Politics: Unleash the Crowds

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Politics Unleash the Crowds Newt Gingrich is right: We need more debates. And more yelling! By David Weigel Posted Wednesday, Jan 25, 2012, at 10:00 PM ET TAMPA, Fla.—On Tuesday, in his post-debate interview with Fox News, Newt Gingrich wanted to talk about nothing more than the debate itself. The most-recent Florida Q-and-A session was the driest and oddest in months. Why was there a question about Terri Schiavo? Why, Newt wondered, did Brian Williams tell the audience not to applaud? "The media is terrified that the audience is going to side with the candidates against the media," said Gingrich. "We will serve notice on future debates—we're just not going to allow that to happen. That's wrong. The media doesn't control free speech. People ought to be allowed to applaud if they want to." For Gingrich, this was a dangerous move: Team Romney's snark and press releases increase in direct proportion to Gingrich's poll numbers. The Romney camp responded to this debate riff by emailing journalists the infamous 1995 New York Daily News front page—the one with a weeping, diaper-clad cartoon Gingrich tantruming because Bill Clinton gave him a cheap seat on Air Force One. Only Newt Gingrich, the whiner, could want more debates, and only he'd want the audience to yell out. Sorry, but lots of other people want these things. Okay: I want them. There's far too much griping about the number of debates, and this hot new gripe—a loud crowd is distracting!—is so, so wrong. Imagine no debates. The Republican candidates would have had, to date, 36 or so additional hours when ... To continue reading, click here. Join the Fray: our reader discussion forum What did you think of this article? POST A MESSAGE | READ MESSAGES Also In Slate What the Supreme Court Can Learn From Gabby Giffords and Jeff Flake's Tender Moment What's Wunderkind Blogger Ezra Klein Doing in the New Robert Harris Thriller? Guess Who's Winning Big as Iran's Economy Collapses Under Sanctions	Advertisement
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