CNN's Erin Burnett Asks Trump About 'Smaller-tent' Social-Issues GOP
CNN's new prime-time host Erin Burnett pressed Donald Trump about the Republican Party being a "smaller tent party" because of its conservatism on social issues. "Do you have any frustrations that the Republican Party still ends up defining itself by abortion stance or gay marriage?" she asked Trump.
Burnett even quoted rising star Chris Christie, the Republican governor of New Jersey, who said the GOP must return to a "big tent" party status, or one more inclusive of social moderates and liberals. [Video below the break. Click here for audio.]
Burnett's question is reflective of a larger trend in the mainstream media to criticize Republicans for not being more supportive of gay marriage, among other social issues. The media also likes to warn the GOP that it ignores these "moderate" voters at its own political peril.
Of course, it's ironic for CNN to put the heat on Republicans for being anti-gay marriage while they themselves try to appear as the moderate cable news network, and yet run a two-hour prime-time documentary on two gay men trying to have a biological child of their own.
Burnett also highlighted the debate over Mitt Romney's Mormon beliefs, as to whether or not they are Christian, as an example of the GOP being not inclusive enough. "And one of the frustrations that some people have is that it's been – become a smaller tent party in part because of its focus on social issues," she told Trump.
Trump in turn answered that he respects Mitt Romney as a "good man" and that he himself is Presbyterian, and that the attacks on Romney's Mormonism were out-of-bounds.
"And I happen to be Presbyterian. I happen to be Protestant and I understand and I know a lot of the people that are even saying negative things, and they like me a lot and I like them a lot, but I think it was unfair."
A transcript of the segment, which aired on October 10 at 7:34 p.m. EDT, is as follows:
[7:34]
BURNETT: Do you think – Chris Christie's talked about the Republican Party needing to go back to being a "big tent" party. And one of the frustrations that some people have is that it's been – become a smaller tent party in part because of its focus on social issues. And just this week, you have this whole discussion over are Mormons Christians and the, you know, all of a sudden religion comes into it again. Do you have any frustrations that the Republican Party still ends up defining itself by abortion stance or gay marriage? Or –
TRUMP: Well, I think that was much more true four years ago than it is today and it's still true to a certain extent. But I think it's now about jobs and the economy. I really believe that even people pretty strong on the social issues are really looking – and that's why I hated to see what's going on about the whole Mormon thing, because Mitt Romney is a good man. I think it's unfair how that came out and the way it came out.
And I happen to be Presbyterian. I happen to be Protestant and I understand and I know a lot of the people that are even saying negative things, and they like me a lot and I like them a lot, but I think it was unfair.
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Comments
Burnett Who???
Submitted by scottyusmc on Tue, 10/11/2011 - 1:14pm.
Do we really have to go through another loser host on CNN. She'll have her peak in about a month or so then settle in to the normal end of the pack ratings position. Pick any name out of a liberal phonebook and they would have an equal chance of being a success. Not like it takes any real talent to recite scripted questions from the liberal playbook...
You Mean Big Tent Like the Democrats
Submitted by action on Tue, 10/11/2011 - 1:17pm.
who wouldn't let Gov. Casey of Pennsylvania speak at a convention because he is pro-life. You mean that kind of big tent Erin??
apparently, the Democrat "big tent" has all the media dingbats
Submitted by lotr on Tue, 10/11/2011 - 1:24pm.
This whole line of questioning betrays media pop-liberal bias, as it is from the pop-liberal point-of-view.
Otherwise, we should also hear mirror-stories:
"CNN's new prime-time host Erin Burnett pressed James Carville about the Democratic Party being a 'smaller tent party' because of its liberalism on social issues. 'Do you have any frustrations that the Democratic Party still ends up defining itself by abortion stance or gay marriage?' she asked the unofficial Democrat kingmaker."
What is wrong with having ideals and values?
Submitted by c5then on Tue, 10/11/2011 - 1:22pm.
The liberals have their democrats and conservatives have the republicans.
