Thanks for an extremely interesting post, Back Row Blogger. As a viewer I had no idea Anderson was having teleprompter problems. You all are so very, very good at what you do. I am in awe!

I watched the Republican debate tonight Jan 30th. I enjoyed certain aspects of it , but I was also angered by how it was conducted. I thought it was shameful how Huckabee and Ron Paul were treated, especially Ron Paul. Just because they are not the forerunning candidates, they were so blatantly ignored and I was angered and embarrassed for them. I thought it was incredibly rude, disrespectful, shameful that they were not given a more even playing ground as opposed to almost being totally disregarded, especially Ron Paul. Not only was he barely addressed, he was rudely interupted on one answer before he could barely get five words out of his mouth. I respect a lot of what you do but I lost respect this evening with how blatently slanted this debate was conducted. It makes me wonder how slanted other coverage may be.

I can’t say this was one of my favorite debates. Even though the venue was impressive in its own right, it looked awkward and distracting as a debate arena. The questions and follow-ups could have been better. In my opinion Ron Paul was the winner. I realize that Anderson wanted to concentrate on the candidates who are considered to be “the real contenders” for the nomination, but I would have appreciated it if he would have allowed Ron Paul and Mike Huckabee more time to speak. It seemed like a two candidate debate.

Jo Ann
North Royalton, Ohio

During the Republican Debate in the Reagan Library, I am hearing a lot of Romney and McCain. I don’t hear enough of Paul (especially) and Huckabee. Is CNN pushing their agenda on America? America should hear from every candidate, not just the one’s that CNN seems to support.

Anderson Cooper and CNN Election staff,

I am a registered democrat who find himself in awkward position in this race. In order to stay up on things, I have intentionally left my TV on CNN-24hours because I believe that your station gives great balanced commentary. However, I am praying that Independent would come and save the day- with Barack flair whatever that is Hillary’s exp and Ron Paul’s Conviction. As a Male, Black in the 20-25 age range I have not found a candidate who I am completely comfortable with. None of the Candidates make a complete package and thats is that but I am Writing because I felt that Ron Paul was snubbed at tonights debate, Anderson I felt you cut him off in both a disrespectful way and unbefitting of a Journalist. I have full confidence in your reporting and applaud you for speaking truths to difficult and disastrous situations. I was visually appalled that he was not asked questions nor given adequate response time. I am not a Ron Paul fan nor republican so I saw the exasperated politician sit there as CNN mad us choose to listen to McCain or Romney! please dont do this to us again!

Just as a side note, I think it would be interesting to see what percentage of people would vote for Ron Paul out of those who have an idea of the stance that takes on issues. I’ve noticed from the people I’ve talked to that the majority of those who know what his campaign is about, like him. The problem is that many people are clueless of what he is about. I realize that writing in this blog will probably do nothing, but in my opinion, with enough media coverage, Ron Paul would be the leader of the Republican race.

why are you not giving Ron Paul any time to answer questions? You should be ashamed, that if you think that he is not a front runner, he still adresses some very important issues. It seems as though the ones who squabble the most get the most coverage and shame on you Anderson if you are falling into that trap.

The debate was unbalanced. There were 4 candidates, you owe it to all of them, if you brought them out, to give them all some time to make their case. Ron Paul hardly had a chance to speak and when he did, he was shut up after two sentences and the two on the right hand side spoke forever, atimes very boring, until Gov Hukerbee protested the one-sidedness. “I’d like to be here tonight” He said.

John McCann, AS prisoner of war was tortured..How did he get over all of that.What kind of therapy did he have? When does it come back to him now?

Thank you,

i cannot believe how unfair to ron paul and mike huckabee this debate was.why not just tell us who to vote for cnn.terrible job of questioning unequal time to candidates.did you like the argument between romney and mccain.it sure seemed like you kept that alive as much as possible.shame on you as journalists.

I just want to say how much I appreciate the blog from the back row. As a journalism student interested in news production I find it extremely informative. Its really interesting to read about first hand experiences dealing with the topics I am learning about it college. You all do great work in front of the camera and behind the scenes. I truly admire the program and the work you do. You can tell that you all love what your doing and that is what makes it great.
You guys have done a great job the last couple days broadcasting from California. I am sure that it can be challenging to have controls in New York and Anderson out here. Great job with the debate as well.

