The last time CNBC moderated a GOP debate, the main headline was about Rick Perry‘s stumble. Within months, and just hours before a CNN debate, Perry dropped out of the 2012 race.
This time around, CNBC is the main headline. But you wouldn’t know that if you watched CNBC, where it was business as usual this morning.
Stories on Good Morning America, the Today show and CBS This Morning focused on the ire that’s been directed at CNBC. CNN’s New Day, and MSNBC’s Morning Joe often made CNBC the story, while Fox & Friends talked to four candidates, all of whom took CNBC to task: “I’m not going to stand on that stage and be a punching bag for moderators,” said Chris Christie. Carly Fiorina called them “a crazy set of moderators.”
Beyond a statement released last night, CNBC brass and talent have remained silent about it all. This morning John Harwood, one of the three main moderators, did acknowledge the “challenges” that come with the job:
moderating GOP debate in 2015 enriched my understanding of challenges @SpeakerBoehner has faced and @RepPaulRyan will face
— John Harwood (@JohnJHarwood) October 29, 2015
Even front-runner Donald Trump used a good chunk of his closing statement to dis CNBC:
“These folks at CNBC, they had it down to three and a half hours. Nobody wants to watch three and a half or three hours. We called in, we said we’re not doing it. And in about two minutes I re-negotiated it down to two hours so we can get the hell out of here. Not bad. And I’ll do that with the country.”