Hugh Hewitt, the conservative radio host, will participate in the Republican presidential debate hosted by CNN in partnership with Salem Communications.
News outlets, including TPM, had originally reported that Hewitt would be moderating the debate, but CNN stressed that the radio host would only participate in a question and answer session with other journalists. CNN debates are normally moderated by a CNN anchor.
A previous Politico story published at 8:43 AM on Tuesday said that Hewitt would moderate the debate. That story linked to a press statement quoting Hewitt. The link is now broken though. Another Politico blog post at Politico’s Media Blog said Hewitt would just participate in the debate and included a correction at the bottom saying that an earlier version said he would be co-moderator.
“He will instead “join in the Q&A of this debate, per the RNC [Republican National Committee] memo,” the correction said.
In a followup post on Politico, Hewitt is quoted as saying that he isn’t planning on stealing the limelight when he asks his questions.
“Every debate panelist ought to view a great debate as one in which no one knows the name of the Panelists,” Hewitt told Politico. “You ask good questions and get provocative answers. But if you’re named in the paper the next day, you’re screwed up.”
The debate in question will take place on Sept. 16 at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.
Salem Media Group, which broadcasts Hewitt’s radio show, is partnering with traditional media outlets for three of the 2016 Republican presidential debates. Salem Communications, a small media company which started out on talk radio in the 1980s, has made a number of major conservative media acquisitions in the past few years, including Michelle Malkin’s Twitchy and Erick Erickson’s Red State.
I suppose it was too much for a progressive Dem to hope for. Also, this probably marks the first and last time that “Hugh Hewitt” and “moderate” have appeared in such close proximity.
He will be wearing an all-body news condom…
Well, now I’m confused. Is he participating in the debate like a candidate or posing questions to the candidates like a moderator or engaging in a discussion with other reporters after the debate like a pundit?
This almost as big of semantic rat hole as the one he tried to drag David Corn into yesterday.
Edit to add: Will his questions be tough like a war zone, dicey like a combat situation or funny like a riot?
That’ll teach TPM from getting its information from Politico. Every article Politico publishes requires extensive fact-checking by an outside third-party of journalists, and multiple sources for confirmation at that. Never take them at their word. Shoddy reporting seems to be their claim to fame.
And who the fuck smiles like that? Seriously. Look at that guy’s eyes from the photo. His smile is plastered on that mug of his, but the eyes are completely dead. I say he’s a Zombie looking at that picture.
Meet the Press on steroids.