Magic Money

At least CNN assigns its "America's Choice 2016" coverage the appropriate category—Money. There, we find the sad story of "'Shell-shocked' CNBC staffers" on their "long flight home," and this—

The Republican National Committee says it is suspending its February debate with NBC News amid anger over CNBC's handling of this week's debate in Boulder, Colorado.

NBC said in a statement it will "work in good faith to resolve this matter."

Now that's more like it: having networks agree to this. Among the long list of conditions the Republicans' negotiator demands of the networks—

Will you commit that you will not:

o Ask the candidates to raise their hands to answer a question
o Ask yes/no questions without time to provide a substantive answer
o Have a "lightning round"
o Allow candidate-to-candidate questioning
o Allow props or pledges by the candidates
o Have reaction shots of members of the audience or moderators during debates
o Show an empty podium after a break (describe how far away the bathrooms are)
o Use behind shots of the candidates showing their notes
o Leave microphones on during breaks
o Allow members of the audience to wear political messages (shirts, buttons, signs, etc.). Who enforces?

What is the size of the audience? Who is receiving tickets in addition to the candidates? Who's in charge of distributing those tickets and filling the seats?
What instructions will you provide to the audience about cheering during the debate?
What are the plans for the lead-in to the debate (Pre-shot video? Announcer to moderator? Director to Moderator?) and how long is it?
Are you running promo ads before the debate about your moderator(s)?
What type of microphones (lavs or podium)?
Can you pledge that the temperature in the hall be kept below 67 degrees?

There's nothing new in the media pretense of maintaining the highest professional standards even while bowing to the demands of bullies. But the spectacle of broadcast media wallowing in unprecedented amounts of cash in exchange for abetting a GOP every day more willing to display its real nature—well, it makes me think of think of this particular scene in a novel—

Grand buys a huge downtown vacant lot in a major city. He then has a three foot brick wall built around the perimeter and fills it with feces and offal into which bills of all denominations have been mixed. He then takes pleasure watching immaculately dressed people defiling themselves by braving the stench, and ruining their clothing and dignity, by wading through the muck for the bills.

image: wikipedia