Fox News rules will limit the field in first GOP presidential debate

Washington Post ^ | 05/20/2015 | Matea Gold

[GIdget2004]

Fox News, which is hosting the first Republican debate of the 2016 campaign, will require participants to place in the top 10 in an average of the five most recent national polls in the run-up to the event, according to details obtained by The Washington Post Thursday.

The standard will winnow what is expected to be a field of 16 or more GOP presidential candidates by the Aug. 6 event in Cleveland.

Determining which contenders will get to participate in the official forums sanctioned by the Republican National Committee has been a thorny challenge for the cable news network and party officials. No GOP primary debate has ever featured more than 10 candidates.

The cable news channel plans to provide additional coverage and air time on Aug. 6 to the candidates who do not place in the top 10, according to a release obtained first by The Post.

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You can’t have a debate with 16 people. Really you can’t have it with more than 5. But they’re all dog and pony shows anyway.

Sounds about right. I just hope excluding candidates actually makes the debates better, but don't hold your breath for that.