The Republican turmoil over their presidential debates is not dying down and it's not getting less messy. Sunday night's move by the campaigns to make their demands in a united front has predictably disintegrated. Donald Trump, probably the candidate best positioned to get his demands met, is going to the networks by himself with
his own demands, screw all those other guys. For Chris Christie and Carly Fiorina, not joining the group trying to pressure the networks to go easy on the Republicans is
a matter of bravado:
“First of all, there’s no deal in place among the candidates. So that’s erroneous reporting," Christie said on "Fox & Friends. "But secondly, you know, stop complaining. You know, do me favor. Set up a stage, put podiums up there, and let’s just go."
Carly Fiorina was quick to follow, telling "Fox & Friends" that her campaign wasn't at Sunday night's meeting and that she'd rather focus on Iowa. "We’ve had no trouble negotiating with the networks, and my policy remains what it’s always been: I’ll debate anyone, anytime, anywhere," the former Hewlett-Packard CEO said. "We need to understand that the media is not going to be fair."
We're so tough! The media is out to get us, but it doesn't matter to us, we'll debate as they try to drive trucks over us. Similarly, a spokesman for John Kasich, who is also not signing on to group demands, said "As the governor of Ohio we are used to answering tough questions all the time." (I was not aware governor of Ohio was a role that made the royal "we" appropriate.)
The good news for all the candidates—those being left behind in their futile effort at solidarity and those who just want podiums on the stage—is that they got the Republican National Committee's attention. RNC Chair Reince Priebus told ABC News that, while he supported the campaigns going directly to the networks, the moderators for a Republican debate should have to "at least care about the future of our party. I mean ... this is a Republican primary." Which is interesting.
It shouldn't be a surprise when you consider how they govern, but top to bottom, Republicans are making it clear that to them, "fair" in debate moderating means being on their side, not on the side of the facts. What matters is that it's a Republican primary, not that it's about who will be the next president of the United States. Let's consider them on the record on these points.