It’s All About Control
Yes, you can hear tonight’s Republican National Committee debate on KXEL. No, I don’t think it matters in the grand scheme of things.
These debates, and the ones held four years ago by the DNC, are not about providing information about candidates, helping voters make their choice, or determining a course for the future.
It’s about money and control, simple as that…mainly control, though.
Look at the silly rules the RNC put out there…not a lot different from the ones the DNC did in the past. You have to swear a loyalty oath to whomever wins the nomination, showing complete allegiance to the party regardless of who the voters choose. You have to have an artificial number of donors, with no minimum amount donated, and the ability to literally pay people to donate to you. You also have to have a certain number of polls with a certain percentage…despite the fact that there are very few qualifying polls, and many did not include all the candidates, making it impossible for outside voices to be heard.
And that is the key part…those in charge want to stay in charge, by putting up candidates who will then owe them loyalty and continued power.
Oh, and if you dare stray from the mantra and participate in a non-RNC-sanctioned debate, you’re barred from participating in future debates. So much for state-based events; it’s all controlled by a very few people at each party. And note the problem…if because of these poor rules a number of candidates are left off the main stage, they are barred from holding their own separate event or risk shunning by the party poohbahs later.
The RNC should admit that their rules are dumb and did not work, and simply allow the others who were close to show up…who cares if there’s 14 of them on the stage, just extend the length of the program, or hold two separate events, one after the other.
Instead, the RNC is doubling down, refusing to allow candidates or surrogates who are not on the stage to be on site in the spin room, limiting how much of the material non-FOX affiliates can use, etc.
Ironic that the party of less government is the one with the most arcane and ridiculous rules. But that’s what hunger for continued power gets you…and it’s the one thing Republicans and Democrats can agree on—their insatiable thirst for power.
