The biggest loser from GOP presidential debate? The mainstream media and CNBC
- Channel hosting debate is pummeled by 10 Republican candidates during prime-time contest
- Debate moderators challenged repeatedly on speaking time, incorrect facts during questions, snippy queries
- Republican-heavy audience boos moderators multiple times
By J. Taylor Rushing, U.S. Political Reporter
For Dailymail.com
Published: 21:59 EST, 28 October 2015
Updated: 22:45 EST, 28 October 2015
As pundits began to spin in the aftermath of Wednesday's prime-time Republican primary debate, one clear loser may be the one element in the room that received the biggest pummeling: CNBC.
The cable channel's hosts took a two-hour beating from the 10 candidates on stage on everything from their speaking time to the facts behind their questions to a widespread perception that the questions themselves were mean-spirited.
The Republican-heavy audience at the University of Colorado in Boulder repeatedly came to the candidates' defense, booing questions they believed were unfair.
It did not take long before they wanted to boo.
After a pleasant-but-quick opening question about their biggest weaknesses, CNBC moderator John Harwood asked GOP front-runner Donald Trump about his fiscal positions, ending with the tart exchange, 'Is this a comic book version of a presidential campaign?'
Trump called that 'not a very nicely asked question, the way you said that,' bringing to mind for some perhaps Trump's verbal sparring with Fox News moderator Megyn Kelly back in the opening moments of the first GOP debate in August in Cleveland.
But it got worse from there, as the moderators and candidates deteriorated into repeated, near-shouting matches when candidates seemed to take too long in their answers.
The back-and-forth fracas was widely reflected on Twitter, where renowned GOP pollster Frank Luntz praised Cruz for his attack on media bias and NBC 'Meet The Press' host Chuck Todd observing that the criticism suggested some candidates were struggling with the questions.
At other times, the candidates sparred with the moderators and 'the mainstream media' by saying their questions were factually incorrect.
When questioning the race's runner-up, Ben Carson, over his flat-tax plan, moderator Becky Quick got into a quarrel with Carson over the numbers behind his plan.
'That's not true,' Carson said at one point to Quick's statement that his numbers don't add up.
'It is true, I looked at the numbers,' Quick shot back.
At another point, moderator Carl Quintanilla mixed it up with Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, asking about his own fiscal plans as well as a South Florida Sun-Sentinel editorial that called on him to resign because of his poor attendance record in the Senate.
Rubio shot back that newspapers in Florida have traditionally given Democratic candidates a pass over the same criticism.
'This is another example of the double standard that exists in this country between the mainstream media and the conservative movement, Rubio said.
That created an opening shortly later for Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who lambasted the debate moderators.
'The questions that have been asked so far in this debate illustrate why the American people don't trust the media,' Cruz said.
'This is not a cage match. And, you look at the questions -- "Donald Trump, are you a comic-book villain?" "Ben Carson, can you do math?" "John Kasich, will you insult two people over here?" "Marco Rubio, why don't you resign?" "Jeb Bush, why have your numbers fallen?"
'How about talking about the substantive issues the people care about?'
When CNBC host John Harwood tried to pivot to another candidate and another issue, Cruz said, 'You don't want to hear my answer?'
To which Harwood sharply responded, 'You spent your time on something else.'
At another point, Cruz offered to buy tequila or marijuana for Quintanilla - a nod to Colorado's law legalizing recreational marijuana.
That prompted Quintanilla to Tweet: 'Mmmmm. Brownies.'
Cruz earned a hearty round of applause from the audience - who also weren't shy to boo the moderators during the second half of the debate.
The audience later booed a Harwood question to Trump about whether the billionaire has the 'moral authority' to be president - to which Trump commented, 'such a nasty question.'
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie had some of the best anti-media closing moments of the debate, interrupting the moderators as they were asking a question about fantasy football.
'We have $19 trillion in debt. We have people out of work. We have ISIS and al Qaeda attacking us. And we're talking about fantasy football? Can we stop? We're talking about fantasy football?' Christie said. 'Who cares?'
'Even in New Jersey, what you're doing is called rude,' Christie told Harwood shortly thereafter.
Trump joined in during his closing statement, reminding the audience that he negotiated with CNBC to cut the debate to two hours.
Harwood said, 'Just for the record, the debate was always going to be two hours.'
'That's not right. That is absolutely not right. You know that. That is not right,' Trump answered.
Carson, known for his soft speaking style, ended the evening by praising his candidates during his closing statement for 'being civil and not falling for the attacks.'
