CNN continues disservice to second-tier candidates

In what is apparently a continued attempt to prop up the three frontrunners in the race to be the Democratic Party’s 2008 presidential nominee, CNN co-hosted a forum yesterday on faith that only involved Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and John Edwards.

The others were interviewed later on another CNN show, but they weren’t given as much time or attention.

You can read about the CNN/Sojourners forum by clicking here. You can read a transcript of Paula Zahn now, where the others got to speak, by clicking here.

The move came the day after CNN held a Democratic candidate debate designed to center around the Big Three, who got more time to speak, were asked more questions and took up more camera time even when they weren’t speaking.

MSNBC and FOX News have both held debates (FOX has only held one for Republicans) and both did a better job of giving all candidates an equal opportunity. Many of the Democrats plan to boycott the FOX News Democratic candidate debate scheduled for the fall. Maybe the second-tier candidates should instead boycott CNN.

CNN is doing a disservice to the public and democracy. The Big Three have plenty of money to buy more airtime. Why also give them more free airtime?

On Zahn’s show, Richardson talked about social justice and how his faith drives him to help the poor. Richardson said during Sunday’s debate that China, which buys Sudanese oil, needs to do more to stop the genocide in Darfur. He said the United States should consider boycotting the upcoming Olympic games in China if that nation won’t help.

It was an unpopular position among his opponents, with only Edwards agreeing.

The U.S. Olympic Committee criticized Richardson on Monday, telling The Hill that the Olympics are about sports, not politics, and should be a unifying force.

That’s a statement I can’t comprehend. How could seeing India and Pakistan or Israel and Iran or, during the Cold War, the United States and Russia competing not have a political dimension? But the committee said Chicago’s chances of hosting the 2016 Olympics could be killed by Richardson’s suggestion – hence, most of the presidential candidates don’t support boycotting the games to stop genocide.

Kudos to Richardson and Edwards for doing what’s right.

During his interview with Zahn, Richardson also discussed homosexuality and left me with the same dissatisfaction he usually does after talking about this topic. He opposes gay marriage. As Zahn pointed out, he’s been quoted as saying, “I’m just not there yet. I’m a Catholic. I think marriage is between a man and a woman.”

And yet, when asked if he believes homosexuality is a sin, Richardson told Zahn he does not.

“And, actually, when you look at many gay couples, they’re families. They’re individuals that shouldn’t be discriminated because of sexuality orientation,” he told Zahn. “They love each other. They’re promoting family values of love. And my view is that I believe in civil unions, protecting against those that are discriminated against, hate, initiatives like hate crimes that prevent discrimination of human beings.”

That doesn’t adequately answer the question. He believes in equality. He believes homosexuality isn’t a sin. He believes homosexual couples promote family values. And yet, he believes in denying them the right to be equal families under law in terms of marriage.

This position has to make conservative Democrats who believe homosexuality is a sin and liberals who think gay marriage should be legal uncomfortable. Richardson’s only saving grace on this point is that most of the Democratic candidates have the same nebulous position, and most fail to adequately explain it.

Richardson also made a stop Monday in Chicago that you can read about by clicking here and another in Phoenix that you can read about by clicking here.