Why don't people like Trump simply point out the stupidity of the question that Burnett asked? The whole point of having political parties is because there are different political views on issues. Why would having two parties that were almost identical be a good thing? The democrat party goes from socialist to moderate and the republican party goes from libertarian to moderate. In the middle are the moderates and independants who don't want to join one party or the other.
This way the country gets to choose who they like best and which set of values it would rather have making the laws and executing the laws.
The media have been trying to move the republicans more toward the liberal side of the spectrum for decades now and it has worked. That way the country only gets to choose from a flaming liberal or a moderate liberal, like in 2008.
They (the media) are scared now because it looks like 2012 might be a choice between a flaming liberal as a weak incumbent or a moderate conservative. They do not want to take the chance that the country might want to move back toward a more conservative stance since we veered so far left and it just made things worse.
Madison and Jefferson and Franklin built a Republic - Roberts killed it!
It's easy
Submitted by deadeyedan on Tue, 10/11/2011 - 1:53pm.
All a genuinely conservative Republican need do is point out what happens to health care, the economy, foreign policy, the size of government etc. when people who advocate abortion and homosexual intrusion take power. Easy as pointing out rather recent history, ain't it?
Gingrich/Cain in '12
LIBERALISM - government of the people by the theories and for the ideologists
GLOBAL WARMING - authoritarian, rather than authoritative, science
CLIMATEGATE - the revelation that the pseudo-scientists at East Anglia University know just as much about the atmosphere as Harvard law professors know about the Constitution
The GOP has closed the social con tent as being a burden
Submitted by Don L on Tue, 10/11/2011 - 2:15pm.
Quite frankly, I don't think the GOP is the party of social conservatives anymore. The establishment dumped Palin (that God and Baby thing?) and sat quiet while it's leaders have done nothing but talk about money. Pro-life is a clear burden they no longer wish to carry. They have been silent about Obama's aggressive exportation of slaughter nor the inclusion of government paid abortion in Obamacare. They are not truely on record as rolling it back if they win. No candidate ahas promised to restore the Mexico accord.
The GOP, under history's biggest pro-abortion (pre and post birth)president, has been embarassingly silent, except against berating and undermining the social con's that gave them their power(for get the bloodbath of babies -it's about jobs)
Haley Barbour represents the elite when he deceitfully asked if we couldn't set social issues aside for now (God guns family and morality and the slaughter of million in the USA) just to argue about money. As if "for now" wasn't understood to mean -we lied about being pro-life and now we're lying about ever coming back to it as a party issue. We are a party of money -period.
I for one, no longer can support the money centered right -as If God and morality have nothing to do with the state stealing their property and money.
It is ironic
Submitted by c5then on Tue, 10/11/2011 - 3:21pm.
Just as the country is swinging solidly pro-life the GOP decides that it really doesn't want to talk about that anymore. The GOP is better than any political party at snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. The GOP leadership, establishment, whatever you want to call them have taken the media's kool-aid and think that a more moderate stance will get them elected. And of course as any true politician will tell you NOTHING is as important as getting elected.
Madison and Jefferson and Franklin built a Republic - Roberts killed it!
I have to disagree
Submitted by Blonde on Tue, 10/11/2011 - 5:10pm.
IMO, we are fighting for our very way of life, as Americans right now. Do we adhere to the Constitution, as written by the founders, and promote the individual's right of freedom (and choice?)....or do we go with a "great society" model, dreamed up by those progressives, with socialist tendencies (and an incredible hunger for power over the masses)?
The great battle before us is all about the economy. Without a vibrant economy, nothing else can be accomplished. Nothing. When people are hungry, they'll steal to eat. They don't care about the "social" issues....they care about survival. The democrats, led by Obama, are fomenting the class war. We need to win this one first. With our ideas, and our votes. THEN we can persuade on the social issues. The social issues are still there, just not front and center, as right now, they are not as important as our very survival.
