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Back to To the Point

To the Point

Does Iowa Still Matter in the Age of TV?

Last night was episode thirteen for the Republican presidential candidates. Has it been serious politics or reality TV? The TV debates have been compared to sitcoms and reality TV, with different leaders week after week and big audiences, apparently due as much to personal attacks and embarrassing gaffes as pronouncements on policy.

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By Warren Olney • May 12, 2014 • 1 min read

Last night was episode thirteen for the Republican presidential candidates. Has it been serious politics or reality TV? The TV debates have been compared to sitcoms and reality TV, with different leaders week after week and big audiences, apparently due as much to personal attacks and embarrassing gaffes as pronouncements on policy. Newt Gingrich, this week's principal target, said he was "editing" his remarks to avoid Mitt Romney's charge that he can be "zany." Romney went back to his role of attacking Barack Obama without speaking ill of other Republicans. With time growing short, others showed no such restraint. Iowa voters will caucus in less than three weeks. Will they pick a winner or will their choices be soon forgotten as the candidates move on to New Hampshire?

Websites of Republican presidential candidates:

Michele Bachmann

Rick Perry

Ron Paul

Jon Huntsman, Jr

Rick Santorum

  • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

    Warren Olney

    former KCRW broadcaster

  • KCRW placeholder

    Jim Rutenberg

    media columnist, New York Times

  • KCRW placeholder

    Robert Thompson

    Professor of Television and Popular Culture at Syracuse University

  • KCRW placeholder

    Tom Beaumont

    Associated Press

    NewsNationalPolitics
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