Politics

John King, along with Arizona State University students playing the parts of Ron Paul, Rick Santorum, Mitt Romney, and Newt Gingrich, is doing a run-through today ahead of tonight’s GOP debate in Mesa, Arizona. This is the 20th, and likely final primary debate. The first face-off on Fox News last May, also featured four candidates — only one of whom, Ron Paul, is still in the race. The other attendees were Herman Cain, Gary Johnson and Tim Pawlenty.

Tonight’s debate will feature the candidates at a table instead of podiums. Playbook reports CNN last used this set-up for a GOP debate on Jan. 30, 2008, at the Reagan Library. Sitting at the table then were candidates John McCain, Mike Huckabee, Romney and Paul.

The Arizona debate airs on CNN at 8pmET.

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This morning on “Morning Joe,” the panel interviewed Franklin Graham, the son of the legendary Reverend Billy Graham. Much of the discussion focused on whether President Obama is a Christian, but about 11:30 minutes in, when it looks like the interview is about to end, Willie Geist asks Graham “one more question,” and the resulting discussion–focusing on Obama, Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum–is what is making the clip go viral.

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The other day we told you about some of the tvnewsers who, via clips from their networks, make cameos in the upcoming HBO docudrama “Game Change,” which is based on the best-selling book by cable news mainstays John Heilemann and Mark Halperin. In addition to Sean Hannity, Anderson Cooper, Bill O’Reilly and Wolf Blitzer, there are shots of Katie Couric and Charles Gibson (with a body double, above). Couric, with CBS at the time, and Gibson with ABC, got sitdown interviews with Sarah Palin, whose story features prominently in the film.

CNN’s Gloria Borger, Jack Cafferty, and Dana Bash make appearances. FNC’s Juan Williams also shows up in clips as does and PBS’ Gwen Ifill who moderated the VP debate in 2008.

“Game Change” premieres on HBO three weeks from tonight. Here’s the trailer.

CNN has canceled the GOP primary debate slated for March 1, as Mitt Romney and Ron Paul opted not to participate.

“Without full participation of all four candidates, CNN will not move forward with the Super Tuesday debate. However, next week, CNN and the Arizona Republican Party will host all four leading contenders for the GOP nomination. That debate will be held in Mesa, Arizona on February 22 and will be moderated by CNN’s John King” the network said in a statement to Politico’s Dylan Byers.

It is unlikely that all of the debates currently on the schedule will happen, even if multiple candidates hang on going into the Republican National Convention. The next slated debate is March 19, and will be hosted by PBS. debate

The Baltimore Sun’s David Zurawik got a sneak peak at “Game Change” yesterday, which premieres on HBO next month. Based on the 2010 best-seller by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin, the HBO telling is get a lot of attention for its portrayal of Sarah Palin, played by Julianne Moore. But Zurawik thinks it’s Woody Harrelson‘s turns as McCain adviser Steve Schmidt — who was on “Hardball” just last night talking about the current GOP race — that should be noticed.

Wow, and wow again. What a force Harrelson brings to the role. The real Schmidt had the thankless task of trying to manage an emotionally fragile and, at times, possibly imbalanced Palin. But he should get on his knees every night for the rest of his life and thank God that Harrelson was picked to play him.

Zurawik notes several tvnewsers are featured in “Game Change” through the use of clips of their reporting and, in some cases, body doubles for reversal shots.

Fox hosts Sean Hannity and Bill O’Reilly do get a little face time, but nothing like CNN’s Wolf Blitzer and Anderson Cooper. In fact, the film opens and closes with Cooper, in his role as a part-time correspondent at CBS for”60 Minutes,” interviewing Schmidt.

By the way, if you want to see some of the relics from the 2008 campaign — both real and imagined — head over to the Newseum beginning Friday where, among other items, Tina Fey‘s suit, flag pin and eyeglasses worn during her Palin parodies on “Saturday Night Live” will be on display.

Way back in 2008, the political newspaper and website Politico announced that it was getting into the TV news business with Politico TV.

As our sister blog FishbowlDC noted at the time, the idea was to re-brand an existing program on WJLA, a local DC station owned by Allbritton Communications, which also owns Politico.

Politico TV failed to catch on however, and the idea faded away, along with trademark filings filed by the company.

Late last year however, Politico filed a new trademark application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office covering “Politico TV.” The filing is a “1B,” which means that the company has intent to use it.

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Another weekend of political coverage is underway as Maine’s week-long GOP caucus concludes this evening. Although Maine’s caucus is non-binding, the cable networks will devote special coverage to the results in prime time tonight.

Chris Hayes will anchor two hours of coverage on MSNBC beginning at 6pmET. He will be joined by Melissa Harris-Perry.

CNN’s caucus special will be anchored by Wolf Blitzer, John King and Candy Crowley from Washington, DC. Coverage will begin at 7pmET after a special 6pmET edition of “The Situation Room.”

Fox News will feature regularly-scheduled Saturday night programming — “America’s News Headquarters” with Eric Shawn and Arthel Neville at 6pmET and “Fox Report” with Harris Faulkner at 7pmET.

GOP Presidential candidate Rick Santorum swept the two caucuses and one primary last night in Colorado, Missouri and Minnesota. This morning he made the TV news rounds… sort of.

Santorum appeared on Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends,” MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” and CNN’s “Starting Point,” but not any of the three network morning shoes on NBC, ABC or CBS.

Why is that significant? The lowest-rated network morning show, “CBS This Morning” averaged more total viewers in January than “Starting Point,” “Fox & Friends” and “Morning Joe” combined. ABC and NBC have substantially more viewers than CBS.

Why would Santorum forgo the popular network morning shows for the less-watched cable programs? The New York Times’ Brian Stelter probably has the right idea:

Seems notable that Santorum went on all the cable morning shows today, but not Today, GMA or CBS. Wanted to reach insiders, not avg voters?

— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) February 8, 2012

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Voters in three states — Colorado, Minnesota and Missouri — will weigh in today on the 2012 GOP Presidential nominee. In a departure from recent political coverage, cable networks are scaling back for this round of voting — a primary in Missouri, which is non-binding in the first place, and caucuses in Colorado and Minnesota.

Fox News will feature regular primetime programming, with live updates from Bret Baier at the top and bottom of every hour. Baier will also anchor a one-hour special at 11pmET.

MSNBC’s regular prime time anchors — Chris Matthews, Al Sharpton, Ed Schultz, Rachel Maddow and Lawrence O’Donnell — will fold election coverage into their respective regularly scheduled programs.

CNN is changing up its regular lineup with Wolf Blitzer and Anderson Cooper anchoring special coverage beginning at 7pmET from Atlanta. Blitzer Tweeted this picture of how he spent his Monday night in Atlanta.

GOP candidate for president Newt Gingrich, who has gotten some significant mileage out of the televised debates this primary cycle, may not be finished debating. But the networks that hand over precious air time, may be. Toward the end of today’s Washington Post story on Gingrich‘s plans going forward, there is a line about the Gingrich campaign looking toward more debates.

His strategists are also lobbying two networks — Fox News and ABC — to add debates to the schedule between now and March.

But those networks say that’s not the case. Fox News tells us no one from Gingrich’s team has lobbied them. And we’re told it’s unlikely Fox News will have another debate for the remainder of the GOP primary season. ABC tells us no one has lobbied them either, but a standing invitation is out to the candidates to debate on “This Week.”

The next debates are tentatively set for February 22, in Arizona on CNN;
March 1 in Georgia also on CNN; and March 5 in California on NBC.