Webb: 'Debate rigged'

[brooklynite]

Webb ranking in debate online polls:

Time (2nd), MSNBC (2nd), Drudge (2nd)

Today at the Council on Foreign Relations (NYC), Jim Webb was asked about his limited time at Tuesday's CNN debate (video):

"I'll be very frank here. It was rigged in terms of who was going to get the time on the floor by the way that Anderson Cooper was selecting people to supposedly respond to someone else. I even turned around to Bernie Sanders at one point and said, 'Bernie, say my name, will you say my name?'

In that kind of environment it was either going to be Mr. Angry or be a potted plant. It's very difficult to win a debate when you don't have the opportunity to get to speak in the same amount of time on issues as the others get. It's the reality that the debate was being portrayed as a showdown between Mrs. Clinton and Bernie.

But if you are going to be invited to participate and people are going to judge whether you, quote, won or not, at least you should be able to have the kind of time that's necessary to discuss issues that you care about and have worked on.

There were so many issues out there that I have done pioneering work on --for instance, criminal justice reform, when I took great risk beginning in '06 with my political career by saying that we have a broken criminal justice system and we have to fix it. It's not a political problem. We turned that issue around in the space of about five hard years of work so that now it is comfortably in the nation discussion. It was not that way when we started.

But it's very difficult to make those kinds of points - and also the foreign policy differences that I have had with the past couple of administrations in terms of where we put our priorities, when we can't talk. I think I got 14 minutes in two hours."

A Democrat citing Drudge? sigh...

[Egnever]

1. He is right though

There was no equal time on that stage.

I am not sure he belonged on that stage to begin with but that is another matter.

[Thinkingabout]

2. We are already told the election will not be fair. Webb knew the rules before the debates started.

Why isn't Webb complaining about the amount of time spent on talk shows, there he could speak without sharing the stage with others.

[artislife]

10. Considering Webb is a Democrat which seems to be a big thing

to some, not sure of your take on it, wouldn't it be classy if the DNC treated its member fairly. Or should we just assume that the debates are going to be unfair?

It seems like you are acknowledging that the Debates are geared for the front runner only.

[Thinkingabout]

12. Never said they were geared to the front runners, rules are if candidates is mentioned they have

They have the right to respond. Webb got more time than Chaffee and part if Webb's time was complaining about the lack of time, go figure.

[MADem]

3. The most important comment he made was vis a vis China's attempt to seal off a portion

of the world's oceans (where HALF of the entire world's TRADE passes through--something many people just aren't appreciating when they whine about "imperialsm" and other foolish constructs).

I really would have lliked to have seen a conversation about that issue. It is a biggie--right now, everyone is looking at Pootie Poot, but there will come a time when we're going to have to make it clear to China that they can't unilaterally close off a major ocean highway and pretend it's their backyard.

[Uncle Joe]

7. I agree with you, personally I believe Webb might make

a decent Secretary of Defense.

[FSogol]

8. I agree. He'd do well in that job. n/t

[elleng]

4. He's right,

and there's no need to complain that he cited drudge; he also cited Time and MSNBC.

[jberryhill]

5. The more he talked, the less I liked him

Time was not a friend to Jim Webb on that stage.

[sabrina 1]

6. He is an honest man. I don't agree with him on many things, but I love that he isn't 'packaged'

and even though he knows some of his views won't resonate with Dems, he doesn't quickly do an about turn right before the debates.

He has some views that make it impossible for me to even consider him for POTUS.

But I respect him for not pandering for votes, for not pretending to be something he is not.

He scored big points from me and those I watched it with, for his HONESTY.

[mhatrw]

9. Yep. He stuck to his guns and did not try to play the room.

Cooper kept beating him down. He really did not have a chance.

I was not going to vote for him in any case, but he should have been given a chance to speak his piece.

[sabrina 1]

14. I agree. I respect people stand by what they believe in and refuse to allow themselves

to be talked into lying to the voters. Honesty is the best policy, for everyone. He told us honestly where he stood on the issues, giving us the voters, the respect many politicians do not give voters.

Same thing with Chafee. He too is an honest man. I like his positions on many issues. I could see him having a role in a Sanders Adminstration.

We need honest people in our government. We do not have many right now.

[aspirant]

11. What exactly were the rules?

Did he sign on to a max of 14 minutes or were their any time guarantees for each candidate?

[Honeylies]

16. 1 min answer, 30 sec rebuttal, BUT

It was left to Anderson's discretion to allow them additional time:

http://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2015/10/13/democratic-debate-rules-foreman.cnn/video/playlists/2016-presidential-debates/

[restorefreedom]

13. they were even worse to chafee

and now he has wolf blitzer and his own senator (whitehouse) trying to bully him out of the race. why? in chafees view, because they want to shut him up. his antiwar position is the cornerstone of his campaign, and there was only one person on that stage who loses big by continued discussion of war issues.

anyone wanna guess who?

[Kalidurga]

17. The debate was rigged, the number of debates have been cut drastically?

He didn't get a fair amount of time. But, he made poor use of what he did have and when he was talking he would go off in this weird place and he made goofy faces. I think he should be happy he had less time and not worry too much about it for now, but learn for the next debate what he can improve on, like not going to this weird place and talking about some guy he killed in Viet Nam.

[BlueMTexpat]

18. Webb reminds me of the liberal

Republicans of my youth (some 50+ years ago). Decent and well-meaning, but fair from the Democrats I knew then.

And far from the kind of Democrat that I want to see in the WH.

But I would support him over ANY GOPer today.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

19. Webb didn't even belong up there.

[Jamaal510]

20. People always want an excuse for why they're behind.

The debates are rigged, DWS is mean to me, the supporters of my rivals are stupid/can't think for themselves, etc. It's never about just accepting that most people just prefer someone else. And I say this as a supporter of a candidate who has been polling at less than 5%. I'm sick of all the crying.

[mr goodbeer]

21. Jim Webb’s Crazy Debate Answer About Killing a Guy Has an Even Crazier Backstory

http://gawker.com/jim-webb-s-crazy-debate-answer-about-killing-a-guy-has-1736401666

[jfern]

22. More debates would make this less of a problem