by Paul Dame
Last week, the first Republican Presidential Debate set records for viewership, totaling a live audience of over 12 million. It was the most-watched cable telecast of the year outside of sports, with nearly 50% higher ratings than the 2nd place finisher, an episode of Paramount’s “Yellowstone.” These numbers were nearly double what Republican debates were getting in the pre-Trump era of the 2012 primary season, which peaked at around 6 million.
The average observer may not realize it, but there was another way that history was made last Wednesday night. In previous elections, debates would occur whenever an inclined media outlet wanted to host one with zero input from the parties, and next to no leverage from the candidates. Early last year, the RNC changed that when their new Committee on Debates was formed and went into action. Last week’s debate was the very first one that was organized and sanctioned by the RNC. This allowed Republicans to select the venue in Milwaukee, which is in the swing state of Wisconsin as well as the site of the 2024 Republican Convention. This also allowed the RNC to choose the venue, which allowed for the greatest number of in-person attendance for a debate ever recorded, reaching over 5,000.
And the great news was that the RNC set up a debate, and the candidates created an event where a rising tide lifted all of their boats. A poll conducted by fivethirtyeight.com showed that all eight participants saw an increase in the number of primary voters who would consider voting for them. The only candidates who were hurt during the debate were two who did not attend; William Hurd and Donald Trump. Trump went into the debate with the highest consideration rate but lost 5% of his potential supporters, which had him swapping places and giving the lead to Gov. Ron DeSantis. Meanwhile, Ambassador Nikki Haley saw the biggest jump from 30.2% to 46.7%, and Gov. Asa Hutchinson saw the smallest increase from 8.5% to 9.4%.
While everyone will have a different opinion about who won the debate or what their favorite moment might have been, what impressed me the most is the legitimate diversity of thought that was demonstrated on that stage – and what a contrast it is to the DNC. There are a few core values that hold us together as Republicans, but our party has always been a true marketplace for the exchange of ideas with no monopolies on how best to apply those principles. There were considerable differences between the candidates about foreign policy, environmental policy, abortion, and more. It was a great showcase to the American public that the Republican Party is the place to be if you want a genuine discussion and debate where the best policies can rise to the top.
The contrast to the DNC is stark. First of all, despite having three announced candidates, the DNC is not holding any debates. Even if a few legacy media outlets wanted to put one together – which they don’t – without the participation of President Biden, there won’t be too much interest. The DNC is going even further to fundamentally change their primary schedule in order to make sure that Democrats don’t choose anyone other than Joe Biden. If you remember in 2020, Biden struggled in both Iowa and New Hampshire, which led to speculations that he might drop out until he came through with a big win in South Carolina. So obviously, Democrats have rearranged the schedule to put South Carolina first, which breaks over 100 years of precedent putting New Hampshire as the nation’s first primary.
Unfortunately for Democrats who seem to make a habit of disregarding the law elsewhere, they have also looked the other way on an NH state law that requires the Secretary of State to set a date for the primary that is earlier than any other state. So once again, Democrat wishes are about to crash face-first into reality when their desired outcome cannot be achieved. One consequence of this is that Democrats are now in such an embarrassing and disorganized position because their rules may require Biden to not even place his name on the ballot in the Granite State, meaning that RFK or Marianne Williamson could be declared the outright winner of the nation’s first primary. If that happens, it would be the first time an incumbent President lost the NH Primary since Ted Kennedy beat Jimmy Carter in 1980. Just what Biden needs – another comparison to Carter.
So while Democrats keep their iron fist gripped around their party members to squash dissent and restrict the effect their voters will have on their candidates, Republicans will keep pushing forward with debates that help our party assess and adapt to the changing needs of the American electorate and give those voters the opportunity to show the party the direction they want us to go in 2024 and beyond. Republicans will keep pushing for the freedom of speech, which is non-negotiable in a democratically-elected republic, and fight against the centrally-controlled censorship that Democrats are advocating for throughout this entire primary process.
The author is an Essex Junction resident and chair of the Vermont Republican Party.