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Posted on 04/26/2007 1:38:12 PM PDT by areafiftyone
Fox News will have a say in deciding which Republican presidential candidates participate in next month's debate in South Carolina.
State Party chairman Katon Dawson and a spokesman for the news channel said Thursday that they had agreed on a criteria, including polling numbers, for choosing which of the 10 GOP candidates will take part in the May 15 debate.
"We understand there's not room for everybody on a nationwide political stage for a Republican debate," Dawson said.
Marty Ryan, executive producer of political programming for Fox News Channel, said the polling criteria would ensure "that serious candidates were taking part in our debate."
The party sent a letter to the candidates saying they must have filed papers establishing an exploratory committee or full-blown candidacy and paid the fees associated with the state primary.
They also must have "garnered at least 1 percent in recent state and national polls leading up to the registration deadline, as determined by Fox News Channel and the South Carolina Republican Party," according to Rob Godfrey, the state party's communications director.
In a variety of national and state polls, seven of the 10 candidates hover around 1 percent or less. Only Rudy Giuliani, John McCain and Mitt Romney easily meet the criteria based on polling.
The standard has the potential to bar several candidates from the debate and anger the lesser-known GOP hopefuls.
Dawson said the criteria was jointly developed so "we wouldn't have people who were just willing to pay a filing fee and think that they could show up and be on the stage. There are a lot of people who would like to be able to vent their special interests on a presidential stage."
"If you're not in the poll number and you haven't met the criteria, no, you won't be able to get on the stage," he said.
State parties run the presidential primary balloting in early voting South Carolina. Presidential hopefuls must file with the state GOP and pay their primary entry fee by May 1 to qualify to participate in the May 15 debate in Columbia. Giuliani was the first to do so last week. McCain did so on Thursday.
All 10 Republican candidates will be participating in the first Republican debate next Thursday at the Reagan Library in California.
Questions to freepers: If Rudy does become the republican candidate, will you still oppose him? Will you still refuse to vote for him? Will you vote for some other parochial candidate with no chance to win, thereby throwing your vote away and sending the Clintons back to Washington? Will you hold to your own cottage interests, even though we are in a war against homicical maniacs? Just curious. :)
Had to endure watching PMSNBC during lunch and all the DNC debate prep shenanigans.
Much has been made of the DNC’s shunning FOX NEWS for the debate. Not nearly as much made of the “news channel” they did choose, and why.
Jim Gilmore is really the only 'serious' candidate who has drawn no support.
Rudy - McCain - Romney - Hunter - Brownback
Paul - Tancredo - TommyThom -
That's only 8, easily manageable, max of 12 if they were going to count Newt/Fred/Gilmore/Hagel.
Yes, yes, yes, yes, and a big YAWN.
Well, OK. Perhaps, Romney will be the republican choice. :)
Same answer goes for him, as you might gather. :) :rolleyes:
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Funny that a CrawDaddy from California would have an issue with Rudy. You’d think he’d understand politics ... or maybe he hasn’t learned what it’s like to live under Gov. Gray Davis.
I have noticed an increase in suttle inputs of Rudy video clips.
Newt and Fred are not in the running at this time, so how can they be in the debates?
The Big D debate was last night. Watch MSNBC for reruns. They’re mostly a bunch of losers - anti war, anti Americans, catering to their leftist constituents, IMO.
Presumably if they took further steps toward candidacy between now and the debate.
They don't dare let them all be heard for fear it could raise their polling numbers and make them viable. It's best to treat the voters like mushrooms... keep them in the dark and feed them fertilizer!
Take your wasted vote crap and shove it where the sun doesn’t shine. The only wasted vote is a vote that isn’t cast. You waste your vote when you don’t vote for a candidate that represents your views. I am NOT going to vote for who YOU want, I am going to vote for who I want. If I vote for someone taht I don’t want, I send a message that I like that candidate when I don’t! We need to STOP sending the wrong message!
Did Hagel announce? I would think you would have to be an announced candidate.
Agree. I would love to see Jeb Bush in the debates too and Duncan Hunter. They are both very articulate, decent and true Americans. But......
“Take your wasted vote crap and shove it where the sun doesn’t shine.”
“I am NOT going to vote for who YOU want, I am going to vote for who I want.”
Very good. Congrats. That’s the American way! Perhaps, you might be interested in Harvey Hayseed, out there in Turniptown, USA. While, as yet, he doesn’t have national recognition, or even state or county recognition, he is known locally and has had a bit to say, from time to time. Most important, he realizes that abortion is the only real issue facing America and the world! And he’s ag’in’ it! —for any time, for any reason and for any person, regardless of gender! He also has made no bones about them illegals —he’s ag’in’ ‘em! In fact, he’s against all immigration, past, present and future. He’s said, more than once, that he’d put up a whole big wall around the country and make sure nobody got in or out unless he said so! And, as far as that damn IRS is concerned, he’s ready to tell them to go blow away right now! And, if all that ain’t enough to convince you to cast your vote his way, he wants you to know he’s against all them laws politicians have been makin’ since God knows when! He’s opposed to any gun laws whatsoever, except where them damn minorities are concerned. According to Harvey, guns should be required! With the really heavy stuff goin’ to ‘country folk.’ As Harvey sees it, it’s every man, woman, child and corporation lawyer for himself! —Have a nice day. ;)
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