Air America offers to host Republican Presidential debate
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Air America’s Invitation
Tweaking the Fox News Channel, the president of liberal Air America
Radio http://www.airamerica.com this morning sent a letter to the
chairmen of four state Republican parties, offering to host and
broadcast the state parties’ upcoming presidential debates.
Agreeing to the debate “would allow Republicans to differentiate
themselves from Democrats,” Air America President Mark Green wrote to
the Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, and South Carolina Republican chairmen
in a deadpan communication provided this morning to The Politico.
The Nevada State Democratic Party dropped plans for Fox to broadcast an
August debate after furious pressure from online activists, a move that
drew attacks from Fox and the label of “Stalinist” from one Fox News
commentator, Mort Kondracke.
“Should you accept Air America’s offer, Republicans would both embrace
free debate and stick it to Stalin at the same time,” Green wrote.
The letter presses forward with what Fox’s critics see as a victory over
the network, and draws a parallel between Fox, which famously presents
itself as “fair and balanced” despite a prime-time roster heavy on
conservative talking heads, and Air America, an openly partisan outlet
that, despite recent business woes, claims to have 2.5 million listeners
around the country.
Green – who dismissed as a front an invitation from Fox to provide a
lone questioner to the Nevada debate — offered to co-host the debate
with Fox or another conservative outlet.
Read the full letter after the jump.
Dear Republican Chairman Ray Hoffmann of Iowa, Republican Chairman Paul
Willis of Nevada, Republican Chairman Katon Dawson of South Carolina and
Republican Chairman Fergus Cullen of New Hampshire,
As the new president of Air America, I’d like to offer to host or
co-host one of your upcoming presidential debates.
Why us? First, this would allow your debate to reach many voters.
Combining our 2 million radio audience, along with our satellite,
internet and web audiences, means that some 2.5 million Americans would
hear or read about the debate..
Second, it would allow Republicans to differentiate themselves from
Democrats – embracing a debate hosted by a progressive media outlet
after Nevada Democrats canceled a debate scheduled to be hosted by the
conservative Fox Cable News Channel. The MoveOn organization spurred
265,000 people to complain about the original plan, calling Fox a
“mouthpiece for the Republican Party.” In reply, Fox’s Mort Kondracke
called the Nevada Democratic Party’s rejection of Fox a “Stalinist”
violation of “free speech and free debate.” So should you accept Air
America’s offer, Republicans would both embrace free debate and stick it
to Stalin at the same time.
Third, our offer permits you to include any other national media company
as a co-host — like Fox. For example, a panel with Fox representing the
conservative viewpoint and Air America the progressive viewpoint would
make for a very “fair and balanced” debate — not to mention that Fox’s
viewers per evening are coincidentally comparable to our 2.5 million
listeners, meaning that several million unique people would hear your
debate (assuming next to no overlap between our two disparate audiences).
We would be honored not only to co-host such an event; but also to
broadcast it live without commercial interruption on the day that you
choose.
I look forward to your response and to working with you on this
important event.
Yours,
Mark Green
President, Air America Radio