DEBATE -gate

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</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">519 expand to debate prez in gen'l G<b>OP RNC bails 4 22</b></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">jrnl fail as moderators?</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">1019 no agw question, no yemen</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></div><div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" /><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">an 4 22 nl lnx twt</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">'You have nothing to offer': the GOP's Orwellian debate pledge whips up a frenzy on social media</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Brandon Gage April 14, 2022</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">&nbsp; &nbsp;</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><b>The Republican National Committee announced on Thursday that it is withdrawing from the Commission on Presidential Debates and that presidential candidates must pledge to only participate in debates that are sanctioned by the party.</b></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">“Debates are an important part of the democratic process, and the RNC is committed to free and fair debates. The Commission on Presidential Debates is biased and has refused to enact simple and common-sense reforms to help ensure fair debates, including hosting debates before voting begins and selecting moderators who have never worked for candidates on the debate stage," RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel said in a press release.</span></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">"Today, the RNC voted to withdraw from the biased CPD, and we are going to find newer, better debate platforms to ensure that future nominees are not forced to go through the biased CPD in order to make their case to the American people," McDaniel added.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">"The GOP is not walking away from debates. We are walking away from the Commission on Presidential Debates," the party tweeted later in the day. "It is biased and does not serve the interest of the American people."</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">According to The Wall Street Journal, "the RNC plans to form a working group to sanction debates based on input from presidential campaigns and criteria that may include timing, frequency, format, media outlet, candidate qualifications and the 'best interest of the Republican Party.'"</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><b>At face value, the RNC's move is a capitulation to former President Donald Trump's complaints that the debates he participated in with other GOP primary contenders in 2016 – as well as those with Democratic presidential nominees Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden – were unfair and rigged against him.</b></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">The bulk of Trump's ire was rooted in the moderators calling him out for outrageously false and provocative statements, such as when he directed the white nationalist Proud Boys to "stand back and stand by" during his one-on-one with now-President Biden in 2020.