CNN Moderator John King Gets Booed Over Birth Control at Republican Debate, Should He Have Asked the Question?

Culture

A question about birth control caused a heated dust-up during Wednesday's Republican presidential debate in Arizona, the last before next week's Arizona and Michigan primaries. 

Republicans in the audience booed CNN moderator John King for asking a birth control question. “Since birth control is the latest hot topic, which candidate believes in birth control, and if not, why?” King asked (the question posed via cnnpolitics.com).

The question drew a loud round of jeers from the audience, and none of the White House hopefuls directly responded to the question:

It also sparked a fiery exchange between the candidates on religious freedom, contraception, and the quality of moderating in the debate.

Gingrich, who has attacked John King for his questions before in previous debates, said it was legitimate to question “the power of the government to impose on religion activities which any religion opposes,” but lashed out at King, demanding to know why moderators never asked President Barack Obama about his vote as an Illinois senator for “infanticide.”

Mitt Romney also attacked Obama, saying the President has launched “the worst attack on religious conscience in the history of the United States.”

Today, there's been debate over whether it was right for King to ask the candidates about birth control. The reaction suggested the crowd felt this was a gotcha-type question, distracting from more important topics.

But, this is also not the first time the crowd has booed during debates. Past Republican audiences booed a gay soldier, applauded the death penalty, and cheered the death of an uninsured individual.

Watch here:

Weigh in: Do you feel it was right for King to ask the candidates about birth control at Wednesday's debate? Or did he deserve this kind of reaction from the crowd. Feel free to share your thoughts about the quality of questions and moderating as well.