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Feb
18
The Ohio GOP says that CNN shoulders the burden of having cancelled, not the Ohio party.
From the Columbus Ohio Mike Huckabee for President Meetup Group:
TO: Jeff Longstreth
Huckabee CampaignFROM: Jason Mauk
Executive Director, Ohio Republican PartyDATE: 2/16/08
RE: CNN Debate
Thanks for letting me know about the concerns being circulated regarding our involvement in a CNN debate scheduled for Feb. 28. Per our agreement with CNN, we had no involvement in the decision to cancel the event, and we remain committed to co-hosting a televised debate should the network decide to proceed as planned.
I can assure you the Ohio Republican Party invested significant time and resources into securing a Republican presidential primary debate in Ohio. At the invitation of CNN, three members of our staff traveled to Los Angeles in early February to meet with top network executives and attend the Republican debate at the Reagan Presidential Library. We did this with the full understanding that the debate could be cancelled at any time based on a variety of factors outside of our control, including candidate participation, venue availability and the status of the race.
CNN made it clear they could not solidify their plans to produce a debate until after the Super Tuesday primaries. Nevertheless, we immediately began negotiations with the City of Columbus and the City of Cleveland to explore debate venue options and logistics. Together with representatives of the Ohio Democratic Party, we met with officials at The Ohio State University, pursued extensive conversations with the Mayor of Cleveland and notified our respective campaigns of the planned event.
The agreement with CNN called for two debates, back to back, with the Ohio Democratic Party co-hosting a forum on Feb. 27 and the Ohio Republican Party co-hosting on Feb. 28. Unfortunately, the Obama campaign decided to reject the CNN debate in favor of an offer from MSNBC, which put the entire process on hold. At the same time, the post-Super Tuesday delegate count on the Republican side created some uncertainty about the prospects of a Republican debate, particularly in the area of candidate participation.
CNN later notified us that they were forgoing plans for joint debates in Ohio and announced plans to host at least a Democratic Party debate in Texas. We remain disappointed that this important candidate forum will not happen as planned, but the decision was entirely theirs. The CNN staff was very professional and apologetic, and they made a commitment to co-hosting an alternative event with the Ohio Republican Party at a later date.
I realize that does not address the immediate desire for a debate in advance of the March 4 primary in Ohio, but I hope this clarifies the process and puts to rest any notion that the Ohio Republican Party played a role in cancelling the debate. We worked very hard to make it happen, so there is no greater disappointment than what exists here in our own headquarters.
Thanks for toiling through this long explanation. I hope it helps. As always, please don?t hesitate to let me know if there is anything we can provide to your campaign during the primary process. I look forward to a united GOP victory celebration on Tuesday, Nov. 4.
Additionally, the group posted this communication from the Ohio Huckabee campaign chair to the Meetup Group:
Dear Paula, Linda, and Jen,
I just got off the phone with the Executive Director of Ohio GOP, and he assured me 100% that this was not their call. In fact, if they could get a CNN debate they would love to have it because it?s a fundraising opportunity for the Party. This comes down to a business decision made by CNN to do a Democratic debate in Texas rather than a Republican debate in Ohio. It has nothing to do with Huckabee or McCain?s lead. He is going to send me the email communication from CNN stating this.
Please understand that the Ohio GOP has been VERY accommodating to us throughout this entire campaign. They bent over backwards to help us during the petition process and have been very helpful since. We want and need their continued support, just as they want and need our continued support. Please inform the meetup groups and anyone else you know of, that our issue is not with the Ohio GOP.
Please let me know if you have any further questions or need any additional information.
Thanks for all your hard work and passion.
Sincerely,
Jeff Longstreth
Ohio Chair
UPDATE: More information on the Ohio Rangers for Huckabee blog.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 2:56 pm February 18th, 2008 in Announcements, Campaigning, Debates, Elections, John McCain, Media, Mike Huckabee, Ohio, Politics, Primary, WH2008
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16 Responses to “[updated] Huckabee campaign confirms CNN – Ohio Republican Party debate cancellation”
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[...] CNN canceled its Republican Debate in Ohio that was scheduled on February 28th between Governor Mike Huckabee, Senator John McCain, and Representative Ron Paul. This debate was critical because it was only 5 days before the primaries in Texas, Ohio, Rhode Island, and Vermont. [...]
If McCain can’t stand up to Huckabee in a debate, that sure says a lot about what he is incapable of doing or at the very least, afraid to do.
Its over. I am glad they cancelled it. McCain needs to be focusing on other things, not worrying about a Huckabee challenge than has no chance matehmatically to succeed.
Don – thanks for reading and commenting. Personally, I think you raise a good point but on the other hand, the inevitability factor versus Huckabee’s hope for a miracle is also nothing to sneeze at. Good luck.
