Lefty-Wing Reactions to CNBC Debate: Fiorina Lies, Kasich 'Taking Charge,' Cruz Should 'Drive Carson Home'

Aly Nielsen
October 28th, 2015 11:57 PM
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The focus of the CNBC Republican presidential debate was supposed to be economic policy: taxes, trade, immigration and how to generate economic growth.

The two-part Oct. 28, debate, titled “Your Money, Your Vote,” focused on the broad categories of jobs, taxes and the deficit, the general health of the economy, and the financial freedom of Americans.

Liberals in the news media and policy experts watching the debate reacted on twitter, often with attacks on the candidates and their proposals.

Nicholas Kristof, a long-time New York Times columnist, slammed Fiorina after she defined and expressed opposition to “crony capitalism:’

Another employee of the Times, labor and workplace reporter Steven Greenhouse noted on-stage infighting after Kasich attacked what he called the “fantasy” policy proposals of others:

After several candidates, including Sen. Marco Rubio, Fla., and Sen. Ted Cruz, Texas, called out the media’s liberal bias and unfairness to the GOP candidates, Greenhouse played the victim:

Norman Ornstein, a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), also vented frustration that Rubio would point out bias in the media.

Although Ornstein works for AEI, he has long criticized Republicans. In 2012, he co-authored a Washington Post article titled, “Admit it. The Republicans are the Problem.” In 2013, the Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., called Ornstein “consistently wrong on almost everything,” according to National Review. McConnell even joked about how unpopular Ornstein must be, as a liberal working at a conservative think tank. Erick Erickson, of RedState, has also  called Ornstein “the in house pet liberal at the American Enterprise Institute who they let out of his cage once in a while to lament the free market, conservatives, and the like.”

Ornstein started getting personal during the CNBC debate when he also insulted Rubio’s appearance.

Later, when former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush remarked off-the-cuff that he would give a “warm kiss” to any Democrat willing to cut spending by $10, Ornstein suggested a “same sex marriage” question.

When the debate turned to Dr. Ben Carson’s tax proposals, NBC contributor and Huffington Post Media Group’s global editorial director, Howard Fineman, had a field day.

First, he mocked Carson for using dollar amounts when talking about his tax plan.

Then, he suggested Carson just leave the debate.

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