Boring and disappointing debate. It was like the Jerry Springer of the politics between Mccain and Romney. Questions should be about national issues so all the candidates can participate. Ron Paul has limited talking time and Anderson Cooper stopped him when he was trying to make a point. I turned the TV off after Anderson Cooper kept the same boring dynamic in the first part. Debates are opportunities to listen the ideas proposed among different candidates and not to force the debate between a few. I personally think during the primaries all the candidates should have the opportunity to voice their opinions. It is the responsibility of the media source like CNN to be neutral and allow equal opportunity for candidate to present their opinions
By the way, I think Huckabee was the only one trying to make a serious political proposition.
Thank you..

Unequivocally this was one of the most blatantly mismanaged and unbalanced debates I have ever witnessed. It would seem that the only participants were Romney and McCain. It was appalling how both Huckabee and Ron Paul were consistently passed over in participating in the “Debate” and cut of repeatedly when they were speaking. Not so for Romney and McCain. Biased to say the least! Inasmuch as Romney and McCain have had extraordinary coverage in the media, CNN should have given Huckabee and Paul at least equal time. Infuriated Floridian.

I agree that the Ron Paul and Mike Huckabee could have been afforded more time tonite.

I was disappointed by John McCain in this debate. I don’t for a moment doubt his love of his country and his committment to the security of the US. It is a record he should campaign proudly and positively on.

His constant assertions about MItt Romney’s supposed want for a withdrawal timetable were a bit embarassing though. When Anderson read the whole quote verbatim I really don’t see how anyone can question Romney’s intent at the time. I’m not a Romney supporter but can’t help believe him when he said “Timetable” was all about progress in Iraq and pressuring the new government into meeting deadlines etc for its own good. Nothing in that direct quote refers to Withdrawal and even Bush at the time was talking timetables to mean setting performance markers to measure the progress in Iraq.. something completely credible and the right thing to do.

When McCain kept pressing the point even after the quote was read..his posture reminded me of the Jack Nichsolson Army General character in the Tom Cruise film “A Few Good Men” . I was waiting for him to shout out “You WANT me on that wall.. You NEED me on that wall”. It was a becoming portrayal of a man who wants to be President of the United States of America.

Mr. McCain: I respect your love of your country and your sense of duty to it. If you stick to following your principles you can run a positive campaign that will win you the Republican nomination. But clearly on this issue you are seeking to damage Mr Romney on a point that is so very clearly flawed and false. It does not become you well and eats away at the impression of Integrity and principle that your experience legacy suggests you have. Its clear that Mitt Romney did not have a Withdrawal from Iraq strategy. So drop it. Campaign on your strengths and move on.

Why tonight was it so obvious that CNN is pushing McCain? Even Bill Bennett was gushing over him yet Bill tried to remain neutral but he was giddy.

I could tell Anderson was a little distracted by something, but it didn’t really interfere. Sounds like a pretty challenging transition.
The debate tonight was interesting at times, but didn’t really go deep enough. I wish questions would not have been stated in a way that slated the candidates directly against each other. I felt that Huckabee and Paul really had the best responses to questions tonight.

I did like the question about President Putin - it’s time that someone addressed that issue & also gave a better feel as to how candidates view foreign policy philosophically and what their actual approach might be in concrete terms.
Thanks for the coverage - it’s always interesting!

Julia G., Chicago, IL

By the way I did not see the whole debate, but it may have been better to have candidates answer questions in reverse order at times… giving all an equal chance.

I have watched you since your days on “channel one” during elementary school and you have always dedicated yourself to the issues.(thanks) I have always respected your reporting but seriously how hard is it to give 4 candidates relatively equal time?

The debate tonight was quite interesting to view, but not that interesting to listen to. The reason for this statement regards to the comments from senator McCain , he is beginning to sound like a old worn out tape recorder placed on repeat. Senator McCain continually repeats his roles in the military, prisoners of war, squadron leader in the navy…..with the great roles or accomplishments senator McCain did in the military why is it he lining up to become the Secretary Defense!

