I would resolve the problem in a way that has not been used before.
The one useful debate in the 2012 cycle was the one at the Palmetto Freedom Forum in Columbia, SC, on or about 9/4/11 and hosted by Senator Jim DeMint in South Carolina. Each candidate was sequestered in a separate "green room" and not allowed to hear the responses of the other candidates. There was no opportunity for smart-assing one another on stage. Each candidate came out on stage alone to be questioned. The panel doing the questioning included substantive folks not enemies from the lame stream media. One questioner (on social issues) was Professor Robert George of Princeton University, perhaps the most distinguished academic in the US on such issues.
The other questioners were Iowa US Representative Steve King and Senator DeMint, fine men both but I think officeholders and politicians should NOT be questioners. Most have alliances. I would look for other panel members to be folks who are not politicians but, like Professor George, serious public policy experts. Examples: Victor Davis Hanson of the Hoover Institute on foreign and military policy and a Peter Schiff on economics and tax policy. It should be clearly understood that the questioners MUST be even-handed even with those with whom they disagree. OTOH, they should not be bashful as to rigorously testing the intellectual and policy bona fides of each candidate. For example, Professor George's questions surprisingly led even so experienced a debater as Newt Gingrich to understand that his pro-life position and those of Gingrich's faith were not identical. Gingrich. to his credit, then conceded that he would modify his stand accordingly to conform with his faith.
I can imagine similar intellectual experiences occurring under the questioning of Peter Schiff and/or Victor Davis Hanson. The specific identities of the questioners are not as important as are their objectivity, conservative commitment, fairness, intellect, policy literacy and questioning skill. If Bill Buckley were alive and in his prime, he would be an ideal moderator. Perhaps Larry Arnn, president of Hillsdale College might moderate.
Conservatives and their organizations must commit to certain propositions. First, full participation in such a debate or debates is mandatory for any candidate seeking conservative support for the GOP POTUS nomination. We must not support anyone ducking the debate.
Second, such a defining debate or debates must be very early in the process (July 4, 2015 or so).
Third, some of the questioning should be general and submitted to each candidate in advance:
A. For example: Why do you seek the presidency? Why are you a conservative? Why are you a Republican? What can you do better as POTUS than other available candidates? What are the strengths and weaknesses (both of them) of the POTUS you seek to succeed? What qualities are most important for public leadership? Why will your supporters see your presidency as a defining moment in their and this nation's life? What do you say to convince us as conservatives that you are the candidate who can develop a 50-state organization led by talented people of experience to run your "ground war," raise the funds necessary to fund your air war WITHOUT compromising your integrity, deal with and overcome the character assassination that is sure to be launched against you as GOP nominee by the moneyed liberals in the GOP process and the Demonrats thereafter?
Cheering sections should be prohibited. An audience is not necessary in the studio. No post debate spin room allowed at the facility. No audio-visual aids.
Try to make this sort of vetting process the standard for choosing our candidate.
Take control of RNC and change the rules to put a stop to front loading the process with mushball moderate states. Also, require each state party to register voters as Republicans (regardless of statutes) and limit the primary and caucus voting to registered Republicans. It is our party and registration is a minimal requirement to choose its candidates. If necessary, the GOP should pay its own expenses for its candidate selection process and set an example for others. If state laws disagree with party rules, the SCOTUS ruled in 1972 that party rules take precedence over statute (so long as not for excluding racial minorities) in a case involving challenges to Mayor Daley the Elder's Illinois delegation to that year's convention.
Change the culture of the GOP so that any attempt ala Romney to use anonymous money by the oceanful to flood the airwaves, stifle his opponents' ability to even buy airtime and to fund the waging of a relentless campaign of lies and character assassination should bring disrepute upon such a candidate equivalent to being caught red-handed molesting a child.
We also need to organize conservatives on the ground throughout the nation, serving as GOP precinct committee members, GOP county committee members, training our folks in election tactics, GOTV tactics, obligations of election officials, battling absentee and early ballot abuse, generating letters to the editor, fighting vote fraud, organizing tactics, causing conservatives to socialize together, coordinating with TEA Party folks, gun owners, veterans, fraternal groups, pro-lifers, church folks, small business owners, socially conservative union members, Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, voter outreach, youth, elderly, folks who have (like Sarah Palin) had enough with corruption (no matter which party is at fault), getting out our own absentee votes, and, above all, relentless voter registration of friendly voters.
We should also let our candidates know that they should refuse to submit to MSM debates run by our enemies. They need us. We do NOT need them.
I could go on forever but I won't. We need a new blueprint as a movement and we need a new movement. Others should feel free to suggest other ideas.
God bless you and yours! Likewise to all those pinged.
Excellent, excellent post. I am starting to despair, however, of the GOP ever listening to its base, its backbone, and instituting the change necessary to satisfy us.
The party left us. It’s time for a new one, built for the right reasons, to attract the right candidates, and hopefully save our great country.
Why I’m the heck aren’t you in office, for crying out loud? Catholic to boot! (As in a faithful, devout, practicing, pious Catholic, of which the voters have never experienced in public office.
Guess that might explain why you are not I’m office. Our loss.
Thx very, for the ping.
Oops. Cell phone spelling!
I’m - “in”
Reince Priebus please step aside, there’s a new man on the block - Black Elk. APPLAUSE!