Its Official Now: MI Gives Up Petetion

[UtahApocalypse]

Well we finally have a official statement from "Michigan Republican Party Blog" about the petition. The blog post is really lame but at least a semi-retraction:

Michigan Republican Party Blog

 

[JoshLowry]

He still doesn't get it.

In short, the so called 3rd tier candidates have had their chance to make an impression and if they cannot poll beyond 1 or 2 percentage points of support, they are simply getting in the way of the real debate of how to move our party and our country forward.

400 randomly called people who still pick up their phone from ambiguous 1-800 numbers get to decide who participates in a debate?

That is a great solution in deciding who gets to speak in a debate.

 

[Mattsa]

Well we finally have a official statement from "Michigan Republican Party Blog" about the petition. The blog post is really lame but at least a semi-retraction:

Michigan Republican Party Blog

Congressman Paul’s controversial statements about the United State and who’s to blame for 9-11, combined with the splendid reaction of Mayor Giuliani and then my own heated reaction, stole the spotlight from the bigger point I really wanted to make and still think is important – continuing these “debates” as they are currently structured is not to our benefit, nor to our candidates, not to our party, nor to the country.


The splendid reaction of Mayor Guiliani huh???????????

Spleendid more like

What a bloody comedian!

 

[Kandilynn]

I agree that the format of the debates (and the circular logic, evading the questions, and interruptions of most candidates) caused the viewers not to get a chance to know all of the candidates. I think they could solve this issue by splitting the debates up into two nights with 5 candidates each. They could draw numbers the night of the first debate to see who is going to debate that night, and then the other candidates should be able to participate by having the chance to ask a question of the candidates debating.

 

[cujothekitten]

I agree with him on one point... the format for these debates are horrible.

I would like to see it split up and continuous. Let 2 or three of them debate at a time and air them at different times. It shouldn't be a podium kind of debate but a round table discussion.

They need to start using the internet as well.

 

[AlexAmore]

If it was split up then people who already knew what candidate they liked would probably only watch that one debate and ignore the others, right?

 

[Bryan]

I fail to understand how, which such a lack of critical thinking skills or ethics this man can be in charge of a GOP hub- it's no wonder the party is going down.

Seems he couldn't resist taking the "Ron Paul supporters are uncivil" jab:

Finally, I want apologize to the RNC and our State Committee leadership (and my wife) who received obnoxious, annoying and disruptive emails or phone calls. My best advice to you is to ignore them (and/or just blame me).

Unfortunately for us it's impossible to defend ourselves from lies or separate us from those who wish to discredit the movement towards liberty and peace.

 

[cujothekitten]

If it was split up then people who already knew what candidate they liked would probably only watch that one debate and ignore the others, right?

Split meaning rotating. Lets say there are 3 to a debate, after that they mix them up again so they're debating different people. That way they all get longer responses and can respond to each other instead of just answering questions from a moderator.

This kind of format might work better for their schedules as well.

 

[MsDoodahs]

Somebody got taken to the woodshed!

The only thing I have to say is ...

Don't worry Saul, they all DO blame you.

 

[CurtisLow]

Thanks to all the people that called and emailed MI to force them to drop the Petition!

Good Job!

 

[axiomata]

I'm glad he decided to reconsider, and I understand his frustration with the debate format, but if he thinks the best way to make the debates better is to censure candidates with different viewpoints so that everybody speaks the same message then he just doesn't get the point of debates. It'd be better to break down the debates to sub debates on specific issues between specific candidates who have different opinions on a given issue.

For example, you could have McCain and Paul debate Rudy and Romney on torture. You could have Rudy debate someone who supports a federal ban on abortion and Paul who is strongly opposed to it, but takes the states rights approach. You could have a Christian evangelical like Brownback debate someone with a differing view of the role of religion in politics. And of course a Paul v. All on Iraq.

It'd be much easier to schedule this way (easier to get a few people's schedules to agree than 10) and issues voters will tune in to their issue of interest.

 

[AlexAmore]

How about this quote in the announcement "We have given 10 candidates 3 hours of national TV time." Ummm...they didn't "give" them anything. According to Ron Paul, it costs each candidate $25,000 to participate in the debate!

 

[mdh]

Finally, I want apologize to the RNC and our State Committee leadership (and my wife) who received obnoxious, annoying and disruptive emails or phone calls. My best advice to you is to ignore them (and/or just blame me).

I find this kind of weak. I don't know of anyone who did anything obnoxious or annoying, and the only thing disruptive was the massive volume! I'd like to put an open invitation out there to Mr. Anuzis to let us know just what it was that was obnoxious or annoying, so that we'll know who it was, if anyone, that was taking part in anything less than mature.

 

[thePhilosopher]

Just goes to show that the Paul Internet Zombies can make Republican big wigs run for their lives!

 

[tnvoter]

"I am and have always been a big supporter of open primaries, open discussion and the sharing of broad and diverse opinions"

yeah, as long as they exactly mimic your own. What a jack ass. He probably thought doing the petition would only further his career in the GoP, thanks for reminding me of why i support Ron Paul, I dislike politicians.

 

[tnvoter]

"obnoxious, annoying and disruptive emails or phone calls"

He's already admitted to being a rageful individual, pretty bad person to be "chair" of anything in my opinion.