Mike Rogers Leads the Way Out of the Republican Debate Trap

Top O' the Briefing

Happy Wednesday, dear Kruiser Morning Briefing friends. The Frumious Bandersnatch has been referred to HR for further shunning, as well as a beer pong etiquette compliance refresher. 

We have spent a fair amount of time discussing the commie terrorist sympathizer who is running to represent Michigan in the United States Senate, and it's all been necessary. Annoying, but necessary. While it is important to keep an eye on how the seeds of the Republic's destruction are growing, I need to balance it out with a little "rah-rah" action for the people on our side. One of the greatest things about being a decidedly partisan media type is being able to do things like that. 

Rare is the occasion when I happen upon a news item that makes me wish there were someone around to high-five. Honestly, I don't think that I have been in that kind of mood since election night in 2024. Michigan's Mike Rogers has gotten me fired up again. This is from my friend and RedState colleague Teri Christoph:

The media are in quite a snit Tuesday afternoon after learning that Mike Rogers, the Republican candidate for Michigan's open U.S. Senate seat, did something that more GOP candidates should think about doing: he said "hard pass" to a debate with Democrat Abdul El-Sayed because the moderator is a leftist hack.

And Rogers has the receipts to prove it.

The Republican announced he will not participate in Tuesday night's FOX 2 Detroit debate, with his campaign pointing the finger squarely at moderator Roop Raj and what it describes as Raj's demonstrated history of “bias and favoritism” toward El-Sayed.

Can I get an emphatic, "THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!" here please?

Anyone who has been reading my stuff for a while is quite familiar with my election year laments about Republicans subjecting themselves to debates that are moderated by biased hacks. It's done repeatedly and, even worse, voluntarily. 

While it's true that political debates aren't truly debates anymore, they don't have to be biased sabotage affairs that are essentially in-kind contributions to the Democrat(s) on the stage. For several decades, though, politically masochistic Republican candidates have brainlessly marched into situations that are designed solely to make them look bad. It's been the "Thank you sir, may I have another?" scene from Animal House on a loop.

President Trump has shaken things up a bit because he will repeatedly tell the hostile mainstream media hacks that they're awful people. One of his most brilliant campaign moves in 2024 was to avoid them completely in the primary debates. 

We've seen Trump's attitude rub off on the most reliable members of his administration. It has been a delight watching them dismantle the likes of Kristen Welker, George Stephanopoulos, and Kaitlan Collins. The Republican National Committee needs to take note and make sure that none of these partisan combatants are ever allowed to be involved in moderating debates again. 

Will all those who have faith in the RNC's ability to have any spine after President Trump is out of office please raise their hands? No one? OK, next item on the agenda...

As Teri goes on to note in her post, Rogers hasn't bowed out of all of the debates, he's just not going to let a faux journo who counts Hasan Piker among his fans ask him any questions. 

There was a time, of course, when the media options were limited and it almost made sense for GOP candidates to try and run a gauntlet of "GOTCHA!" questions — heavy on the "almost" there. That's no longer the case. There are plenty of conservative media outlets that could spend an evening asking Republicans sincere questions that would allow them to showcase their policy ideas. Let's be honest — a presidential debate moderated by me would be informative and extraordinarily lit. 

Teri also writes that Rogers' people were very specific about why they objected to Roop Raj being involved in the debate. This should be added to the Republican blueprint going forward. Examples of bias abound when it comes to almost any MSM propagandists who have moderated a political debate. Call them out and put them on the defensive regarding their biases. 

Actions like the one that the Rogers camp has taken here give me hope that President Trump's toughness is becoming an integral part of the Republican Party's modus operandi and will be part of his legacy, rather than merely a fond memory once he is back in private life. For far, far too long, the GOP has rolled over for every unfair advantage that the Democrats try to gain. We all know that gaining various and sundry unfair advantages is the one thing that the Democrats still do very well. 

When it comes to biased debate setups, Republican candidates should take their cues from the late former First Lady Nancy Reagan: "Just Say No." 

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