Seth Meyers looks at GOP debate demands, suggests trapdoor

Seth Meyers wants a trapdoor at presidential debates
(Image credit: Late Night)

On Tuesday, the Republican presidential candidates failed to unite behind a single list of demands about future presidential debates, but most of the campaigns have been complaining about the debates — especially last week's face-off, hosted by CNBC — and a majority of campaigns met Sunday and came up with a list of questions for the debate-hosting TV networks. Seth Meyers took a look at those suggestions, and the broader griping, on Monday's Late Show, and he was sympathetic.

He started out with Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus' colorful descriptor of the CNBC debate. "Reince isn't wrong — it was a 'crap sandwich'," Meyers said, "but one of the problems is that any sandwich is crap if it has 14 or more ingredients." Looking down the list of demands, he voted in favor of adding gongs to signal that a candidate's time was up, then added a suggestion of his own. "CNBC did not run a good debate, but there is no such thing as a well-run debate with 10 people on stage," Meyers said. "Candidates need to start dropping out soon, and if they won't do it on their own, the RNC should do it for them — during the debates, with a trapdoor." That would make for great television, but why pick on Sen. Lindsey Graham? Watch Meyers' "closer look" below. Peter Weber

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.