Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., wasn’t wrong when he said over the weekend that debate moderators in the 2016 election cycle have avoided questioning the Democratic presidential candidates on their support for controversial abortion procedures.
In the five Democratic primary debates that have taken place since October, 2015, not a single moderator has asked Hillary Clinton or Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., to explain their opposition to legislation banning partial-birth abortion and abortive procedures performed after 20 weeks of pregnancy, even though a majority of voters support restrictions in both cases.
“Here’s what I find outrageous. There have been five Democratic debates. The media has not asked them a single question on abortion, and on abortion the Democrats are extremists,” he said at Saturday’s GOP debate.
“Why don’t they ask Hillary Clinton why she believes that partial birth abortion, which is a gruesome procedure that has been outlawed in this country, she thinks that’s a fundamental right?” he asked. “They are the extremists when it comes to the issue of abortion and I can’t wait to expose them in a general election.”
Last October, during a Democratic debate hosted by CNN, abortion came up twice, but both mentions came from the candidates. The debate moderators, Anderson Cooper, Dana Bash, Juan Carlos Lopez and Don Lemon, never raised the issue.
The next month, in a debate moderated by CBS News, Clinton, Sanders and then-candidate Martin O’Malley were never asked to explain their position on abortion by moderators John Dickerson and Kevin Cooney of KCCI.
The same thing happened in December, when ABC News’ David Muir and Martha Raddatz neglected to question Clinton, Sanders and O’Malley on abortion.
The remaining Democratic candidates went into the New Year with a debate hosted by NBC News that also ignored the issue, as moderators Lester Holt and Andrea Mitchell focused instead on issues including income inequality and drug addiction.
Lastly, in February, Clinton and Sanders were again let off the hook as MSNBC’s Chuck Todd and Rachel Maddow neglected the candidates’ position abortion, and queried them instead on gun control and climate change.
In contrast, abortion has come up in three of the seven GOP debates since August, 2015.
Several current and former 2016 GOP primary candidates, including former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, former Govs. Jeb Bush of Florida and Mike Huckabee of Arkansas, billionaire businessman Donald Trump and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, have been asked on separate occasions to explain their position on abortion.
Rubio isn’t the only person to notice the contrast in debate questioning.
“On this much, Rubio is right: The media, in general — and debate moderators, in particular — should demand more answers,” wrote the Washington Post’s Callum Borchers. “Just as we focus on where those who oppose abortion rights would grant exceptions, we should focus on where those who support them draw the line.”