Burnett's question is reflective of a larger trend in the mainstream media to criticize Republicans for not being more supportive of gay marriage, among other social issues. The media also likes to warn the GOP that it ignores these "moderate" voters at its own political peril.
I've believed for a long time now that the "fight" for the independents is hugely overstated. Most people are NOT single issue voters. They have an array of issues, which are weighted in importance. They look at the candidates, and their own particular weighted list, and vote for one candidate or the other based on being aligned with most of their issues. The media's incessant harping on winning the indies and the "Big Tent" is just so much democrat cover. Screw the "conservative democrats" and indepentents, and the horses they rode in on. If they don't like our platform, they can vote for Obama and the democrats, or stay home. Because I believe that "in the balance" of things, they're more with us then against us.
Which is why I am not overly concerned that the social issues that used to be front and center in the GOP have been somewhat shoved off to the side. We need to get control of this government, pare it back to what it's meant to be, and THEN start addressing the social issues.
Handy Reference Guide to Obama's Gaffes and Goofs ~ Currently Numbering 200 (and Counting)
Blonde......Excellent post. You are right on target when you
Submitted by Rush Fan on Wed, 10/12/2011 - 12:50am.
say that our overwhelming goal is to "get control of this government". It's almost unfathomable to believe this nation can sustain itself with four more years of Obama.
Rush Limbaugh also was spot on when he said: "We can get women, we can get everybody with a set of core principles that we do not abandon that benefit everybody, regardless the damned color of their skin or their gender!"
The Catholic Church would
Submitted by motherbelt on Tue, 10/11/2011 - 2:54pm.
The Catholic Church would probably be more popular if they'd go "big tent" by allowing gay marriage and abortion, and lightening up on a lot of other things they now call "sin."
So, Erin, what's your point?
Why would the GOP *want* to be big tent?
Submitted by drsamherman on Tue, 10/11/2011 - 3:43pm.
The Democrats are essentially a party made up of factions who are united only by being against something, whether that something is a shill argument or not. They squabble about petty issues more often than a sitcom family of in-laws.
Erin Burnett is correct. Republicans and Conservatives are not
Submitted by Rush Fan on Tue, 10/11/2011 - 5:01pm.
nearly as tolerant and accepting as Lefties/Democrats. Lefties have something that those on the Right lack. Consequently, Lefties find it much easier than those on the Right to not only accept, but align themselves with Socialists, Communists, Anarchists, Fascist, Radical Islamist, Atheist and union thugs.
Shame, shame, shame on Conservatives, Republicans and others on the Right who refuse to show tolerance for the aforementioned excrement.
It's so much easier to put your canoe
Submitted by kata on Tue, 10/11/2011 - 5:08pm.
into a collective stream. You barely even have to row.
kata.....I certainly agree with you. By the way, since you
Submitted by Rush Fan on Tue, 10/11/2011 - 5:17pm.
are a mother of three, I can understand how you can forgo television. But I'm curious where you obtain your current news?
We were fortunate.
Submitted by kata on Tue, 10/11/2011 - 5:41pm.
Our kids lost interest in television early on, so it wasn't even a battle.
I listen to the news in the morning when my alarm goes off. We have it on KOMO radio (an ABC affiliate here in Seattle) and we get our chuckles from the two characters that host. And of course the verbal gymnastics of Ann Compton and Sam O'Donnell always brighten my day. Then I get the rest from random internet sources that peak my interest while I sip my AM coffee.
In the words of President Obama... I'm pretty eclectic. ;)
Erin Burnett, kind of cute,
Submitted by UpNorth on Tue, 10/11/2011 - 5:00pm.
but astonishingly, wildly dumb, or liberal, but I repeat myself. And, quoting Chris Christie? Thanks, but no thanks.
EIB, say it isn't so!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Submitted by Unsane on Tue, 10/11/2011 - 11:46pm.
To quote the late, great Mark Haines, "I'm going to go home and cry now."
"CONSUMED DEMOCRACY RETURNS A SOCIALIST REGIME" - Slayer, "Fictional Reality", from Divine Intervention (1994)