In the run-up to the Aug. 6 Republican presidential debate, MSNBC host Rachel Maddow ridiculed Fox News for its handling of its two-tiered strategy: An afternoon JV debate among seven struggling candidates and an evening main event for the top 10. And in a display of evenhandedness, she’s now doing the same thing to CNN, which is hosting the Sept. 16 showdown among the GOP field at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Calif.
Last night, CNN announced its qualifiers for the varsity debate after having adjusted the criteria in a way that accommodates candidate Carly Fiorina, who excelled at the Fox News undercard event. One result of the switch is that the main debate will feature 11 candidates instead of just 10. Maddow: “It’s amazing. It’s amazing. It’s amazing. I mean, it’s one thing for Fox to kind of fudge this because you think, ‘Oh, Fox is a Republican organization, they have someone who they want to win and they’ll run things in a way that allows that person favorable treatment.’ For CNN to do this, it’s just — I mean, it’s worse than catch-as-catch-can — I won’t say really what I think it is. I find it amazing this is the way that any major political party is picking their presidential candidate this year. It’s a total mess.”
Except for one omission: The Fox News approach, despite a sparse crowd at Quicken Loans Arena to greet the JV team, actually produced an outstanding civic clash — one that drew plaudits from an array of commentators. CNN faces quite a challenge to match its competitor. Next time around, Maddow should just take a leave of absence and run these things herself.
