GOP presidential contenders are raging against the media in wake of what they described as unfair treatment during CNBC’s debate, and have gone so far as to create demands aimed at news networks hosting future presidential debates in the 2016 campaign cycle.
Requirements Republicans have come up with so far include the right to approve any graphics and candidate biographies, shorter debates, no lightning round question, no questions asking candidates to raise their hands, and 30-second introductory and closing statements. They even suggested keeping the temperature under 67 degrees.
But wait a second. Aren’t debates supposed to benefit the voters, too?
In light of so many stipulations being created by the candidates campaigning to serve the American people as Commander in Chief, TheWrap turned to its readers to see what their demands are for the 15 remaining candidates.
The temperature wasn’t one of them, but they did have some pretty good ideas.
@TheWrap Truth? Acceptance of facts? You know, basic stuff.
— Devin Comiskey (@devincomiskey) November 3, 2015
@TheWrap I want them to stop whining — dwnthalane (@dwnthalane) November 3, 2015
@TheWrap Live onscreen truth meter graphics.
— Gary St. Lawrence (@GaryStLawrence) November 3, 2015
@TheWrap 30 minutes of nothing but strictly YES/NO policy, position and intent questions with no elaboration allowed. — Gary St. Lawrence (@GaryStLawrence) November 3, 2015
@TheWrap I want them to go away
— BoricuaEnSC (@ArroyoEacid) November 3, 2015
@TheWrap How about the truth? — Barb (@babsiemay) November 3, 2015
On Facebook, Jeff Rey demanded candidates “avoid abortion, planned parenthood, and gay marriage as ‘genuinely important’ issues.
Dani Babb pleaded for candidates to offer good conversation about privacy laws.
“This ridiculous notion that technology companies cannot create encryption that they can’t decrypt themselves is absurd. Where to balance individual privacy with security…” she wrote.
Not all GOP candidates have hopped aboard the complaint train. Chris Christie, Carly Fiorina, and John Kasich have refused to sign a letter to the networks, essentially telling the other candidates to stop whining. And Donald Trump, of course, will negotiate with networks himself.
The next debate airs on Fox Business on Nov. 10. The network is already hyping its event as the “real debate about our economy and our future,” since CNBC “never asked the real questions.”