Democratic Plants And Republican Vegetables

By Cernig

Just an observation from an outsider - but why are Republicans so upset that some people who are registered Democrats got to ask pointed questions in last night's CNN/YouTube debate?

Memeorandum today is full of their outrage - just about every conservo-blogger is there with bells on, and the Malkinites are doing their best Keystone Cops impressions.

Firstly, isn't this meant to be a democracy?

Secondly, shouldn't Republicans want to choose a candidate who has a proven ability to effectively field pointed questions from the opposition - or know about it if none of their candidates can?

Thirdly, conservo-shrill Jim Gerahty asks "So, Can Republicans Ask Questions at the Next Democratic Debate?" Why not? They did at the last one. And more power to them, I say, because the considerations above should also apply to Democrats thinking about which primary candidate to support.

Update The Heretik pinpoints the real reason for the faux-kerfuffle.

the more some people focus on the questioners, the less people will pay attention to the answers.

And John Cole has a challenge:

So they think the questions unfairly represented the current GOP? Fine. Which questions? Which questions were plucked from the fringe?

I am betting that I can find someone in the top 500 of the TTLB blogroll who identifies as a Republican who has asked/stated/argued EVERY question asked last night, whether it be Mars exploration (I think the hardest one to link to the GOP) to the Confederate Flag to gun rights to the immigration stances to the biblical literalism portrayed last night.

...The right-wing Bush fluffer-sphere is up in arms because the country got a good look at who the GOP really is last night. And when you look at what the GOP really is, and what they really believe in and what they really stand for, well, that just ain’t good for the Republicans.

Look, over there!