Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-South Carolina) appeared on CNN and criticized the network and its debate co-moderator Dana Bassey for failing to fact-check.
Clyburn told Bash on CNN’s State of the Union, “I don’t like debates where nobody fact-checks. You just say what you want to say. You know, it’s a lie. The guy said 30 weird lies and nobody checked him and it’s on Joe Biden. I don’t know. If I asked you a question and you lied to me in return, I have to follow up and tell you what the facts are and see what your reaction is to that. So for me, that’s not how you plan a debate.”
Bash's response was a bit disingenuous, stating that the debate was Biden's idea, which is accurate, but it was CNN that decided not to fact-check it.
The roles of Bash and Jake Tapper in the debate could equally be filled by two elementary school students with good reading skills and the ability to tell time.
The moderator was useless in the debate. Most of the time when Trump dodged a question or told an outright lie, Bash and Tapper did nothing.
Doing nothing while our political leaders lie to the nation is the antithesis of the role of journalism, and if debate moderators don't act like journalists, why not let anyone host a debate? A daytime talk show host could host a debate. The Manning brothers could host a special Manning Cast on ESPN and host a Biden/Trump debate.
If reporters aren't doing their jobs, there's no reason for them to be debate moderators. Rep. Clyburn was right. Biden's debate preparation needs to change, but so does the way the debates are conducted. Because what happened at CNN is not good for democracy.