DC Trawler

Howard Kurtz thinks Obama needs more debate time because he speaks more slowly

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Last week, we learned that CNN Managing Editor Mark Whitaker sent out instructions to CNN drones employees on how to react to criticism of Candy Crowley’s self-appointed role as third debater last Tuesday. In addition to fact-checking Romney with facts that weren’t facts, she interrupted Romney 28 times and gave Obama four more minutes to speak. Whitaker thought all that was awesome, of course, and here’s what he said about that last part:

“On why Obama got more time to speak, it should be noted that Candy and her commission producers tried to keep it even but that Obama went on longer largely because he speaks more slowly. We’re going to do a word count to see whether, as in Denver, Romney actually got more words in even if he talked for a shorter period of time.”

A word count. Yes, he really said that. Rules are rules, unless they keep liberals from getting what they want.

It’s one thing for Whitaker to put such a silly thing in writing, but it’s another for someone to actually say it out loud.

That’s why they pay Howard Kurtz. Listen to him at the 3:10 mark here:

“Romney speaks faster, he got as many words in.” And then Kurtz threw it to fellow journalistic titan David Shuster.

So, it’s clear what Obama needs to do tonight: Talk… like… uhh… this… until… the… 90… minutes… is… uhhhhhhh…

That’s the new Democrat talking point, apparently: It’s no fair that Romney’s better at expressing himself verbally than Obama. How humbling all this must be for History’s Greatest Orator.