Ben – thanks for the thoughts. Yeah – I’m trying to imagine if it were so on the Dem side, how I would feel. I certainly can see it from a business decision for CNN, but on the other hand, Huckabee v. McCain on a televised debate is a pretty good show.
CNN canceling this McCain – Huckabee – Ron Paul debate on February 28 only deserves one word, shameful.
GOP argument that they had nothing to do with CNN in this decision will not be believed by anyone and forebodes disaster in November.
Well – I tend to be with you, Pedro, but since I’m so not a Republican, I don’t feel as though it would be fair for me to say too much. I like debates – I think the more, the better.
McCain is running scared, it’s obvious Huckabee and Paul are the only ones actually talking issues on that stage.
that is why McCain and Romney dodged the MTV/YOUTUBE debates…
they know if they have to talk about issues, they will be exposed.
the media is protecting McCain so he can be frontrunner. McCain wouldn’t stand a chance having to debate HUCK/PAUL
I mean these were the weakest “debates” I’ve ever seen. Constant, bias, loaded questions.. I mean funny how Ron Paul and Huckabee had the least amount of air-time in every debate… and now that they have a chance to talk.. the debates are cancelled?
obvious shadiness.
I cannot begin to tell you all how disappointed I was to find out about CNN debate retraction. First, I am a Huckabee fan…… and secondly, I was counting on this debate to give others more insight on who this Huckabee guy is….. to allow others to see that he is much more than someone who just appeals to evangelicals. Especially, now that he gets limited media exposure. All you undecided out there…. look this guy up and give him a chance because he’s the best choice out there. And you all are right to say that no one would have a chance in a debate with him…….best debater Ive everseen. Kepp hope alive “Huckabee For President”
McCain is afraid of Mike Huckabee. Mike Huckabee is a true conservative, a man of integrity and character, he is intelligent,he has a positive vision for America and he can win against Obama. I can’t say the same of McCain.
Les – I guess you wouldn’t include the New York Times in this now would you?
“the media is protecting McCain so he can be frontrunner. McCain wouldn’t stand a chance having to debate HUCK/PAUL”
Chris – I know a lot of folks feel like you do about Huckabee – and he succeeded in using old-time social networking in Iowa – do you think it’s just money that’s caused him to fall off the map? For ex., Obama’s campaign is using social networking like I can’t believe – why not Huckabee?
Tricia – will you vote for McCain if Huckabee doesn’t get enough miracles to get the nomination?
It is disappointing to see CNN call the race before completion and deny the voters of Ohio a chance to learn more about the Republican contenders. I am glad to know that it is not the Ohio GOP behind this. Voters want a DEBATE!
This is B.S!!!! The republican party is a joke. They have been doing this all year long (barring participants,changing voting procedures,announcing winners before the votes are tallied).
The newsmedia controls everything that the general public assumes is fact. Unfortunately, the general public is also TOO LAZY to get off their asses and do their own research on the candidates. That is easy to see when you ask someone on the street how many candidates are in the Republican race right now…….I am ashamed to be an american right now. I am also very upset with our government. We aren’t free anymore. Our country is such a far far cry from what the constitution says that our founding fathers wouldn’t even recognize us anymore.
We no longer have rights as individuals but “group rights” now. Sure, the government “says” they are “protecting” us, but that is the exact OPPOSITE of what they are doing. The more group rights we have the less individual rights we have, thereby we allow the government to separate us. We allow the media to shape the election issues in terms of RACE, and ISSUES. We let the opposing parties (Dem/Rep) blame each other for causing the problems.
We allow all of this instead of focusing on addressing the REAL ROOTS OF OUR PROBLEMS. Here are the FACTS…….
1. Terrorists don’t want to kill us because they “hate freedom”. They target us because of our ludicrous foreign policy and because we have our fingers in everyone’s pie.
2. Our economy cannot be fixed by a “stimulus package”. In reality this “tax rebate” is just a HANDOUT. The REAL CAUSE of inflation is the fact that we allow our government PRINT MONEY OUT OF THIN AIR!!! Come on people, are we Americans really this ignorant???? We allow our government to print money, and then spend more of that money than we actually have. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that if you continue to do that then you will eventually run out of money……..
3. Our rights are being violated. Does anyone else notice that nobody talks about the constitution anymore? Well maybe its because we have allowed congress and the presidency to VIOLATE THE CONTRACT BETWEEN THEM, AND WE THE PEOPLE. Our constitution IS a contract and we have allowed it to be broken. Everytime congress passes a law that “we the people” do not approve, the government gains power, and you and I lose power (financially,personally)…..
WAKE THE F**K UP FOLKS.
communist news network (cnn) wants to give socialist hossein obama coverage but take away any possible strong showings by Governor Huckabee, since if their man loses, they are hopeful, they will have someone in the white house that will give into their demands as he did with Kennedy.
simple abuse of power to manipulate the media for one’s own overriding purpose