The journalists at ABC’s Nightline, Thursday, chided Republicans as uncivilized, bemoaning “insults” and the fact that “manners took a back seat” at the Republican debate. Correspondent David Wright used some bizarre entertainment comparisons for the evolving GOP race, saying, “Like the lead-up to a rose ceremony on The Bachelor....Now it's more like The Hunger Games.”
Co-anchor Juju Chang lectured, “With less than three weeks to go before the Iowa caucus...the GOP's finest serving up fresh insults.” Continuing the disapproving school teacher vibe, Chang chided, “Manners taking a back seat as candidates slam Democrats, attacked each other, all while fighting for the heart and soul of the Republican Party.”
On Tuesday’s Nightline, reporter Terry Moran longed for the days when mothers named their babies after Barack Obama.”
A partial transcript is below:
NL
1/14/16 (1/15/16 on the east coast)
12:37am ETJUJU CHANG: Tonight —
TED CRUZ: A lot of folks in the media would love to see Donald and me get in a giant food fight.
CHANG: --- from dinner party to the Hunger Games---
CRUZ: Not a lot of conservatives come out of Manhattan. I’m just saying.
CHANG: ---with less than three weeks to go before the Iowa caucus —
TRUMP: That was a very insulting statement.
CHANG: ---the GOP's finest serving up fresh insults.
...
CHANG: Good evening. We're just weeks away from the caucus showdown in Iowa and the claws came out tonight at the GOP debate. Manners taking a back seat as candidates slam Democrats, attacked each other, all while fighting for the heart and soul of the Republican Party. Who scored big? Here's ABC's David Wright.
DAVID WRIGHT: Tonight, Donald trump was center stage in every way. Accusing his nearest rival Ted Cruz of being too Canadian.
DONALD TRUMP: There's a big question mark on your head. And you can't do that to the party. You really can't.
WRIGHT: Cruz hit back hard.
CRUZ: The Constitution hasn't changed. But the poll numbers have. And I recognize — I recognize that Donald is dismayed that his poll numbers are falling in Iowa.
WRIGHT: Now that Iowa is less than three weeks away, the GOP debate no longer seemed just politely contentious.
TRUMP: I have a feeling —
WRIGHT: Like the lead-up to a rose ceremony on The Bachelor.
[Clip from The Bachelor.]
WRIGHT: Now it's more like The Hunger Games. Kill or be killed. Ahead of this debate, Cruz swore it wouldn't come to this.
CRUZ: A lot of folks in the media would love to see Donald and me get in a giant food fight and I'm not going to engage in that, I hope Donald won't either.
WRIGHT: But tonight, there he was accusing Trump of having New York values.
CRUZ: Everyone understands that the values in New York City are socially liberal or pro-abortion, pro-gay marriage, focus around money and the media. Not a lot of conservatives come out of Manhattan. I'm just saying.
TRUMP: Conservatives actually do come out of Manhattan, including William F. Buckley and others, just so you understand.
