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Pundit Questions Propriety of Presidential Debates
Semi-News/Semi-Satire ^ | 19 Oct 2012 | John Semmens

Posted on 10/19/2012 9:58:14 PM PDT by John Semmens

While debates have been a part of the electoral process since the beginning of this country, MSNBC's host of the show Hardball—Chris Matthews—questioned whether they should be.

“Should the President of the United States—America's 'first citizen' so to speak, and acknowledged leader of the free world—have to put up with the likes of someone like Mitt Romney?” Matthews wondered. “Isn't it bad enough that Romney is allowed to traipse about the country lambasting the President's policies? Is it fair to force the President to be confronted face-to-face with his detractor?”

Particularly irksome from Matthews point of view was the moment in last Tuesday's debate when Romney rebuffed Obama's interruption by urging the President to wait for his turn before speaking.

“Who does Romney think he is?” Matthews demanded to know. “Obama is THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. He should speak whenever he deems necessary. If the situation requires that he interrupt someone else then he should interrupt. Preventing him from interrupting strikes me as possibly unConstitutional.”

Matthews further charged that “Romney's notion that everyone should get a turn is simply childish. This is not some playground game. Treating it like it is was very disrespectful. While President Obama was too much of a gentleman to put Romney in his proper place I'm hoping the voters aren't so squeamish.”

In related news, CNN dismissed GOP complaints that their moderator—Candy Crowley—gave Obama more time to speak than Romney, interrupted Romney three times as often, and gave Obama the last word on 8 out of 11 occasions. “This debate was in line with the previous two debates of this campaign,” the network's managing editor Mark Whitaker maintained. “Showing the proper respect for the sitting President and Vice-President is not something we should be criticized for. Governor Romney should consider himself lucky he was allowed on the same stage as the President. The President would've been entirely within his rights to refuse to debate Mr. Romney, as was President Johnson when he refused to debate Goldwater in the 1964 election campaign.”

if you missed any of this week's other semi-news posts you can find them at...

http://www.freedomsphoenix.com/Opinion/121059-2012-10-19-semi-news-a-satire-of-recent-news-october-21-2012.htm


TOPICS: Government; History; Politics
KEYWORDS: debates; media; obama; satire
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1 posted on 10/19/2012 9:58:20 PM PDT by John Semmens
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To: #1CTYankee; 12Gauge687; 14erClimb; 21twelve; 2nd Bn, 11th Mar; 2ndDivisionVet; 3D-JOY; 43north; ...

ping


2 posted on 10/19/2012 9:59:43 PM PDT by John Semmens
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To: #1CTYankee; 12Gauge687; 14erClimb; 21twelve; 2nd Bn, 11th Mar; 2ndDivisionVet; 3D-JOY; 43north; ...

ping


3 posted on 10/19/2012 10:00:13 PM PDT by John Semmens
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To: John Semmens

This is not some playground game

Right on John, it should be treated as the professional match-up it is. Thus, I propose the debates be moderated by NFL officials. All that’s needed is a stopwatch, rulebook, and a button that will cut to dead air if a speaker violates the time limit, which will be strictly enforced. Why should the most important competition in the nation be overseen by any less than the best, most unbiased and objective officials that oversee our highest sporting events?

Think about it...

Even the black and white uniforms are perfect to show no racial bias. A perfect solution!


4 posted on 10/19/2012 10:05:49 PM PDT by bigbob
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To: John Semmens

I know it’s satire, but I somehow suspect that Chrissie wasn’t nearly as concerned about respect for the Presidency when Dubya was in office.


5 posted on 10/19/2012 10:08:07 PM PDT by Slings and Arrows (You can't have IngSoc without an Emmanuel Goldstein.)
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To: John Semmens
You do know what happened to Cassandra, right?

Stay away from guys named Ajax, and chicks named Clytemnestra.

/johnny

6 posted on 10/19/2012 10:11:07 PM PDT by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
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To: John Semmens

Matthews has that ‘battered wife’ look, kinda like he’d been beat up the night before but decided to come to work anyway.


7 posted on 10/19/2012 10:15:06 PM PDT by count-your-change (You don't have to be brilliant, not being stupid is enough.)
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To: John Semmens

8 posted on 10/19/2012 10:16:42 PM PDT by Brandonmark (2012: Our Hope IS Change!)
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To: John Semmens

Wow Chris Matthews is a total Obama groupie & in favor of deifying Obama to boot. Last time I checked the President was not supposed to be a dictator. Now THAT would be un- Constitutional Mr. Matthews. When I first read this I thought it might be from the Onion or something as Matthews is so over the top in his obsequiousness to Obama that it looks downright comical. I wonder if he knows how ridiculous he looks by making such pathetic points. I think he is in the wrong business as he would be better suited as a comic actor - oops - he is comic actor. Whether he intended it or not.


9 posted on 10/19/2012 10:18:04 PM PDT by Republican1795.
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To: John Semmens
It's President, NOT King! ... What a phukin fool.

10 posted on 10/19/2012 10:20:01 PM PDT by Bobalu (It is not obama we are fighting, it is the media.)
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To: John Semmens

BUMP!

Matthews is a moron


11 posted on 10/19/2012 10:35:06 PM PDT by GeronL (http://asspos.blogspot.com)
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To: John Semmens
Chris Matthews is a cartoon...

Thanks for the ping :)
12 posted on 10/20/2012 4:31:17 AM PDT by novemberslady
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To: bigbob

All that’s needed is a stopwatch, rulebook, and a button that will cut to dead air if a speaker violates the time limit, which will be strictly enforced.


Instead of cutting to dead air, can we get a button that administers a painful, electric shock?


13 posted on 10/20/2012 5:23:26 AM PDT by Rides_A_Red_Horse (If there is a war on women, the Kennedys are the Spec Ops troops.)
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To: John Semmens
Er ist Kein Kindergarten Krieg... Er ist Vernichtungskrieg!!!
14 posted on 10/20/2012 6:40:54 AM PDT by Chode (American Hedonist - *DTOM* -ww- NO Pity for the LAZY)
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To: John Semmens

Once again, your satires aren’t all that different than the reality.


15 posted on 10/20/2012 7:29:52 AM PDT by exDemMom (Now that I've finally accepted that I'm living a bad hair life, I'm more at peace with the world.)
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To: John Semmens

Very funny, John. Thanks again for the ping.


16 posted on 10/20/2012 7:40:00 AM PDT by fatnotlazy
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To: John Semmens

“Obama is THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES....”


Yes he is. That makes him my employee. This is not a Monarchy. He is not a king. Matthews is speaking from a false, and dangerous, paradigm.

He does not deserve to have a public pulpit.


17 posted on 10/20/2012 7:47:50 AM PDT by cuban leaf (Were doomed! Details at eleven.)
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To: John Semmens

Funny - Ewwww.


18 posted on 10/20/2012 7:59:58 AM PDT by Mike Darancette (Obama didn't fix it.)
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To: Brandonmark

What has been seen... cannot be unseen.


19 posted on 10/20/2012 8:26:43 AM PDT by wastedyears (The First Law of Heavy Metal: Not all metal is satanic.)
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To: John Semmens

Zackly!

The networks should be PROHIBITED from running these debates and the “moderators” need to be selected from a less bias pool, and FORCED to follow some very specific rules.


20 posted on 10/20/2012 9:03:28 AM PDT by G Larry (Which of Obama's policies do you think I'd support if he were white?)
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