Lindsey Graham Blasts RNC Debate Management: It’s Hurting The Party

Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) on Thursday morning tore into the Republican National Committee’s attempt to manage the Republican presidential debates for the 2016 cycle, arguing that the debate formats have been hurting the party.

“I think the Republican Party is becoming the loser here. We’ve got talented candidates. The process is not bringing out the best in the party. The RNC is trying to correct the last cycle’s problem of too many debates. They’ve overdone it. They’re micromanaging the process,” Graham said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.” “I don’t think the RNC could run a one-card funeral. This is getting pretty bad.”

Graham suggested that the RNC mix up the frontrunners with the candidates lower in the polls for two debates with the same number of candidates.

“This micromanaging, trying to knock people out based on national polls is hurting New Hampshire, Iowa, and South Carolina,” Graham said.

Following the debates, numerous candidates complained about the CNBC moderators and RNC management of the debates. Ben Carson’s campaign manager plans on calling other campaigns and assemble a group of candidates to confront the RNC over the debate formats.

Watch Graham’s interview via MSNBC:

Notable Replies

  1. Allowing these guys to talk on national television is definitely hurting the party.

  2. Let me check with Horton to see if he hears Who is out there.

  3. “I think the Republican Party is becoming the loser here. We’ve got talented candidates.”
    STOP. Right there. NO You DO NOT have “talented candidates” you have a sorry bunch of bloviating morons racing to the bottom of the electoral gene pool to try to get Cletus-McDumbFuck to vote “'fer 'im 'cause he hates on 'te Lib’ruls”.
    It is self-defeating nonsense and you know it, but you are trapped by your own creation: The Tea Party.
    Enjoy your descent into irrelevance.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

36 more replies

Participants

Avatar for system1 Avatar for pluckyinky Avatar for ajaykalra Avatar for caterpillar Avatar for gelfling545 Avatar for humpback Avatar for avattoir Avatar for fargo116 Avatar for chammy Avatar for commiedearest Avatar for rudesan Avatar for sandyh Avatar for mantan Avatar for clearwater Avatar for buckyor Avatar for johnscotus Avatar for lkharter Avatar for captaincommonsense Avatar for khaaannn Avatar for pine Avatar for darrtown Avatar for pshah Avatar for beattycat Avatar for boisdevache

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: