Tonight’s Republican debate which will air on the Fox Business Network, will include a direct challenge to the moderators as traditional debate form goes out the window. After rampant abuse inflicted upon CNBC moderators by GOP potentials at the last debate, upcoming FBN moderators Maria Bartiromo and Neil Cavuto expressed some anxiety about facing the eight participating candidates.

Bartiromo said, “I’m a little — I don’t know if it’s nerves or being anxious — but of course. All of a sudden, it’s become cool to beat up the moderator.”

“I understand candidates getting annoyed, but they better be careful about looking like whiners and babies,” Cavuto said.

It is preposterous that these moderators feel they have to worry about being judged by rabid Republicans rather than focusing on grilling the candidates on the issues that matter the most. Republican candidates led by Donald Trump have made several outlandish demands and attempted to upend the rules throughout the debate cycle. First, it was Trump claiming that he cut the CNBC debate down to two hours from three and a half. Then, the RNC canceled a debate on Telemundo. Now, the moderators feel that they have an inherent disadvantage as they face an extremist group bent on not answering anything honestly.

The Republican party is committed to enclosing themselves in a criticism-free bubble of media where any legitimate question is “bias” and facts are optional.

To read more moderator comments, visit The Washington Post “GOP debate moderator warns: ‘Be careful about looking like whiners and babies’”

Sydney Robinson is a political writer for the Ring of Fire Network. She has also appeared in political news videos for Ring of Fire. Sydney has a degree in English Literature from the University of West Florida, and has an active interest in politics, social justice, and environmental issues. She would love to hear from you on Twitter @SydneyMkay or via email at srobinson@ringoffireradio.com