After watching GOP debate, I found Senator McCain’s performance disgusting. He would not answer questions addressed to him. His name dropping and constant bragging was tiring. The way he kept sniping at Governor Romney really turned me off. If this is how he treats a fellow candidate, I can imagine how he would treat a world leader who disagrees with him. America would be further alienated by his presidency.

I am a registered Republican but if he is nominated, I will vote Democratic.

I was looking forward to the Republican debate. I thought there were four candidates that would have a chance to address the people with their views. However it was as if there were only two!!
Huckabee and Paul did not get much of a chance to say anything!!
They just more or less got to sit on the sideline.
I was very disappointed !!

IMo if America elects John McCain they’ll be getting not much better than they’ve got now. His arrogance is almost identical to Pres. Bush, right down to the smirk on his face. Is this the best you’ve got?

Having had the opportunity to work as a newsreader at a local radio station; and with an aunt who was a television director - I can relate to the challenges of mounting a live telecast, especially when half the broadcast involves people reporting from the field!

As far as getting the show out goes, you folks in the control room do a great job, and I am glad that you’ve finally got some space on the blog. What the anchor does with his guests is something that goes in another comment thread.

Keep up the good work!

BEV

NO the best is RON PAUL but there is a media blackout of him because he is not supported by special interest groups.

He is intelligent, and TELLS THE TRUTH

Anderson did a great job last night. Your technical problems glitches were not too obvious but I did observe the hesitation on Anderson’s part at times.
I learned one thing. John McCain is arrogant and a war monger. He will never get my vote.

The debate didn’t really say anything that we hadn’t already heard. I did enjoy seeing Romney put off kilter by McCain a few times. Ron Paul and even Huckabee should have had a fairer share of the questions.

You description of how to coordinate the teleprompter with where Anderson was in reading it was really interesting. I couldn’t tell that he was ad-libbing or that anything out of the ordinary was going on. Pretty seamless operation there.

I really like these posts - the behind the scenes stuff is fascinating!

Annie Kate
Birmingham AL

Thank you for the blog.

There was more of a plan out of the democrats than out of the mouth of Romney and McCain. Spurring them on to bicker, which I assume was a goal of CNN, did nothing to help sway my vote for either of them. In reality, it distanced me. Possibly that is the goal of the mainline media.

CNN did not do a good job and I’m very disappointed in Anderson Coopers performance. I left feeling as though they were trying to control my thinking instead of helping me to find the best candidate.

Congressman Paul and Huckabee should have been given the same amount of time to answer questions… without being cut off like they were many times during the interview with McCain/Romney.

eric p
Arlington, VA

These “back row” reports are fascinating, hope they continue. Thanks.

I like what Ron Paul has to say…. please give him more air time.
The media seems to fear what he stands for and how he would go about fixing the economic and political mess were in.

good job on the debate anderson, yes maybe huckabee didnt get the same coverage or questions as Mccain but people need to understand that they are the 2 front runners, huckabee will do a good job with the southern states and maybe 2 or 3 more questions but because of time issues they couldnt do it, this just happens and i dont think cnn wants Mccain on the white house. thanks

My favorite part? The AIRPLANE! How cool was that? I would have gone crazy to be near it. Absolutely fantastic.

Lewis
Portland, Oregon
http://www.spiritofsaintlewis.blogspot.com

Anderson and staff:

Great job on the debate last night. It was a very impressive venue and AC does his ususal impressive job to keep the candidates on the questions asked. I think Senator McCain was a little too glibe last night. He wanted to keep speaking about the war when the economy is one of the real issues. The war did not create the real estate, healthcare or energy issues that we are facing in this country. In my opinion Mitt Romney was right on with most of his answers. You will never agree 100% with any candidate, but have to pick the one that you feel comes the closest to how you feel on the issues. We do not need another inside the BELTWAY clone. If Mitt Romney is the Rep. candidate he will owe no favors as he is paying for his own campaign.
I like how all the press appears to be sucking on lemons when they speak to him or peak of him.
I will watch the Democratic debate tonite and I am sure that it will be another good one.

