Rieder: CNBC's very bad debate

Rem Rieder | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption GOP candidates jab each other and media in CNBC debate Here are the best attack moments from Republican presidential candidates who threw jabs at each other and the media during the GOP debate hosted by CNBC.

Talk about not ready for prime time.

Struggling Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush had a really bad night, but the biggest loser of the Wednesday night GOP debate was CNBC.

The cable financial network's trio of moderators fumbled and stumbled, and positioned themselves — and the news media — as punching bags for the Republican contenders, who took full advantage.

Politicians, particularly of the Republican flavor, love to excoriate the press. It's received GOP wisdom that the media is deeply infected with liberal bias, and the base loves it when candidates beat on reporters like a drum.

Often the attacks on the media are nonsense. Politicians caught in an uncomfortable position love to blame the messenger for their own mistakes. But Wednesday night the media pummeling was entirely deserved.

The questions were contentious and at times condescending. There was too much gotcha. And some of it was just plain weird.

The crowd at the Coors Event Center at the University of Colorado at Boulder was completely turned off by the questioning. The candidates saw the blood in the water, and at times the moderators completely lost control of the proceedings.

It was amateur hour.

You know things are bad when New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, of all people, lectures you about being rude, as he did moderator John Harwood — and he's right.

And things were bad from the jump. The debate was supposed to focus on pocketbook issues. So what was moderator Carl Quintanilla's first question? He wanted the candidates to disclose their biggest weaknesses.

Really?

And it didn't get much better. Harwood asked Donald Trump if he were a comic book candidate. Now Trump, with his penchant for wild boasts and his blustery manner, does not remind anyone of Winston Churchill. But that's just not the kind of question you ask at a presidential debate.

It is, of course, possible to ask tough questions in a professional manner. At the first GOP debate, that is precisely what the three Fox News moderators did. We could have used them Wednesday night.

When it comes to media criticism, Sen. Ted Cruz has never reminded me of the great A.J. Liebling. But the Tea Party favorite was right on target with his critique of the CNBC gang who couldn't shoot straight.

"This is not a cage match," Cruz said. "And you look at the questions — Donald Trump, are you a comic book villain? Ben Carson, can you do math? John Kasich, will you insult two people over here? Marco Rubio, why don't you resign? Jeb Bush, why have your numbers fallen? How about talking about the substantive issues,"

Not a bad idea, senator.

Christie, who has lagged behind the top-tier candidates, also had a highlight film moment at the expense of the media after a question about fantasy football and gambling.

"Are we really talking about getting government involved in fantasy football?” he asked. “Wait a second, we have $19 trillion in debt, people out of work, we have ISIS and al-Qaeda attacking us and we're talking about fantasy football? Can we stop?”

Another lowlight came when Sen. Rand Paul asked a question about the rules regarding responding to another candidate. Moderator Becky Quick curtly informed him that it was "at the discretion of the moderators."

Not exactly reassuring.

There's no doubt the CNBC brand took a serious hit Wednesday night. The network seemed way in over its head. But the media itself will suffer collateral damage.

The off-target questions and the overly combative tone reinforce the notion that the press, particularly in Washington, is insular, self-important and out of touch.

The upside would be if this fiasco serves as a wake-up call, and future debates focus on substance, not sideshows.

We'll find out soon: The next GOP debate, sponsored by Fox Business Network and The Wall Street Journal, is set for Milwaukee on Nov. 10.