CNN Youtube GOP debate November 28, 2007

[UPDATE: Videos showing how CNN went wrong here and here.]

1. Huckster really showed how to demagogue, changing what appeared to be a question about giving illegal aliens college discounts into an answer generating pro-military applause. Romney made the important point that there's only so much money to go around... that is, before CNN had to move on to the next question.

2. Ron Paul just uttered North American Union on TV, answering a smear question about whether he supports conspiracy theories. His answer was fairly good given the time limits.

3. Some basic question about the national debt. It's like these people don't realize that candidates have websites where they've answered such questions.

...

4. How many and what type of guns do you own? This is a policy debate? Oh, wait, it isn't. It's CNN entertainment.

5. The issues with the question about torture should have been obvious even to CNN. People other than McCain have also been tortured, and they have divergent opinions. McCain is not the only authority on the subject.

PLANTS FOR HILLARY UPDATE: From this we learn that the Brigadier General who asked about gays in the military is a member of the "LGBT Americans For Hillary Steering Committee" (hillaryclinton.com/news/release/view/?id=2196 ; info). There's nothing about that on the page containing his question (youtube.com/watch?v=yIQTWX0bo7g), nor did he mention that in a pre-debate interview someone else did (youtube.com/watch?v=Md8Hm1LHVpI). On his Youtube profile, he lists his homepage as asknotfilm.com, which is producing a film about... don't ask don't tell. Just ordinary citizens asking questions, CNN-style.

"INVESTIGATE" "REPORTER" ANDERSON COOPER UPDATE: After the debate, he apparently said this, but only after Richard Bennett brought up the subject on the air:

"...Apparently there was a press release from some six months ago. Hillary Clinton office saying that [Kerr] had been named to some steering committee. We don't know if he's still on it. We're trying to find out that information. Certainly had we had that information we would have acknowledged that in using his question, if we had used it at all.

Politics · Wed, 11/28/2007 - 16:33 · · Importance: 1