Mitt Romney and most of the serious contenders in the GOP field look to skip the YouTube debates, especially after the Snowman debacle, and the overall circus atmosphere. From the Trail:Rudolph Giuliani and Mitt Romney, both with dozens of videos on their YouTube channels, have not signed up. Neither have the rest of the Republican candidates, including Rep. Tom Tancredo (Colo.), whose "Tancredo Takes" on his YouTube channel draw hundreds of views. Sources familiar with the Guiliani campaign said he's unlikely to participate. Kevin Madden, Romney's spokesman, said the former Massachusetts governor has seven debate invitations covering a span of 11 days in September.
"We haven't committed to any of them yet," Madden said.
In an interview Wednesday with the Manchester (N.H.) Union Leader, Romney said he's not a fan of the CNN/YouTube format. Referring to the video of a snowman asking the Democratic candidates about global warming, Romney quipped, "I think the presidency ought to be held at a higher level than having to answer questions from a snowman."
Mitt and the rest don't get it. This is playing right into Democrat hands. They will say that the GOP is insulated and does not want to engage the American people. They will say the GOP is afraid. I think it far better to engage the process, and if you get a snowman question, call it for the travesty it is. Instead of running from the debate, engage it, challenge it. If the question is biased and stupid, call it as such. Show it for the debacle it is. That makes you look far more intelligent than Slow Joe Biden and HillRod and Barry Obama did in answering some of the kookigensia.
Keep up with that attitude and Joe Q. Public will tune you out. George Bush 41 appeared out of touch with the public. The GOP candidates, if they don't go through with this, risk the same fate. They should engage the process, and call out the stupid. I mean, weren't many of us on the right excoriating the Dems for running from the Fox debates?