</span></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><b>The RNC's decision thusly adds credence to the possibility of Trump running for president again in 2024. If he does, the GOP is clearly attempting to manipulate its primary processes to favor Trump.</b></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">It also puts out an undeniable Orwellian vibe, which the Twitterverse noted in response to the Republican Party's edict</div></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><p style="margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></p></div></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">719</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><h2 sf="SF" compact="Compact" display="Display" apple-system="apple-system" blinkmacsystemfont="BlinkMacSystemFont" segoe="Segoe" ui="UI" roboto="Roboto" helvetica="Helvetica" arial="Arial" sans-serif="sans-serif" apple="Apple" color="Color" emoji="Emoji" symbol="Symbol" font-size="font-size" em="em" line-height="line-height" margin="margin" px="px" style="font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: rgb(26, 26, 26);">retro report 1: Climate change barely discussed at first Democratic debates</h2><ul style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 1em 0px;"><li style="margin: 3.75px 0px 3.75px 7.5px;"><p style="color: rgb(26, 26, 26); line-height: 26px; margin: 0px;">The Democratic Party has so far refused to schedule a presidential debate focused on climate change, saying it would unfairly favor candidates centering their campaigns on the issue.</p></li><li style="margin: 3.75px 0px 3.75px 7.5px;"><p style="color: rgb(26, 26, 26); line-height: 26px; margin: 0px;">(Which is to say one candidate, Wash. state Gov. Jay Inslee, although several others among the two dozen hopefuls back the idea.)</p></li><li style="margin: 3.75px 0px 3.75px 7.5px;"><p style="color: rgb(26, 26, 26); line-height: 26px; margin: 0px;">So perhaps it's not surprising that climate questions were in short supply at the first two-evening debate, held last week in Miami. While “the first two Democratic presidential debates for the 2020 election this week devoted more attention to climate change than in all the 2016 debates combined,”&nbsp;<a href="http://email.mg2.substack.com/c/eJxFUcuOwyAM_JpyI4KQNuTAoatVfyMi4KZoCUQ8ms3fr5MeVsI22LJnPBhdYI5pV2vMhdQMaXRWtf2NDQMjVnWWy6skLo_PBLBo51VJFchaJ--MLi6Gs4FxSV5qmngHg75yPnDJuOnFTQrbtSCB9SA1OVBGXa2DYEDBG9IeAxCvXqWs-SLul_aBZ9u25h1_GxMXfK0RoXaqg6XHtTiTMYuQAwaBxg-TbXdj1-GstIyuCbKzEIrTnoIHc1ClFpZoEtI21OA8Z3H9TFMNwYWZPmP67yPu2GpgPWsxomt4c0cY_hCSfd-6rv_qLx1b5rbJdcpFm5-DL0lq1WUxP1xgdT4UO9Mo2IhxqcGVfYSgJw_2o2X5iH9qU_YVVIAteygF0ieJAksmhCAIZCOODMpCgrn68wPC6f8AxCiaGQ" target="blank" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://email.mg2.substack.com/c/eJxFUcuOwyAM_JpyI4KQNuTAoatVfyMi4KZoCUQ8ms3fr5MeVsI22LJnPBhdYI5pV2vMhdQMaXRWtf2NDQMjVnWWy6skLo_PBLBo51VJFchaJ--MLi6Gs4FxSV5qmngHg75yPnDJuOnFTQrbtSCB9SA1OVBGXa2DYEDBG9IeAxCvXqWs-SLul_aBZ9u25h1_GxMXfK0RoXaqg6XHtTiTMYuQAwaBxg-TbXdj1-GstIyuCbKzEIrTnoIHc1ClFpZoEtI21OA8Z3H9TFMNwYWZPmP67yPu2GpgPWsxomt4c0cY_hCSfd-6rv_qLx1b5rbJdcpFm5-DL0lq1WUxP1xgdT4UO9Mo2IhxqcGVfYSgJw_2o2X5iH9qU_YVVIAteygF0ieJAksmhCAIZCOODMpCgrn68wPC6f8AxCiaGQ&source=gmail&ust=1562185787716000&usg=AFQjCNEKdjezOWaDbEu83j0ZT-1XwIFywg" style="color: rgb(26, 26, 26);">reports Vox,</a>“the climate crisis got just 15 minutes across four hours of airtime.”