NBC NOT AOK WITH THE RNC.

January 18, 2016
by Ken Berwitz
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Ken Berwitz


Do you remember the Republiican presidential debate hosted by CNBC last October?  

Do you remember the (there\’s no way to sugar coat this) stupid questions?  The intentional focus on trying to get one candidate to fight with another instead of discussing issues of importance to the country?

Dear Mr. Lack,

I write to inform you that pending furtherdiscussion between the Republican National Committee (RNC) and our presidentialcampaigns, we are suspending the partnership with NBC News for the Republicanprimary debate at the University of Houston on February 26, 2016. The RNC\’ssole role in the primary debate process is to ensure that our candidates aregiven a full and fair opportunity to lay out their vision for America\’s future.We simply cannot continue with NBC without full consultation with ourcampaigns.

The CNBC network is one of your media properties,and its handling of the debate was conducted in bad faith. We understand thatNBC does not exercise full editorial control over CNBC\’s journalistic approach.However, the network is an arm of your organization, and we need to ensurethere is not a repeat performance.

CNBC billed the debate as one that wouldfocus on “the key issues that matter to all voters-job growth, taxes,technology, retirement and the health of our national economy.”  That wasnot the case. Before the debate, the candidates were promised an openingquestion on economic or financial matters. That was not the case. Candidateswere promised that speaking time would be carefully monitored to ensurefairness. That was not the case.  Questions were inaccurate or downright offensive.The first question directed to one of our candidates asked if he was running acomic book version of a presidential campaign, hardly in the spirit of how thedebate was billed.

That status – a suspension of the RNC/NBC “partnership” for the February 26th debate – has held until today.  But now it has been resolved.  And I doubt that the resolution is to NBC\’s liking.

This afternoon, the RNC debate committee voted – unanimously – to dump NBC as its partner.  The debate will still take place as scheduled, but on a different network – which may or may not have been determined already (if not, you can bet that the others will be lining up for it, since debates are huge money-makers.)

Personally, I think this not only was the right response, it was long overdue.  

At the time of the debate I blogged that it was a farce.  Here is how my blog began:

One question in and I\’m thisclose to watching basketball instead.

The first question asked of Republican candidates by Carl Quintanilla (paraphrased):  “What is your biggest weakness – and don\’t say things like I try too hard”

I swear that is what was asked of them.

We have economic issues.  Military issues.  Health care issues.  Immigration issues.  etc. etc. etc.  And the first thing this moron asks is for the candidates to tell us, in their own words, what\’s wrong with them.

Idiot.  Moron.  I hope one of the candidates –  I don\’t care who – reams this fool but good.

8:45 – I\’m watching the single most disgraceful “debate” I have ever seen. Three moderators, Carl Quintanilla, Becky Quick and John Harwood, are not asking questions, but launching attacks.  “Here\’s what\’s wrong with you.  Discuss”, over and over again. 

Be assured, my opinion has not changed.

Now:  will this dumping of NBC have an effect on future Republican debates?  Democrat debates as well?  

I hope so.  I hope it forces the networks to think long and hard about whether they are supposed to be facilitating a debate to inform the public of candidates\’ views on issues, or trying to devolve it into a mindless reality game show.

NBC, through its CNBC arm, tried to turn the Republican debate into the mindless reality game show – something it did not do for Democrats, as last night\’s mostly substantive debate showed.

Put bluntly, the network bared its overt partisanship and screwed Republicans over.  Now it is going to pay the price.

Good.  Maybe next time – if there is a next time for NBC – it will act like a news organization, not a propaganda arm of the Democrat Party.

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