On radio Monday morning, Glenn and his co-hosts expressed their disappointment with the way the GOP presidential debates have been handled thus far.
Stu shared an innovative idea from presidential candidate Carly Fiorina, who Tweeted, "I'll debate any one, any time, any place. And how about letting some conservative networks host debates as well?"
I’ll debate any one, any time, any place. And how about letting some conservative networks host debates as well? Cc: @oann @theblaze
— Carly Fiorina (@CarlyFiorina) November 2, 2015Instead of playing "gotcha" with candidates, Glenn called for fair treatment to allow the American people to hear what the candidates have to say and choose for themselves.
"If they're lying, the American people will sense it. And once they really hear the differences between the candidates, then they can make their choice," Glenn said.
In an open letter to Reince Priebus, Chairman of the National Republican Committee, Glenn proposed a new kind of debate, "in both substance and distribution." See the letter, complete with Glenn's handwritten notes below.
Listen to the full exchange from radio or read the transcript below.
Watch tonight's episode of the Glenn Beck Program on TheBlaze TV to hear more of what Glenn has to say about this. Tune in for FREE here.
Below is a rush transcript of this segment, it might contain errors.
STU: What you need, Glenn, is innovative thinking from candidates. Like, for example, this latest tweet from Carly Fiorina who tweets, "I'll debate anyone, any time, anyplace. And how about letting some conservative networks host debates as well, including TheBlaze."
PAT: Yes.
STU: She points out. That's an interesting question.
GLENN: That wouldn't suck.
STU: That's an -- I would like to see it. I mean, we are capable of doing a fair debate as much as I have my own personal biases. I think that would be an interesting debate. Look at the way you've treated these candidates. I think some of the best interviews that have happened --
GLENN: I hear from each of the candidates, each the candidates -- I would say almost all of them have said, fairest interview that they've had -- at least what they say to me when they're leaving.
Fairest interview that they've had. And it's because I'm not trying to play gotcha. I really, truly believe that when the American people see them for who they really are and they're allowed to actually speak their mind on what they really believe --
PAT: Uh-huh.
GLENN: -- if they're lying, the American people will sense it. And once they really hear the differences between the candidates, then they can make their choice. Why -- I just -- because I despise gotcha politics myself, where I've gone in interviews and said, we can really make a difference here, if somebody will just treat me fairly. I'm not asking you to treat me with kid gloves. Just treat me fairly and let me make my points in a fair manner because then we can really make -- then people can decide.
And so because I hate it so much, that's the way I've been trying to conduct these interviews. I'm not going to do a gotcha. I'm going to ask you tough questions, but I'm not going to do a gotcha.
STU: Yeah. It goes back to the Ben Carson clip you played, which I pretty much agree with, although with a slight modification. Because he said something like, "What we need are people that are interested in getting the candidates to be able to disseminate information -- or disseminate information about the candidates." And I don't know if that's exactly the focus I want. I don't want them just being people who can disseminate information about the candidates. I like tough questions. But it's someone who is interested in the answers. Not interested in promoting themselves. Not interested in getting some big moment that can go viral. We're talking about people who are actually interested in the differences between these people.
GLENN: The first thing that has to happen, you have to actually believe the country is in trouble. On our side. On the left, they don't necessarily think the country is in trouble. On our side, the majority think that our country is in real, deep trouble. So you have to -- more than self, your country love, the first thing.
And then actually ask the questions that are honest that reveal the candidate for who they really are. That's what has to happen.
STU: Uh-huh.
GLENN: Nobody has to have a shouting match with Donald Trump. Why have a shouting match with Donald Trump? Mr. Trump, can you tell me the difference between a constitutional and a progressive president? Yes or no? And what is that difference? Would you consider yourself a constitutional or a progressive Republican?
There's no gotcha in that at all. He'll have to define them. And by how he defines them and then how he describes himself, you'll know because you'll be able to compare. Is that true, or is that not true? There's no gotcha there. Because I don't think that there's -- you know, the Republicans are running away from progressivism, just as the Democrats ran away from socialism.
Well, people are wanting the truth. They just want the truth. They know the truth. They know that the Democrats and that Bernie Sanders is a socialist. They know that Hillary Clinton is a socialist. They know that.
So they're capable of handling the truth on who you really are. They want somebody to say who they really are. Even if they don't agree with it. They want them to say who they really are and what they really, truly believe.
And so, I mean, I think just putting the candidates in a place to where they're comfortable enough to where it's not hostile fire the whole time because --
PAT: And you're asking the right questions that conservatives care about. You got to ask the right questions. You're not asking them, "Well, how are you going to stop the evil richest 1 percent from earning another dollar?" That's not a Republican principle.
GLENN: And this is for us to decide. This isn't the general debate. This is for us to decide.
PAT: Yeah.
STU: When it comes to the general election debate, you kind of expect those questions, but there's no point in doing that now. You're trying to find out who is -- I think there is a point in looking at a candidate's weakness. You know, if you want to look at Ted Cruz and ask Ted Cruz about, "Well, you're too divisive in Washington." Or ask Donald Trump about his issues with, you know, things he's said in the past. Those are fair. But when you're talking about these income inequality questions about --
GLENN: Why do you hate women?
STU: Why do you hate women?
GLENN: I mean, that's just ridiculous. That's just ridiculous. That's a general election question. And, by the way, the -- the mainstream media should have a balance to it that it should have something like Carly suggested, TheBlaze to where when it comes to the mainstream media, to the general election, that the -- the Democrats' feet are put to the fire. If you're going to ask those questions about, why do you hate women? Well, I think I should be able to say, you know, look at the stats of Philadelphia. Look at the stats of Detroit. Look at the stats of St. Louis. Those are all democratically controlled since the 1960s. Your progressivism doesn't seem to be working. With the level of increase of homelessness and joblessness for African-Americans and Hispanics, how can you say this works to help the underprivileged and the poor?
