by anyone on the "debate" panel. As Steve Benen observed this morning, Political Animal – The most egregious of the bogus claims:

If one were to create a drinking game in which viewers of last night’s debate took a shot every time a candidate lied, the “winner” would be in the hospital this morning with alcohol poisoning. The Republican candidates treated reality as an inconvenience to be brushed aside in the name of political expediency.

Was there a winner of this farcical "debate" last night? Not really. Most commentators this morning are saying that Willard "Mittens" Romney won only because his opponents pulled their punches and failed to attack this shapeshifter's flip-flopping on issues. More importantly, they did not attack his own perceived strengths in Rovian fashion. I have to admit that I found this odd. Very un-Republican.

There is a clear loser, however — Tim Pawlenty. After a week of doing pregame shows trash-talking about he was going to go after "Mittens" Romney in this debate, the trash-talking Tim Pawlenty "of nuthin'" cowered like a shrinking violet while standing next to Mittens last night. Pawlenty could not look Mittens in the eye and tell him to his face what a flip-flopping liar he clearly is when given the opportunity. He was weak and ineffectual. Pawlenty "of nuthin'" failed to establish himself as the "anti-Romney" alternative last night. That leaves the door open for someone else to emerge.

The biggest loser last night, however, was TeaNN and its anchor John King, who should hang his head in shame for some of the lame-ass questions he asked last night. That was just embarrassing and painful to watch. TeaNN has lost all credibility as a legitimate news organization. TeaNN has joined the ranks of FAUX News Fraudcasting among the "not a legitimate news organization."

One final thought. The "serious" people, the D.C. media villagers and Beltway bloviators, will try to tell us that we should take these "serious" candidates oh so seriously. The "serious" people can't possibly be serious. Anyone who suffered through watching this farcical "debate" (sic) for two hours knows that no one on that stage is even remotely prepared or qualified to serve as president. Worn out cliches and bumper sticker slogans and ad hominem attacks do not a leader of the free world make.

If this all the GOP has to offer they should start over from scratch.

UPDATE: John King Turns GOP Debate into Bigger Joke Than it Already Was With 'This or That' Segments:

John King asked such hard-hitting questions as Leno or Conan to Rick Santorum, Elvis or Johnny Cash to Michele Bachmann, Dancing with the Stars or American Idol to Newt Gingrich, Blackberry or iPhone to Ron Paul, deep dish or thin crust to Herman Cain, spicey or mild wings to Mitt Romney and Coke or Pepsi to Tim Pawlenty.

* * *

Think Progress did a live blog of the debate that included some much needed fact checking that CNN's John King was apparently unwilling to do during this fiasco here — Live-Blogging The GOP Primary Debate.