OKGOP Chairman blasts Presidential Debate Commission over 'virtual' decision

 

REPUBLICAN CHAIRMAN DENOUNCES DEBATE COMMISSION DECISION 

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK, October 8, 2020 – The chairman of the Oklahoma Republican Party said today he applauds Texas Republican Party Chairman Allen West in denouncing the Commission on Presidential Debates’ (CPD) attempt to manipulate the next Presidential debate by making it digital and remote.

“Chairman West is absolutely correct, and I commend him for speaking out,” said David McLain. “The decision of the Commission on Presidential Debates to make the second debate between President Trump and Joe Biden a virtual affair is wrong. The fact that the Commission is using the President’s contracting of, and medical clearance from COVID-19 as the reason to change the format from live to virtual, is ridiculous. The fact is the debate can be staged safely just as the Vice-Presidential debate was. I support the President’s decision not to participate in the manipulated shell game the CPD is playing. The American people deserve to hear from both candidates live, in the same room, in the same city in front of a live town hall audience, as the debate was scheduled to be. Unfortunately, it appears the CPD prefers to play politics with the format by using President Trump as a pawn.”

Here is the announcement from the Commission on Presidential Debates:

CPD ANNOUNCES SECOND PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE WILL BE VIRTUAL

Washington, D.C. (October 8, 2020) – In order to protect the health and safety of all involved with the second presidential debate, scheduled for October 15, 2020, The Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) announced the following today:

The second presidential debate will take the form of a town meeting, in which the candidates would participate from separate remote locations. The town meeting participants and the moderator, Steve Scully, Senior Executive Producer & Political Editor, C-SPAN Networks, will be located at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County in Miami, Florida. The White House Pool will provide coverage of the second presidential debate.