Well the Right Blogs have come up with an idea that of course CNN will never agree to, or rather, if CNN does agree to it, it will be the end of CNN - to wit they want CNN to agree to allow the Right Blogs to approve the questions:

So what's the solution? How can we engage voters in a national forum through the New Media, while keeping the debate substantive and serious? I have a simple solution: have CNN cede the editorial/selection process to the New Media, in the form of the blogosphere. CNN would ask bloggers to form a committee to review the YouTube entries. Since this debate is a Republican primary event, the bloggers should probably represent that segment of the electorate -- primarily Republicans, but perhaps with independent/centrist representation as well. The committee would review all of the YouTube entries and narrow them down to around 20, through whatever process and criteria to which these bloggers agree. They would also agree to the order in which the questions would be asked.

Sure Captain Ed. Republican bloggers will get to decide what questions are asked and CNN will lend you its name for such an event? Ridiculous. Of course, Right Bloggers could organize their own You Tube style debate but CNN will not be a part of it. Try Fox for that. Heck, you will not have to pick the questions then. But folks will understand what the debate is just the same.

The bottom line it seems to me is that Ruffini is right. Not participating is clearly worse for the entire Republican brand than participating. Heck, this fear of CNN is rather silly actually. But the old myths die hard. The whole "liberal media" myth still infects the Republican mind when it is clear that the Media has been cowed by the Right into, at the very least, an incompetent neutrality. And in today's politcal climate, an incompetent Media strongly serves the interest of the Republican Party. Because you know, the facts have a liberal bias these days.