</p></li><li style="margin: 3.75px 0px 3.75px 7.5px;"><p style="color: rgb(26, 26, 26); line-height: 26px; margin: 0px;"><a href="http://email.mg2.substack.com/c/eJwlkN2OhCAMhZ9muMOAv3jBxWw28xoGoTpkFAzUNb79VichPc1pStvPGoQ5plNvMSPbM6TBO112reh7wZyunVSNYj4PUwJYjV80ph3Yto-LtwZ9DHeDkIq9tZCVc9C50nRqspMZm960YwOqbhvbljW7pgxmdx6CBQ1_kM4YgC36jbjlR_V8lC96x3EUWzwDQipimslJsMWEPswcnL-UPBrak-Ab-Equ4YcPAVLmJji-xHylceJXffIpI3ewRptoaUvpSJdTN_PX8r3oRElKoZDF8yWVfFVK_LZ13f10j1qsc1nkfcxo7KewcWVJbwZX-5EVVecLzG0Tl4F03YPHc4BgxgXcFxl-Gd8I8NxABzjyAkhHfk3iqERVVYwGuUhfBu0gwbwvN-dwx3-3LZSQ" target="blank" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://email.mg2.substack.com/c/eJwlkN2OhCAMhZ9muMOAv3jBxWw28xoGoTpkFAzUNb79VichPc1pStvPGoQ5plNvMSPbM6TBO112reh7wZyunVSNYj4PUwJYjV80ph3Yto-LtwZ9DHeDkIq9tZCVc9C50nRqspMZm960YwOqbhvbljW7pgxmdx6CBQ1_kM4YgC36jbjlR_V8lC96x3EUWzwDQipimslJsMWEPswcnL-UPBrak-Ab-Equ4YcPAVLmJji-xHylceJXffIpI3ewRptoaUvpSJdTN_PX8r3oRElKoZDF8yWVfFVK_LZ13f10j1qsc1nkfcxo7KewcWVJbwZX-5EVVecLzG0Tl4F03YPHc4BgxgXcFxl-Gd8I8NxABzjyAkhHfk3iqERVVYwGuUhfBu0gwbwvN-dwx3-3LZSQ&source=gmail&ust=1562185787716000&usg=AFQjCNHF-88OC1YBDIHanzflHKE-ffYoIA" style="color: rgb(26, 26, 26);">The news-for-the-news-industry outlet Poynter</a>&nbsp;gave the debate moderators a rare rave: “NBC moderators played it right, asking the pertinent questions with topics including the economy, climate, gun control, immigration, Iran and health care.”</p></li><li style="margin: 3.75px 0px 3.75px 7.5px;"><p style="color: rgb(26, 26, 26); line-height: 26px; margin: 0px;"><a href="http://email.mg2.substack.com/c/eJwlkNuOgyAQhp-m3GlAPOAFF91s-hoGYaqkHFzANr79jjYhM8PPYf75tCqwxHTILeZC9gxpskY2Q0_HkRIjW8NEJ4jN0zMBeGWdLGkHsu2zs1oVG8P1gDJBVqnYswM9866jA4OBjkIrMRradD2Hoe3I2WVSu7EQNEh4QzpiAOLkWsqWb_x-ax64ygqrda7W0eNui9jqwAICpOWoILxtisFDKCi2He0Fqwz4qBMa0ljOOFVV1AtytYIq1TOm6oNaAlOZ-AmVdtafd_52yOcMmdhzhpEOtMGMoWb1_cEEe3BBf_u2HX6GW0v90tR5n3NR-nW6I0luqnj9YhxPl5PPJSOeCbPfgy3HBEHNDsyXXPmivkiUYwMZ4JMdFHT3FRGnoJxzgo1MxC-DNOh82d2FO1zxH1D3lww" target="blank" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://email.mg2.substack.com/c/eJwlkNuOgyAQhp-m3GlAPOAFF91s-hoGYaqkHFzANr79jjYhM8PPYf75tCqwxHTILeZC9gxpskY2Q0_HkRIjW8NEJ4jN0zMBeGWdLGkHsu2zs1oVG8P1gDJBVqnYswM9866jA4OBjkIrMRradD2Hoe3I2WVSu7EQNEh4QzpiAOLkWsqWb_x-ax64ygqrda7W0eNui9jqwAICpOWoILxtisFDKCi2He0Fqwz4qBMa0ljOOFVV1AtytYIq1TOm6oNaAlOZ-AmVdtafd_52yOcMmdhzhpEOtMGMoWb1_cEEe3BBf_u2HX6GW0v90tR5n3NR-nW6I0luqnj9YhxPl5PPJSOeCbPfgy3HBEHNDsyXXPmivkiUYwMZ4JMdFHT3FRGnoJxzgo1MxC-DNOh82d2FO1zxH1D3lww&source=gmail&ust=1562185787716000&usg=AFQjCNFUXzWUyeU2VtPe6omDJYT7I5Gr2g" style="color: rgb(26, 26, 26);">The dead-center political news outlet The Hill noted the welter of critiques</a>&nbsp;by “green groups and politicians alike…for failing to ask enough substantive climate change questions” during the first debate evening.