by Noah Crosley
contributor
Last Wednesday, Republicans across America glued themselves to a TV, computer or radio, in order to hear their candidates gut it out in the third national GOP debate. To the shock of many, the chosen host of the night was CNBC, a left-leaning, controversial network with a strong liberal viewer base. One could only expect tough questions, especially coming from those left-of-center. But the questions were not just difficult for the Republicans campaigning for the highest office in the land. They were downright unprofessional.
With nearly every question spurring some sort of passive-aggressive retort, an open statement of disapproval, or simply not getting answered at all, it’s clear that CNBC prepared a poor line of questions. Throughout the debate, Senators Paul (R-KY), Cruz (R-TX) and Rubio (R-FL) lashed out at the moderators, asking for rules on rebuttals or more time to speak, and for improper conduct to end. At this point, it was tough to tell if there was an inherent bias amongst the moderators, or if CNBC had simply appointed a few very bad questionnaires.
Nevertheless, in this debate, we heard some very impressive points, whether on economic reform, tax plans or the state of the country. A few candidates in particular stood out. With Dr. Ben Carson coming into the debate as the frontrunner, a lot of pressure was on his shoulders; however, he handled it well and made some excellent points and spread his message. Moreover, the junior senator from Florida, Marco Rubio, made a good impression on the GOP voter base, as he took to the podium in a confident and eloquent manner, leaving little room for doubt about his campaign.
In the end however, the worst showing was not from a candidate on stage, but from the network that put on the debate. In a twist of unexpected proportions, CNBC managed to unite the GOP, and the country for that matter, in hatred of poor journalism, agenda pushing and disrespect of the candidates. As a neutral watching the debate, I can only wonder if NBC will ever have a second chance with the GOP establishment.
