Election, Politics

Ad for Fox Business GOP Debate Blasts CNBC’s Debate Questions

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After the moderators of CNBC’s October 28 Republican presidential debate drew significant criticism for questions embedded with personal attacks pitting candidates against one another rather than focusing on identifying positions on the issues, Fox Business launched a new ad on Thursday for its upcoming November 10 GOP presidential debate which attacks CNBC’s debate.

According to CNN, Fox Business’ latest ad for its upcoming debate says, “CNBC never asked the real questions, never covered the real issues. That’s why on November 10 the real debate about our economy and our future is only on Fox Business Network.”

[RELATED: How Would You Rate the CNBC Debate Moderators’ Performance?]

Fox Business notes that its televised November 10 GOP presidential debate will broadcast live from the Milwaukee Theatre in Milwaukee, Wisconsin:

“Moderated by FBN’s Managing Editor of Business News Neil Cavuto and Global Markets Editor Maria Bartiromo, along with WSJ’s Editor-in-Chief Gerard Baker, the primetime debate will start at 9PM/ET and include the top candidates earning 2.5 percent or higher, as determined by the four most recent national polls. The remaining candidates [who earn at least 1 percent in those polls] will be invited to participate in the 6PM/ET debate, which will be moderated by FBN’s Sandra Smith, Trish Regan and WSJ’s Washington Bureau Chief Gerald Seib. Both debates will focus on jobs, taxes, and the general health of the economy, as well as domestic and international policy issues.”

CNN says that Fox Business plans to offer candidates 90 seconds to respond to questions and 60 seconds for rebuttals when a candidate’s name is mentioned, rather than the traditional 60 second responses and 30 second rebuttals from previous debates.

In an interview on Fox News, embedded below, Fox Business debate moderator Maria Bartiromo discussed her philosophy on the purpose of the debates. “I think the point of these debates in general is to ensure that the voter out there has an opportunity to distinguish the differences of all of the candidates — the differences in their economic policy, their foreign policy, and also the differences in their leadership style and their governance,” she said.

“It’s not about me. It’s not about the moderators,” she added. “And so I go into this and I approach this next debate by saying it really is about the American voter. It’s about the voter and what he or she wants to know from the candidates and trying to help the voter distinguish what’s different between all of these candidates and, really, what is it from any of them, what is that little secret sauce that might come out to say to the voter, ‘Aha! That’s my guy, that’s my gal, that’s what I’m looking for, and that’s what’s important to me.'”

[RELATED: GOP Candidates Condemn Mainstream Media, CNBC Moderators During Debate]

Fox Business anchor Neil Cavuto also implied that his network’s debate would be better than CNBC’s contest in a tweet, embedded below.

John Stossel will host a post-debate episode of Stossel at 12 a.m. EST which will feature a studio audience and offer what the network is characterizing as a “libertarian” reaction to the debate.

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