</p></li><li style="margin: 3.75px 0px 3.75px 7.5px;"><p style="color: rgb(26, 26, 26); line-height: 26px; margin: 0px;"><a href="http://email.mg2.substack.com/c/eJwlUNmOhCAQ_JrhbQwIAj7wMJuNv2E4WoeMouFY498vOgnpSgroOqzOMG_xVPuWMioJ4uidagXHfY-RU8wR2Unk0zhFgFX7ReVYAO3FLN7q7Ldwf8BEoreaiJCWThPvWqZNz6TGmttOaiN031uMLpVRF-chWFDwB_HcAqBFvXPe04O-Hu1Qz3EczbtM0_W8sdtaKQg5nhV9SAvA0y5-rdafDswNwY5h7BzpWE8lMIPFxK3uhDacY-Qvgz0WuK1YR0Oa10AkGajEv5wx8SMeDK9z26RiUtb2c6miqHadV_shtN7OV_ibrtnHimsJPp8jBG0WcN9a8rfHO2Y-d1ABjuo3Z4hfsnYlMaUUVSG31ZVBOYgwl-XuMtzzHzjpiKM" target="blank" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://email.mg2.substack.com/c/eJwlUNmOhCAQ_JrhbQwIAj7wMJuNv2E4WoeMouFY498vOgnpSgroOqzOMG_xVPuWMioJ4uidagXHfY-RU8wR2Unk0zhFgFX7ReVYAO3FLN7q7Ldwf8BEoreaiJCWThPvWqZNz6TGmttOaiN031uMLpVRF-chWFDwB_HcAqBFvXPe04O-Hu1Qz3EczbtM0_W8sdtaKQg5nhV9SAvA0y5-rdafDswNwY5h7BzpWE8lMIPFxK3uhDacY-Qvgz0WuK1YR0Oa10AkGajEv5wx8SMeDK9z26RiUtb2c6miqHadV_shtN7OV_ibrtnHimsJPp8jBG0WcN9a8rfHO2Y-d1ABjuo3Z4hfsnYlMaUUVSG31ZVBOYgwl-XuMtzzHzjpiKM&source=gmail&ust=1562185787716000&usg=AFQjCNE8I7qO2aGNpnPlHVdGUgAuDv4NBw" style="color: rgb(26, 26, 26);">The progressive-of-center outlet HuffPost was also critical,</a>&nbsp;noting that the first climate question appeared 82 minutes into the first 120-minute evening of debate. “When hosts Chuck Todd and Rachel Maddow finally gave the topic airtime, they asked questions that climate experts roundly criticized as badly framed and uninformed,” reports HuffPost. “After about seven minutes of meandering discussion from just four candidates, the moderators moved on.”</p></li><li style="margin: 3.75px 0px 3.75px 7.5px;"><p style="color: rgb(26, 26, 26); line-height: 26px; margin: 0px;">“At a debate held in a sinking city, only four candidates were directly asked about the climate crisis,”&nbsp;<a href="http://email.mg2.substack.com/c/eJwlUNuOgyAQ_ZryVgNCFR94aLPpbxiE0ZIqGBh349_vqAmZOTkEzsVZhCnl3aypINsK5D54U7cN7zrOvFFe6IdmofRjBlhsmA3mDdi6DXNwFkOK5wMuNPsYoa3rHp1uRj4K13CtfN2CdJorNXrO2aHS280HiA4M_ELeUwQ2mw_iWm7yeavfdCL8ZbgkKpcWYmzG4GYgJB5KSkVgDLng3cOSXCYjjuBAae4jmQR_X2cbAVk4vHW85TVtGpWonm-hxVtq_tMo1b7am-LLVFdlGwpa9z0UWTarxcV9haTb6ch90uSpp71sMeDeQ7QDSV2N4FXhmRD3FQyFKDMgQr5IqklzKSUjIZ_oy2g8ZJi2-awxnvMfbCiHZg" target="blank" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://email.mg2.substack.com/c/eJwlUNuOgyAQ_ZryVgNCFR94aLPpbxiE0ZIqGBh349_vqAmZOTkEzsVZhCnl3aypINsK5D54U7cN7zrOvFFe6IdmofRjBlhsmA3mDdi6DXNwFkOK5wMuNPsYoa3rHp1uRj4K13CtfN2CdJorNXrO2aHS280HiA4M_ELeUwQ2mw_iWm7yeavfdCL8ZbgkKpcWYmzG4GYgJB5KSkVgDLng3cOSXCYjjuBAae4jmQR_X2cbAVk4vHW85TVtGpWonm-hxVtq_tMo1b7am-LLVFdlGwpa9z0UWTarxcV9haTb6ch90uSpp71sMeDeQ7QDSV2N4FXhmRD3FQyFKDMgQr5IqklzKSUjIZ_oy2g8ZJi2-awxnvMfbCiHZg&source=gmail&ust=1562185787717000&usg=AFQjCNEoRc6CeSjvEdLSisZRxjIiRjfeUg" style="color: rgb(26, 26, 26);">writes Emily Atkin in The New Republic.</a>“Over the course of two hours, approximately seven minutes were devoted to the top existential threat facing humanity.”</p></li><li style="margin: 3.75px 0px 3.75px 7.5px;"><p style="color: rgb(26, 26, 26); line-height: 26px; margin: 0px;">Inslee is calling for a rules change that would allow him to put on a climate-centered debate (independently of the official Democratic National Committee event schedule) without being barred from subsequent official debates.