Why Does Candy Crowley Still Have a Job at CNN?
Journalism: If the mainstream press had any self-respect, presidential debate moderator Candy Crowley would be out of work today. Even by the media-bias standards we've come to expect, she set a new, unforgivable low.
In a pre-debate interview with the Baltimore Sun's David Zurawik, Crowley talked about how she saw her role as moderator.
"These are two grown men," she said, "and if there are two grown men who should know what's going on, or what should go on in this country, it's them. So I'm not sure either of them needs me to defend them or go after the other guy or whatever."
But that's precisely what Crowley did at Tuesday's debate. She constantly defended Obama and went after the other guy. If you don't believe it, read the transcript.
Crowley repeatedly interrupted Romney — 28 times by one count vs. nine for Obama — and cut Romney off when he was scoring points against Obama. Examples:
Crowley: "Mr. Romney, Governor Romney, there'll be plenty of chances here to go on, but I want to ... "
Crowley: "Will — will — you certainly will have lots of time here coming up."
Crowley: "(Inaudible) ... in the follow-up, it doesn't quite work like that. But I'm going to give you a chance here. I promise you, I'm going to."
Crowley: "Governor, I want to move you along."
Crowley: "Governor Romney, you can make it short. See all these people? They've been waiting for you. (Inaudible) ... make it short (inaudible)."
She hit Romney with pointed follow-up questions.
Crowley: "If somehow when you get in there, there isn't enough tax revenue coming in. If somehow the numbers don't add up, would you be willing to look again at a 20% (rate cut)?"
Crowley: "I know that you signed an assault-weapons ban when you were in Massachusetts; obviously, with this question, you no longer do support that. Why is that, given the kind of violence that we see sometimes with these mass killings? Why is it that you have changed your mind?"
She pressed him to stay on topic:
Crowley: "Governor, governor, if I could, the question was about these assault weapons that once were ... banned and are no longer banned."
Crowley: "We're way off topic here, Governor Romney."
And she was generally boorish to Romney.
Crowley: "If I could have you sit down, Governor Romney. Thank you."
Contrast that with the way she deferentially talked to Obama:
Crowley: "Let me give the president a chance."
Crowley: "Governor, let me ask the president something about what you just said."
Crowley: "Mr. President, why don't you get in on this quickly, please?"
Plus, Crowley let Obama talk 9% longer than Romney.
If this were all, it would be bad enough. But the truly unpardonable sin was when she threw Obama a lifeline after the attack on the consulate in Libya came up.
Romney caught Obama claiming he'd labeled the attack an act of terror the day after it happened, even though for weeks the administration blamed a YouTube video. Crowley, apparently forgetting her promise not to jump in and "help," leapt to Obama's defense.
Crowley: "It — it — it — he did in fact, sir. So let me — let me call it an act of terror ... "
Obama: "Can you say that a little louder, Candy?"
Crowley: "He — he did call it an act of terror."
Except, Obama didn't, and after the debate was over Crowley admitted that Romney was "right in the main."
Don't get us wrong; we think Romney clearly won the debate — for reasons we explain nearby — even though he had to do so while fighting off two fact-challenged opponents. But after this display of flagrant partisanship, can someone please explain to us why Candy Crowley still has a job at CNN? |
