In what was an exceptionally bad night for the liberal media and the debate moderators during Wednesday’s CNBC Republican presidential debate, Governor Chris Christie (N.J.) assailed co-moderator Carl Quintanilla for dedicating a line of questioning to whether daily fantasy football websites should face regulation by the federal government.
Quintanilla originally directed the first question to Jeb Bush by first pointing out that “daily fantasy sports has become a phenomenon in this country” that “will award billions in prize money this year.”
However, he added that in order “to play, you have to assess your odds, wait for a situation that is out of your control.” Before turning to Bush, Quintanilla concluded: “Isn't that the definition of gambling and should the federal government treat it as such?”
Following Bush’s answer, Christie interjected and wondered aloud why the candidates are being asked to debate fantasy football regulations while the country is marred in trillions of dollars of debt and under assault from Islamic terrorism:
Are we really talking about getting government involved in fantasy football? Wait a second, we have $19 trillion in debt, we have people out of work, we have ISIS and Al Qaeda attacking us and we're talking about fantasy football? Can we stop? Can we stop? Seriously?
Christie suggested that they instead discuss how each of them can “get the government to do what they’re supposed to be doing: secure our borders, protect our people, and support the American values and American families.”
He then closed with this zinger that brought the audience to their feet: “Enough on fantasy football. Let people play, who cares?”
The relevant portion of the transcript from CNBC’s Republican presidential debate on October 28 can be found below.
CNBC’s Republican Presidential Debate
October 28, 2015
9:54 p.m. EasternCARL QUINTANILLA: Governor Bush, daily fantasy sports has become a phenomenon in this country. It will award billions in prize money this year, but to play, you have to assess your odds, wait for a situation that is out of your control. Isn't that the definition of gambling and should the federal government treat it as such?
JEB BUSH: Well, first of all, I'm 7 and 0 in my fantasy football league.
QUINTANILLA: I thought you were going to brag about that.
BUSH: Gronkowski is still going strong. I had Ryan Tannehill, Marco, as my quarterback, he was 18 for 19 last week, so I'm doing great, but we're not gambling and I think this is something that needs to be looked at in terms of regulation. Effectively, it’s day trading without regulation at all and when you have insider information which apparently has been the case, where people use that information and use big data to try to take advantage of it, there has to be some regulation. If they can't regulate themselves, then the NFL needs to look at, you know, moving away from them a little bit and there should be some regulation. I have no clue if the federal government is the proper place, my instinct is to say hell no, just anything about the federal government.
REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR CHRIS CHRISTIE (N.J.): Carl, I want to interject. Are we really talking about getting government involved in fantasy football? Wait a second, we have $19 trillion in debt, we have people out of work, we have ISIS and Al Qaeda attacking us and we're talking about fantasy football? Can we stop? Can we stop? Seriously? How about this? How about we get the government to do what they’re supposed to be doing: secure our borders, protect our people, and support the American values and American families, enough on fantasy football. Let people play, who cares?