</p></li><li style="margin: 3.75px 0px 3.75px 7.5px;"><p style="color: rgb(26, 26, 26); line-height: 26px; margin: 0px;">Inslee, who polls at or below 1 percent&nbsp;<a href="http://email.mg2.substack.com/c/eJwlUNGOhCAM_JrlbQ2KrvLAw14u_oZhoafcAhooZ_z7q25Cps2QdjpjNMK8pkNta0ZWMqTJWdX0Dy4lZ1a1th66gbk8_SSAoJ1XmAqwrby8MxrdGq8BXg9sUdJy2_WNBdNz6B6yEdC3tZHSGAnAaYxUJl2sg2hAwR-kY43AvFoQt3wTz1sz0tv3vYoHugC5MmsghgQkFd6dfUtQMsG2eofOnO2vPu4uZg9wN94FsnU3i44zVAsGz9x5ouQ9b6gSVHX1HOuhHsXAvx9t23_1t5aHualyeWXU5n0Ks6Q2jcG8a0G_82n_osn9RDWU6PCYIOqXB_sJBj9JXkbx2EBF2OkqREgfktIauBCCkZBdaWVUFhLMxV9pxgv_AW3yiNM" target="blank" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://email.mg2.substack.com/c/eJwlUNGOhCAM_JrlbQ2KrvLAw14u_oZhoafcAhooZ_z7q25Cps2QdjpjNMK8pkNta0ZWMqTJWdX0Dy4lZ1a1th66gbk8_SSAoJ1XmAqwrby8MxrdGq8BXg9sUdJy2_WNBdNz6B6yEdC3tZHSGAnAaYxUJl2sg2hAwR-kY43AvFoQt3wTz1sz0tv3vYoHugC5MmsghgQkFd6dfUtQMsG2eofOnO2vPu4uZg9wN94FsnU3i44zVAsGz9x5ouQ9b6gSVHX1HOuhHsXAvx9t23_1t5aHualyeWXU5n0Ks6Q2jcG8a0G_82n_osn9RDWU6PCYIOqXB_sJBj9JXkbx2EBF2OkqREgfktIauBCCkZBdaWVUFhLMxV9pxgv_AW3yiNM&source=gmail&ust=1562185787717000&usg=AFQjCNFQHWzVeH_XMwGAv_4bFf-Ctcv5dQ" style="color: rgb(26, 26, 26);">according to The New York Times</a>, may be calculating that creating an intra-party climate controversy will boost his nomination chances, since lately Democratic voters put climate change up there with health care and jobs as a priority.</p></li><li style="margin: 3.75px 0px 3.75px 7.5px;"><p style="color: rgb(26, 26, 26); line-height: 26px; margin: 0px;">While he’s seen as a national leader among governors on climate policies, Washington State climate activists say they’re skeptical about Inslee’s claims to be the “climate candidate,”&nbsp;<a href="http://email.mg2.substack.com/c/eJwlkNuOhCAMhp9muMMg6uhccDGbzbyGQajaXQ4G6mx8-0UnadrShvbvZzTBEtOhtpiJ7RnSiFbJ_i4eD8Gsam09dAPDPM4JwGt0itIObNsnh0YTxnB9EPXAVmXNPMmu76ww86MXptVdp00ZICYJ8yTYuWXUu0UIBhS8IR0xAHNqJdryrXne5KvYlr1eKhN9ySG8McXgIVB5_eiDY8gOgGPmEzqHYeEr-gxu5jpzWoEbh77cxY0OFu2ZxZlLIQXDU-lD9EKWWFxVV89XPdSvZhDf97btv_pbK_wiq7xPmbT5PVWwpDZN3vzWTekuJ4WrXCCMJfo9IB0jBD05sB8-9AF63UvHBirAX1FNBOlTLNAG0TQNK4tsLCODspBg2d0FNVz-H-WajdM" target="_blank" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://email.mg2.substack.com/c/eJwlkNuOhCAMhp9muMMg6uhccDGbzbyGQajaXQ4G6mx8-0UnadrShvbvZzTBEtOhtpiJ7RnSiFbJ_i4eD8Gsam09dAPDPM4JwGt0itIObNsnh0YTxnB9EPXAVmXNPMmu76ww86MXptVdp00ZICYJ8yTYuWXUu0UIBhS8IR0xAHNqJdryrXne5KvYlr1eKhN9ySG8McXgIVB5_eiDY8gOgGPmEzqHYeEr-gxu5jpzWoEbh77cxY0OFu2ZxZlLIQXDU-lD9EKWWFxVV89XPdSvZhDf97btv_pbK_wiq7xPmbT5PVWwpDZN3vzWTekuJ4WrXCCMJfo9IB0jBD05sB8-9AF63UvHBirAX1FNBOlTLNAG0TQNK4tsLCODspBg2d0FNVz-H-WajdM&source=gmail&ust=1562185787717000&usg=AFQjCNHR1yMVjboFnDuBSiYm-33RJHz7LQ" style="color: rgb(26, 26, 26);">reports Pacific Standard.</a></p></li><li style="margin: 3.75px 0px 3.75px 7.5px;"><p style="color: rgb(26, 26, 26); line-height: 26px; margin: 0px;">“Inslee has scored tangible victories that demonstrate his competency in climate leadership” but “hasn’t always been an ideal legislator on environmental issues in his state,” activists tell PS. Inslee was for building a liquid natural gas facility and a methanol plant in the port city of Tacoma before he was against them, they note, and focused too much on trying to get an “outdated, ineffective” carbon tax policy through the state legislature.