Some Out Of The Box Ideas About Who Should Moderate A GOP Debate

After CNBC’s disaster of a debate this week, the RNC has decided to potentially take a debate away from NBC News as punishment in February 2016. Which means there may be an opening for a new host channel and group of moderators to ask questions of Trump, Rubio and the rest of the GOP.

My friend and former colleague Frances Martel threw out the idea of a Food Network debate — that’s a good start. Here’s a few ideas:

• Food Network: For the Food Network debate, I’d start with Alton Brown as a moderator. Besides being a fantastic judge and questioner of, you know, chefs, he is an observant Christian and gun-owner, so he’d at least make the RNC feel comfortable with one of the moderators (without knowing his actual political beliefs). To fill out the moderator panel let’s go with two from Chopped, Alex Guarnaschelli and Scott Conant. Guy Fieri would be fun, but maybe in that Rick Santelli two-question role only.
• ESPN: ESPN has a surprising number of competent possible moderators, including two favorites, Michelle Beadle and Jalen Rose. But I’d go for the ratings, and that starts with one of the First Take hosts, Stephen A. Smith. Again, without knowing Stephen A.’s political beliefs, quite frankly he has taken some stances that have been viewed favorably with conservatives. Along with Smith, the moderators would include Obama golfing buddy Tony Kornheiser from PTI, and Dan Le Batard (and his dad, Papi).
• Bravo: The Bravo debate would be moderated by Andy Cohen, host of its only talk show and all of its Real Housewives reunions. Both experiences give Cohen experience with what he’ll encounter in a presidential debate setting — probing questions, in the clubhouse, and catty shade-throwing, at the reunions. Cohen would handle moderation solo, but be joined by a series of questioners, like Nene Leakes, Ramona Singer, Heather Dubrow and Jax Taylor.
• Showtime: Obviously the Showtime debate would be moderated by Carrie Mathison, Saul Berenson and Peter Quinn. No need to explain the reasoning here, since we all know why.
• E!: The E! debate would be fun because it would be the first network with an exclamation point in its name to host a presidential debate. As I’ve described before, E! happens to be the television home of the most influential Republican in America, Caitlyn Jenner, so she obviously would get the center seat. We’ll let Fashion Police’s Giuliana Rancic and The Soup’s Joel McHale handle the co-moderating duties.