Good job to all your staff and contributors.

Susan
Phoenixville

AC360:
I am impressed with the candid tales of the behind the camera world.

Yes, the adlibbing was noticeable, but that’s what makes AC360 more believable that the straight jacket coverage from other networks and anchors.

I really do not enjoy debates, and think it is impossible to elect a President based on 60 second sound bites, however there are four men still in this race. They are all campaigning, and they all deserve the same attention and respect.

I was disappointed, as usual, with the treatment of the men sharing the stage not considered ‘frontrunners.’ There was a time when Rudy and Fred got most of the attention and where are they now? Please cover ALL of the candidates, not just the one’s that speak loudest or argue the most.

Why did you ignore Ron Paul? Could it be because he makes so much sense you just can’t stand it!

Hi, adlibbing is not easy, at least for me. Anderson did a pretty good job with it. Everyone gave it their all and that’s all we can ask for. We appreciate your hard work.

First let me say thank you for all of your efforts in bringing us this debate. It’s easy to be Monday morning quarterback, so it would be easy for me to say that I would have loved to hear more from Mr. Paul and Mr. Huckabee. But perhaps with 4 candidates, there was not enough time. Maybe the time allotted for the actual debate could have been longer (more than 1 hour 35 minutes)? However, I also realize that planning and organizing a debate, especially where stakes are high, is a huge undertaking and not an easy task. As with any project, we celebrate our successes and make note of lessons learned.

Thanks again. I look forward to the Democratic debate tonight!

Lilibeth
Edmonds, Washington

Last night I didn’t hear any after the debate - debate about who won the debate. We heard about the undecided listeners and how they reacted according to the monitors they wore. Apparently Romney won by his 90% ratings? Is this how it was gauged. I’m not sure, but your bloggers are right - it was boring when McCain and Romney verbally went after each other. It made me want to hear more of Paul and Huckabee.

Perhaps this race would be more even if CNN would actually spend more time fairly reporting on the candidates issues, opinions and actions and less time on their antics. If hte media left out the antics, maybe the candidates wouldn’t spend so much time taking part in them. Let’s leave the Britney Spears type reporting to pop stars. Who gets elected is more important than which candidate said what about whom. This is a country’s political life at stake - not a school ground.

Please use some discretion and show the good side - leave the bad side to the rag mags.

WOW that is crazy…..3 full minutes of lag time?!

Maybe there is a better way of sending the info? Laptop is quicker than that!

Good thing JoAnn is quick on her feet and realized it was that long of a lag.

Anderson pulled it off great as well, nice to see he is also quick on his feet.

You have a good team to pull that off.

( Kudos )

I had a thought.

Use one of those big touch screen monitors as the prompter attached to a laptop that JoAnn can control via gotomeeting.com.

Internet lag has to be a lot less than 3 minutes and having him read from a laptop on air is tantamount to reading from hardcopy….a faux pa.

Mount the big monitor in his view with the boom camera resting on it. (it can be locked in place so it doesn’t move).

He can then read from it, old school prompter style - under the camera, and still look into the camera.

JoAnn controls it in realtime (or as close as the internet will allow).

Anderson gets to know when sharp turns are ahead.

It could work….just an idea.

I, too, felt ashamed of the way Ron Paul was treated. He’s an elderly gentleman, and gentleman Is the proper description. From day one I liked him. While the “leaders” are talking above and around the issues and us, Paul cuts right to the heart of the situation and follows through, taking it a bit farther down the line with each new issue. Of course he gets excited, can’t you see how earnest he is? And I know you were having a rough time Anderson, just try not to let the glitches get to you to the point of hurting an old man who really has something to say.

Mike Huckabee? Why on earth do most people think if you’re not from the coast, (east or west) or the southern border (retirement cities) that you must be somewhat less than intelligent? Huckabee knows the score and he knows exactly how it should be played. Paul and Huckabee. Sounds pretty good to me. Where does it say we have to elect people we don’t want? Just because they’re on the menu doesn’t mean we can’t make another choice.!