</p></li></ul></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></div><div><a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/blog/2019/04/30/Without-a-dedicated-climate-debate-moderators-are-likely-to-let-Democratic-candidates-off-/223573"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">https://www.mediamatters.org/blog/2019/04/30/Without-a-dedicated-climate-debate-moderators-are-likely-to-let-Democratic-candidates-off-/223573</font></a></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></div><div><span style="font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Debategate</font></span></div><div><span style="font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></span></div><div><span style="font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Jimmy Carter, Ronald ReaganWe have another presidential debate and another dirty trick that may have tipped the outcome of an election. In 1980, President Jimmy Carter was fighting for reelection against former California Governor Ronald Reagan. By late 1980, Carter had recovered from devastatingly low approval ratings caused by his handling of the Iran Hostage Crisis and was running neck-and-neck with Reagan. Carter repeatedly refused his opponent’s requests for a debate, leading to Regan pointedly debating a third-party candidate instead. But Carter finally relented, and the only debate between the candidates was set to take place exactly one week before the election.The Carter campaign was busy preparing when it received a shock—a copy of the campaign’s debate prep book outlining the president’s strategy and talking points had been stolen from the White House and delivered to Reagan’s campaign headquarters. During the subsequent debate, Reagan handled himself ably, delivering several witty rejoinders to Carter’s attacks, while Carter fumbled a question about nuclear arms. Reagan pulled ahead of Carter after the debate and went on to win the election in a landslide. As for Carter, he still feels that the theft of his debate prep book contributed to his loss that November.The controversy surrounding the theft, which became known as “Debategate,” did not end with the election. The FBI opened an investigation to find the culprit, while a Congressional subcommittee conducted a separate investigation into the matter. The strongest suspect at the time was Reagan’s campaign manager, Bill Casey, who went on to lead the CIA during the 1980s, but neither the FBI nor the Congressional subcommittee were ever able to identify the thief. A more recent theory contends that Paul Corbin, a Democratic strategist and close friend of the Kennedy family, was behind the theft. According to this theory, Corbin was still bitter about the brutal campaign between Carter and Senator Ted Kennedy for the Democratic Party’s nomination, and out of spite he photocopied the debate prep book and delivered it to Bill Casey. This theory has its doubters, but is supported by the fact that Corbin visited Reagan’s campaign headquarters three times immediately before the debate.&nbsp;</font></span></div><div><span style="font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">===</font></span></div>