Posted on 05/26/2015 5:46:05 AM PDT by Kaslin
Last week Fox News announced rules for it's August 6, 2015 GOP primary debate, the first debate of the 2016 cycle. CNN did the same for it's September 16 debate. Currently, the Republican field sits at nearly two dozen potential candidates. Fox's rules allow for 10 to be on-stage. CNN allows for two groups to debate with 10 frontrunners on stage and a second group of less popular contenders invited to participate in a another forum. Getting into the top 10 on-stage will be determined by averages of public opinion polling. You can learn more about the rules and what they mean for the 2016 field here.
The rules announcement and requirement of relevant poll numbers didn't sit well with potential 2016 candidate and 2012 presidential primary loser Rick Santorum.
"I'm probably the best person to comment on this. In January of 2012 I was at 4 percent in the national polls, and I won the Iowa caucuses. I don't know if I was last in the polls, but I was pretty close to last," Santorum said. "And so the idea that a national poll has any relationship to the viability of a candidate—ask Rudy Giuliani that. Ask Phil Gramm that. You can go on down the list of folks who were doing real well in national polls and didn't win a single state and were not a viable candidate."
"If you're a United States senator, if you're a governor, if you're a woman who ran a Fortune 500 company, and you're running a legitimate campaign for president, then you should have a right to be on stage with everybody else," Santorum said. "So the idea that we're going to arbitrarily—and it's arbitrary, someone at 1.15 is in, someone at 1.14 is out—that to me is not a rational way."
Former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina took a different approach, without the whining, and is stepping up to the challenge to get on stage in the top 10. Fiorina announced to supporters last week that she accepts the rules and looks forward to complying with them.
"Friend, Fox News just announced how they will select participants for the first debate. I’ll skip straight to the point: I look forward to participating in the Fox News debate. I’ll make it clear that I’m ready to take on Hillary Clinton," Fiorina sent in an email to supporters. "But I need your help to get on that debate stage. In order to secure an invitation, I need to grow my team of supporters. You already know I’m working hard -- in Iowa and New Hampshire, and all across the country. But this is going to take more than hard work. The career politicians have a big head start. I need the resources necessary to broadcast my message to more Republicans."
Glad @FoxNews released metrics for 1st debate. I'll look forward to making the cut and making my case to GOP voters on Aug 6th.— Carly Fiorina (@CarlyFiorina) May 21, 2015
Over the weekend Santorum, Fiorina and a number of other potential candidates participated in the Southern Republican Leadership Conference in Oklahoma. Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, who hasn't officaly declared his candidacy yet, seems to have come out on top.
I’ve never been able like Rick Santorum.
Rick isn’t
or perhaps Rick was
But I guess CNN and friends have their own plans.
The headline could have stopped after “Rick Santorum Whines”
Yeah, he does, constantly.
Could be Carly is more of a man than Rickie sweater vest?
A ceiling of ten in the debates makes sense, or the debates will look more like a mob with no chance to get to know anyone, but I’d prefer different rules. How about the top eight from polling make it to the main debates, as under the currently proposed rules, with two wildcard slots for the top two performers from a second tier debate the previous week (top two as judged by a live audience of a few hundred that represents the GOP spectrum proportionately).
Giving out wildcard spots for the main debate would give those without name recognition a chance to speak on stage with the insiders and name-brand candidates. That gives them a chance to make their case to the party. My top choices are Cruz and then Walker, but I am more than happy to have them defend their positions against all comers.
It will be fun watching Cruz run rampant through the debates, primary and general.
I kinda agree on the first debate being open to ten. By the second...it ought to be whittled down to seven...and anything after November of this year ought to be strictly five individuals. The idea of giving some guy air-time when he’s just planning to place second in three states to help one of the other candidates....doesn’t do the primary any great service. Rick and Huck both need to pack up after the Iowa episode and head back home.
I voted for him in our 2012 primary. This time I won’t. That doesn’t mean that I have something against him and it doesn’t mean that I will vote for Fiorina
Doesn’t sound like whining to me. Refute his logic.
Perhaps
The rules announcement and requirement of relevant poll numbers didn't sit well with potential 2016 candidate and 2012 presidential primary loser Rick Santorum.
There ya go, right as rain.
It's "its," not "it's."
Anyone know if Ben Carson has said anything more since he came out against the idea?
I agree. Start with ten, and shrink it to the top five. However, I think the first top-tier debate should have some mechanism for a well-spoken second-tier candidate to get on stage.
JMHO but I think that Carley is one tough broad.
Shut up Rick
If the GOP doesn't nominate either of these two, then the GOP is doing great damage to the country, and the GOP is putting a Democrat like Hillary in the White House.
In which case, I say: Shame on the GOP
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