Mitt Romney Causes CNN Debate Cancellation, Does Something Great For America

Good news, America! It looks as if a revival of the interminable series of candidate debates that dogged the countryside like a Biblical plague in the early part of the campaign season is not going to happen. Everyone can get on with their lives, and, if necessary, just replay highlights of the previous four hundred debates, content in the knowledge that the moderators basically ran out of new questions to ask everybody back in October. Today, a March 1 debate that was to be hosted by the Georgia Republican Party and aired on CNN, has been called off, as candidates signaled they would not be participating:

Leading the way is Mitt Romney. As Elise Foley noted on HuffPost's 2012 blog:

The Mitt Romney campaign confirmed on Thursday that the candidate will skip a March 1 debate due to scheduling issues ahead of "Super Tuesday" on March 6, Sarah Boxer of CBS/National Journal first reported on Twitter.

Andrea Saul, a spokeswoman for Romney, said that he will be campaigning in other states at the time of the CNN debate.

Romney wasn't alone in ditching the Georgia debate. ABC News Political Director Amy Walter reported, via Twitter, that Ron Paul was out as well. Paul spokesman Jesse Benton told Walter that the Texas Congressman was going to be busy on the trail, "focus[ing] on a bunch of western caucuses." ABC's Michael Falcone added: "Santorum campaign hasn't 'made a firm' decision on Georgia debate, but source says they are likely to skip too."

That would have left CNN with nothing to do but spend a couple of hours broadcasting Newt Gingrich debating himself. Admittedly, this would have been an inspired idea:

But Gingrich spokesman R.C. Hammond is basically flipping his lid right now, tweeting, "[Mitt Romney] spits in Georgia's face and cancels Atlanta debate appearance." His anger is understandable. Gingrich has been in need of a debate matchup in a friendly, home-base state for several weeks now. The last time his campaign surged, it was because Gingrich knew instinctively how to excite South Carolina voters. Not getting to take on the field (and the media) in his home state puts a damper on his comeback hopes (which have already experienced a setback in the form of Texas pushing back its April primary to late May).

But it's not going to happen now. In a statement, CNN says, "Without full participation of all four candidates, CNN will not move forward with the Super Tuesday debate." In addition, MSNBC has canceled the pre-Super Tuesday debate that it was scheduled to host at the Reagan Library in Simi Valley, California. That means the only debates on the horizon are CNN's February 22nd face-off in Mesa, Arizona, and a March debate in Oregon hosted by PBS.

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Comments

[FedUp1713]

07:18 PM on 02/22/2012

while you known knowledge children sit (non working) and post constantly about your (emphasise) LEARNED KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THIS COUNTRY. Have you ever thought about your grandparents, or most your parents. Have youever gotten past your day thinking of not yourself. Now is the time to listen to your grandparents and peerhapes someone other then yourself. think outside the box (obama) they all tell you, but they put you in the box. Marxism? looks good to those who DON'T DO anything but recieve. Go ahead and recieve what everyone else do'es it can't last forever will you be 40 when this U.S.A. collapses because you we'er lazy then you will pay dearly. worse than those of us that make this U.S.A. reality

[ennis438]

06:24 AM on 02/18/2012

I don't blame Mitt the Flip one bit for pulling out of the Georgia debate. His advisors are afraid that if he sticks his foot in his mouth enough, some time he will swallow it.

[carburetor]

10:53 PM on 02/17/2012

The GOP debates have inspired millions of voters to support the Democratic party. Anyone listening to these guys tear each other down has to realize that the moral character of these people is reprehensible. Who with good conscience, could ever vote for any of them? They have no plan for America, only a plan for themselves. Obama isn't perfect, but he's a great deal better than anyone in the GOP stable. A stable in need of a shovel.

[geo kou]

10:58 PM on 03/06/2012

i would vote ron paul carburetor. on the ground that he is the only one making sense. except the gop will never let him get the nomination. thus oops obama wins again.

but the rest are trash actually worse than trash all of them are fake. you can sense they are fake as well. I dont know how anyone can buy into them.

at least with ron you know hes honest and really is believable when you think about it in common sense terms.

abortion and such moral issues are a hot topic but government should not be there telling us what to do morally anyway as long as its not the choices of the people themselves and not hurting others.

personally i am fiscally conservative but socially liberal like most people with common sense.

save money and shop wisely not wasting money cutting waste and fraud, abuse, cutting wars we don't need while trying hard to balance the budget, people have choices for their own lives/

declare the wars when needed by congress NOT president. acts of war should be discussed first not told to us after the fact. Discuss if we want the war first.

fine voted then get it done as quickly as possible not nation build. yes syria has rebels that want to fight their dictator we put in.

fine good and all go win the fight we wont help him. But we are flat out broke how can we help them?

