MSM is shaping the race

[MikeBjerum]

Oh Shock!

I was able to catch decent parts of the debate last night, and it is disgusting how the MSM is shaping this.  Between the questions, the moderating, the positioning (may have been luck of the draw, but camera face time was focused), and the follow ups it is clear that the MSM wants Newt and Romney.  If you went by audience response from the parts I saw the winner would have been Santorum, followed by Paul, Newt and Romney were tied for third, and the moderator came in dead last with many boooooooooos.

Every once in a while it is reaffirmed that we are nothing but puppets on their strings.  We are only here so the producers can see what it takes for their talking heads to tug the right string to get them the best story.  Have you ever watched these movies where the powerful bet on what the outcome of their manipulations of a person's life will be?  I picture the producers at each of the MSM outlets putting a buck on the table to prove they can push their guy over on us 

[Timothy]

Wolf Blitzer is an idiot anyway but I agree that the candidates have little defense on how these things play out!

[santahog]

I'd like to see the candidates get together in advance and agree on a list of topics and order, ignoring the moderator. (And promise to stick to the agreement dispite the Mods prodings.) They ought to pull this on a Mod that has already shown himself to be frivolous in a previous debate..

Wolf wasted everybodys time last night..

[tombogan03884]

Santorum is history unless he can come up with more money.

http://news.yahoo.com/tired-broke-santorum-heads-home-taxes-084655933.html

As for the media shaping the race, they always have.
They were less effective, though far more strident in the days of print only, 1860 being a prime example, but TV has effected ,or tried to effect election out comes since at least the Kennedy/Nixon debates .

[Timothy]

I couldn't watch, I get about 13 channels here, four of which are Spanish channels, one is French and two are shopping channels.

CNN ain't one of 'em..

[Sponsor]

[MikeBjerum]

I'd like to see the candidates get together in advance and agree on a list of topics and order, ignoring the moderator. (And promise to stick to the agreement dispite the Mods prodings.) They ought to pull this on a Mod that has already shown himself to be frivolous in a previous debate..

Wolf wasted everybodys time last night..

+100!

When Santorum called on the other two to stick to issues and not each other there was agreement.  When Romney brought up Newt's comments from earlier in the week, they eventually addressed those and tried to move on.  Wolf would not let them.  He kept going back to income, earned vs. investment (as if people that make money off investments don't do anything to keep them working), and regardless of how it was explained Wolf beat the tax the rich drum by sticking to the idea that Newt would not tax Romney at all.  It was obvious that Wolf and who ever was pulling his strings want a Romney vs. BHO November.

Sadly I have to admit that the only thing we will get in November is a BHO vs. Non-BHO ballet.  We are not going to get away from the big government machine.

Does anyone know how the staging was decided?  The Santorum, Newt, Romney, Paul order with Wolf standing in front of them with his back to the audience arrangement gave Newt and Romney far more camera time than the others.  Wolf even treated Santorum and Paul as if they were afterthoughts.  Who organized and dictated this?

[tombogan03884]

This from H L Menken

The larger the mob, the harder the test. In small areas, before small electorates, a first-rate man occasionally fights his way through, carrying even the mob with him by force of his personality. But when the field is nationwide, and the fight must be waged chiefly at second and third hand, and the force of personality cannot so readily make itself felt, then all the odds are on the man who is, intrinsically, the most devious and mediocre—the man who can most easily adeptly disperse the notion that his mind is a virtual vacuum. The Presidency tends, year by year, to go to such men. As democracy is perfected, the office represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. We move toward a lofty ideal. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last, and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron.[28]

[santahog]

Does anyone know how the staging was decided?  The Santorum, Newt, Romney, Paul order with Wolf standing in front of them with his back to the audience arrangement gave Newt and Romney far more camera time than the others.  Wolf even treated Santorum and Paul as if they were afterthoughts.  Who organized and dictated this?

Generally speaking, I think they put the highest polling candidates toward the center and go out from there. The debate last night would reflect that, I suppose.. Paul seems almost always far stage left.. Perry was put on the outside in the last SC debate for the same reason..

[dipisc]

Hi;

    I seldom watch any debate, this election is no different.  All  of the networks tried to get "zingers" in from watching the news the next day.

    From what the candidates have said themselves is that   Huckabee's   debate on his show was the best any of them had, it was cafefully handled as to equal time, decent questions and rebutals.   Did anyone here watch them and will concur ?

     We have to pick the best liar,  anyone but O'Bama