RNC chief doubles down on debate boycott. Smart move for GOP?
CNN and NBC remain in the cross hairs of Republican National Committee chief Reince Priebus, over their plans for programs about Hillary Clinton. His threat to boycott those networks during the GOP presidential debates has its strategic advantages.
CNN and NBC remain in the cross hairs of Republican National Committee chief Reince Priebus, over their plans for programs about Hillary Clinton. His threat to boycott those networks during the GOP presidential debates has its strategic advantages.
Over the weekend Republican National Committee chief Reince Priebus doubled down on his threat to withhold 2016 GOP presidential debates from CNN and NBC if the networks air planned programs on Hillary Rodham Clinton.
On CNN鈥檚 鈥淪tate of the Union鈥� Sunday, host Candy Crowley asked Mr. Priebus whether he鈥檇 throw Fox News into the debate penalty box as well, given a New York Times report that a Fox sister company is in talks to produce the Hillary Clinton miniseries now slated to appear on NBC.
Priebus made it clear Fox would not be included in any RNC boycott. First of all, he downplayed the Times report, saying he 鈥渄oesn鈥檛 know the truth of anything you鈥檙e talking about,鈥� and that 鈥淚鈥檓 not going to boycott the food trucks that service all of the same companies.鈥�
Then he said he鈥檚 really aiming at the networks that may put Clinton shows on the air, whether the programs are scripted entertainment dramas or news documentaries.
鈥淲hat channel am I going to tune into to see the documentary and the miniseries that is all about promoting Hillary Clinton? And at this point, it sounds like it鈥檚 going to be CNN and NBC. And if that鈥檚 the case, they鈥檙e not going to be involved in our debates 鈥� period,鈥� said Priebus.
Plus, the RNC on Monday started running paid YouTube ads calling on CNN and NBC to 鈥渄ump the docs or lose debates.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 basically us putting our money where our mouth is,鈥� an RNC spokesman told Daniel Halper of The Weekly Standard.
Priebus took some heat for his 鈥淪tate of the Union鈥� performance from some members of the punditocracy on Monday. They felt the RNC chief appeared taken aback by the Fox News link, as if he hadn鈥檛 heard the latest developments.
鈥淭he words 鈥榙ue diligence鈥� don鈥檛 necessarily go with 鈥楻eince Priebus鈥� ... in this case,鈥� said Howard Fineman of the Huffington Post during an appearance on MSNBC鈥檚 鈥淢orning Joe.鈥�
But that criticism focuses on the one-day news cycle. Here鈥檚 our question: Is the RNC debate threat a smart strategic move, in the long term?
After all, as far as the national leaders of both parties are concerned, presidential primary debates have gotten out of hand. There are too many 鈥� 20 for the GOP in the 2012 cycle. Formats generally aren鈥檛 conducive to discussion. They鈥檙e controlled by media outlets, which make money from airing them, and state parties, which make money from co-hosting debates and associated fundraisers.
If Priebus wants to cut the debate schedule to 10 to 12, as recommended by the party鈥檚 2012 postmortem, he鈥檚 got to start exerting control over the process in some manner. The 鈥渄ump the docs鈥� effort may be a way to start to do just that.
By making the 鈥渓iberal鈥� mainstream media the target, Priebus and the RNC can get hosannas of agreement from pretty much every faction of every state party. Linking it to Mrs. Clinton is a bonus in this context, given that she鈥檚 the potential 2016 Democratic candidate Republicans most love to dislike.
And why shouldn鈥檛 the party pick where debates appear? Slate political analyst Dave Weigel wrote earlier this month that Republicans should debate one another only on Fox.
鈥淭hat could be fascinating,鈥� wrote Mr. Weigel. 鈥淩epublicans know exactly how to handle the mainstream media, and they know how to play against it.... They鈥檙e often more compelling when their interviews are pushing them from the right.鈥�
Or what about this: Why get any network involved at all? Today鈥檚 broadband technology makes it feasible for Republicans to stage and control debates completely, streaming the show to an online audience 脿 la Hulu, Netflix, and Amazon Prime.
Conservative commentator Edward Morrissey made this point in a column in The Week, saying that if Priebus wants to take serious steps toward reform, he should rethink the entire debate structure.
鈥淐NN responded to Priebus鈥� ultimatum by rejecting the demand, claiming that a refusal to partner with CNN on debates would be 鈥榯he ultimate disservice to voters.鈥� The ultimate disservice to both voters and candidates is the artificial, game-show circus that got repeated ad infinitum in 2011 and 2012. Priebus would do us all a favor by looking for an alternative that produces serious political debate rather than the Zinger of the Week,鈥� wrote Mr. Morrissey.