[modrnknght]

04:42 PM on 02/17/2012

Newt Gingrich is the Michael Myers of American politics. Every time you think and hope he's done, he comes back.

[rf dude]

11:08 AM on 02/17/2012

So, the only way RP has to get attention now is to NOT attend a "debate".

How creative!

[ruthtruth]

09:59 AM on 02/17/2012

Thank goodness. I've heard enough of their ideas to give me nightmares for a long, long time. I certainly don't need any more.

[den1953]

09:13 AM on 02/17/2012

Seems like the Republican candidates are having a easy enough time shooting themselves in the foot without the help of another debate, the more they talk the more gaffes they make there is only so much tax cuts for the wealthy, cut programs that hurt the middle class and poor, hate on all immigration,hate women, and make sure every American goes without health insurance the Republicans can muster.........

[gfe]

08:50 AM on 02/17/2012

i wanted to know what flavor ice cream they were.....

[ruthtruth]

09:59 AM on 02/17/2012

The major flavor was BS.

[gfe]

10:38 AM on 02/18/2012

for a stupid question by a moderator.....

[DawgBone5]

08:33 AM on 02/17/2012

The Republican candidates made a tactical error.

They staged enough debates to give the public a good idea of what they are really like.

[oscartucker]

09:20 AM on 02/17/2012

Exactly, and we have seen the clowns in operation. Those "left" are the same as all of those who dropped out.
NG needed this "debate" more than anyone else. He will have to figure out other ways to get behind the mic and in front of the camera toattack.

[ruthtruth]

10:00 AM on 02/17/2012

Yup. F&F

[mrgneiss]

08:17 AM on 02/17/2012

Great article on Ron Paul, apparently many of his people, disgusted with the way some of the primaries and caucuses have been run, are taking over the GOP machinery in some states:

http://www.businessinsider.com/ron-paul-maine-caucuses-gop-takeover-2012-2

Apparently this will protect Ron Paul from more shenanigans at the convention and help him seal the win. I didn't know this but he is second in the lead with delegates now, I guess the MSM is doing a good job covering this up, like most truths that are inconvenient for them:

http://www.dailypaul.com/214504/the-real-delegate-score-romney-93-paul-82

[ugo2020]

09:32 AM on 02/17/2012

i hear that RP is second in delegates but all the media is saying he's last. How do you know he's doing so well?

[mrgneiss]

10:43 AM on 02/17/2012

Because I don't listen to MSM, right or left, and dig myselft to find the truth, not want the MSM want me to hear. Read it in the links I provided.

[rf dude]

11:11 AM on 02/17/2012

Oh look - two socks talking to themselves!!

How cute!

[ruthtruth]

10:03 AM on 02/17/2012

Scroll up to the top of the page and see where he is as far a delegates. Oh, wait , his name isn't even there. I wonder why?

[tlgeiger62]

08:03 AM on 02/17/2012

They simply did not want Gingrich on friendly soil...this is simply proof that this entire process is extremely flawed. Debates are the best way to reach the majority of the American public. These whistle stops are worthless!!

[George McAulay]

07:57 AM on 02/17/2012

It would seem on what we have seen so far in the debates, the winning GOP candidate will be the one who promises to give the biggest kicking to the 99%

[Novelist56]

07:35 AM on 02/17/2012

And I was going to get more popcorn.

[oscartucker]

09:22 AM on 02/17/2012

Keep the popcorn. FF, RS's big supporter isn't finished. MR entertains every day, though he is painful to watch.

[FLFan]

11:24 AM on 02/17/2012

Mitt IS painful to watch. Ever notice that he can't turn his head without turning his entire body? Almost robotic.

[fiLthyLiberaLdotcom]

07:19 AM on 02/17/2012

These clowns have realized that telling the US voter what they are really planning to do to the country will sink their chances of becoming president and have to figure out new and better ways to confuse, obfuscate, and dodge issues prior to voting day. The less the voter knows about them the better, is what they've realized.

[RichieB]

07:39 AM on 02/17/2012

This is true.

[gfe]

08:48 AM on 02/17/2012

it STILL works for obama

[fiLthyLiberaLdotcom]

06:11 PM on 02/17/2012

That's the best you got? meh...

[huff reader]

07:19 AM on 02/17/2012

Poor Newtie doesn't get to fan the flames of hate among his former redneck constitutents. Darn.