Are we all so in love with our parties that we won’t make our own decision? Lou Dobbs has had it right for a long time. Re-register as an Independent,,put your candidate in. It will never happen of course, not enough of us will care enough to do a write in and dump the others. But just suppose we did ~~~~

Maggie

I’m impressed to say the least!
Thanks for that look behind the scenes.
You guys are incredible and Anderson is simply amazing! How on earth does he do it???
More blogs from the back row, please!

Wake up and smell the coffee. You need to pay more respect to the only candidate talking about real issues instead of talking about who said this and who said that?

Is our country really down to the level of bickering like 5th graders? Seriously?

This is ridiculous.

Vote for Ron Paul if you want a country worth a damn in a few years.

Anderson & Staff

Watched the debate last night . What a backdrop for a debate. Anderson did his usual impressive job on trying to keep the candidates on track. Commentary by John King later was intelligent as usual. Good job!
I thought that Senator McCain was a little to glibe last night. He kept wanting to talk about the war. The war did not get us into the real estate, health care and energy problems that our country is facing today. ITS THE ECONOMY SUPID!!!!!! I think that Gov. Romney was right on. We do not need another inside the BELTWAY clone. I just wish that the press wouldn’t be so anit Romney. He has excellant business skills and seems to stand tough for his principals. He will also not owe any favors to anyone since he has taken no money from anyone.

Susan
Phoenixville,PA

Why did Wolf Blitzer the commentator try to make this personal by insinuating that Hillary Clinton was “naive” in her vote for the war? I found it very distasteful for a commentator to go after a candidate like that. Shame on Wolf!!! If you go after one candidate you should go after both…I found this very biased.

Thank you

Disgraceful bias to the point of being laughable. Don’t you think more and more people are becoming aware of the fraud and manipulation of the media when it comes to deciding who our next president will be. All I can say is, Keep it up!! The more obvious it is, the quicker people will wake up. The battle has just begun!

John

I wish I had not watched to debate!! I really like Cooper and I think he showed himslef to be the same as the rest of main stream media. Responding to pressures from above or personal bias? I would really like to hear why you cut Ron Paul off multiple times, saying we’ll get back to you, there will be plenty of time for you….. A discredit to Cooper. I thought he was a good man..

No more, Huckabee and Ron Paul have a lot to say and I would have loved to hear them both!!

Dissappointed and looking for a FAIR REPORTING STATION!!
Angel

“Be honest about what you see, get out of the way and let the story reveal itself”

Are you for real? That’s your motto?

You should let Ron Paul talk andI think the story would reveal itself. Ron Paul is what America really wants.

Paul
Clearwater

During the Republican debate, Anderson Cooper continuously told Congressman Ron Paul he would get to him, then ignored him. At several points, Paul waved and motioned that he would like a turn to speak. Cooper nodded, but never allowed Paul to speak. Despite his opinion that Paul has no chance of being elected, it would seem only fair to give Paul a chance to speak on each issue that the other candidates get to speak on. Unless, of course, Cooper does not want the public to hear Paul’s message.

Thanks for making an important debate worthless the American people do not need to see McCain and Romney argue over who said what regarding time tables its unimportant. But thats what you gave us. Ron Paul and Mike Huckabee have some very good ideas about the economy but we didnt get to hear anything important. What a joke we have become we have sold our souls to big business. We do come away with something positive from this election that is do not trust the MEDIA!

I used to watch CNN because I felt that they were the fairest but now I see that they have an agenda just like FOX News. I find it to be pathetic that not all the candidates were given FAIR and EQUAL time to answer questions. McCain and Romney appear to be the favorites, Huckabee and Paul are still in the race and should be given FAIR and EQUAL time to express their points of view. I was most dissapointed to see Anderson Cooper cut off Dr. Paul when McCain and Romney were given the chance to sit there and argue like two 5 year olds. Next time I’m going to keep track of who gets to speak how long and who was asked the most questions directly. Then I can give you some raw numbers. Thanks for your time.

Ex Viewer,

Jim Amsler