The LATimes’ Tim Rutten doesn’t mince words when giving his take on the GOP CNN/YouTube debate. With a headline that blares, “CNN: Corrupt News Network” Rutten writes that CNN producers had their priorities out of whack in choosing the YouTube questions and the time devoted to the candidates’ responses.
CNN chose to devote the first 35 minutes of this critical debate to a single issue — immigration. Now, if that leaves you scratching your head, it’s probably because you’re included in the 96% of Americans who do not think immigration is the most important issue confronting this country.
Rutten writes why he thinks so much time was given to the immigration issue.
CNN’s most popular news-oriented personality, Lou Dobbs, has made opposition to illegal immigration and free trade the centerpiece of his neonativist/neopopulist platform. In fact, Dobbs led into Wednesday’s debate with a good solid dose of immigrant bashing. His network is in a desperate ratings battle with Fox News and, in a critical prime-time slot, with MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann. So, what’s good for Dobbs is good for CNN.
Rutten concludes, “When one considers CNN’s performance, however, the adjectives that leap to mind are corrupt and incompetent.”