By Jesse SaundersPHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
With a jaw-dropping 14 candidates still putting their all into becoming the 2016 Republican presidential candidate, the party does not really have the option to cancel one of its many debates.
This rational line of thought was ignored though after the NBC economics debate. Republican National Committee (RNC) chairman Reince Priebus accused CNBC’s moderators of giving questions in a petty and mean-spirited tone, made to embarrass the candidates.
After three debates, this presents a trend for the Republican Party. From Donald Trump’s comments about Megyn Kelly to the current accusations against CNBC’s moderators, the Republicans have created a clear pattern of blaming the moderators for their candidates’ failures. The decision to not only exclude a network, but also attempt to streamline the debates will cause a variety of issues for the party.
The last three debates have focused entirely on the frontrunners, ignoring the smaller and often more recognized Republican candidates for popular outsiders. The current strategy leaves many wondering if the Republicans will have any clear candidate before their convention in July.
This is not to excuse the lackluster moderation that has been on display this debate season though. While most of the failing can be accredited toward a party that is currently valuing shock and awe over policy and issue, the questioning has been less than stellar.
Questions that should be addressed by every candidate are almost nonexistent. Insults and snide remarks are thrown around the debate stage, sparked by moderator’s questions, or even the candidates themselves.
CNBC may have missed the mark at several points in the night, such as the strange fantasy football question posed to Chris Christie, but overall the current Republican debate setup is a mess. The refusal to work with a network is an even larger example of candidates running wild with little care or tact.
To save the remaining debates, the RNC has to stop pointing fingers and work on narrowing the field to the serious candidates, instead of just the performers gracing every front page.
Jesse Saunders is the treasurer of the Democrats of Hofstra University.
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