The GOP’s First Big 2016 Test: Fitting Candidates on the Debate Stage

Time ^ | 05/04/2015 | Zeke J Miller

[GIdget2004]

The Republican Party has a whole new debate problem in 2016.

After suffering through a seemingly endless and unwieldy stream of 23 debates in the 2012 cycle, the Republican National Committee took control of the process, marshaling networks and candidates to agree to a framework where they only participate in fewer than a dozen sanctioned debates. But now the national party and networks face the new challenge of arranging as many as 17 candidates on a single televised stage.

Largely out of view, executives and journalists from Fox and CNN, with input from the national party, are weighing the entrance criteria for the first two debates. Among the options being considered is using polling as a rough inclusionary test, followed by a fundraising metric—dollars raised or the number of individual donors activated. All of these things are in flux as the networks and the national party struggle with the largest plausible debate field in history.

“This is truly historic in that normally you are trying to get people into the debates and now you are trying to whittle people out of the debates,” said one Republican operative familiar with the debate process. “You’ve never had more than 10 candidates in either party on a debate stage. You could get to at least 16 to 17 candidates and make a legitimate case for them being there—easy.”

The first debate, in Cleveland in August, will be the most pivotal, according to GOP operatives and campaign aides. Failure to earn a place on the stage will likely be the death knell to a campaign, depriving a candidate of an opportunity to shine, and a visible mark of failure in a crowded field.

[Diogenesis]

The GOP and FOX “News” and the rest of the pro-terrorist
MSM dreams they will keep Sen. Cruz off the stage.

They are living in dreamtime.

[bigbob]

I’ve been saying a dozen, but t could be more

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

If our system of government means anything at all, every candidate should be included. Deal with it. If the powerful in the party try to eliminate the ones they don’t like, representative government takes the hit.

We should have a real contest for a change. The early bullies are the ones that should be cut out of things. The media has a responsibility to present all of the candidates to the public and let the public choose at the polls — NOT in telephone push-polling but on election day.

[BenLurkin]

Do NOT have debates.

NO NO NO Do NOT do it.

[RetSignman]

Several months ago I had the same question

[dware]

So in plain words, they are trying everything possible to keep Cruz off the stage. Watch.

[Signalman]

Each candidate will get a full 20 seconds to answer a question.

[b4its2late]

Who cares about the stage? Just don't want some liberal news type act as a moderator. They are simply hacks.

Get Rush, Hannity or Levin to moderate all of our debates.

[SMARTY]

2ND Biggest test... getting a hook to pull Jeb off the stage! :)

[jagusafr]

Bingo, S-man. A debate with more than (SWAG) six candidates onstage is worthless, since none of them will be able to actually DEBATE. They’ll just have time to click through some of their talking points, with no deeper exploration of their positions. The phrase “Charlie Fox” comes to mind...

[arthurus]

With more than three candidates the whole idea of “debates” should be dropped altogether. With so many included there is no debate and no airing of views except for the candidate favored by the moderator.

[Nervous Tick]

>> Each candidate will get a full 20 seconds to answer a question.

Yeah, and you know the questioning will be fair and balanced:

“Mr. Bush, what was the name of the ship than ran into an iceburg and sank in 1912?”

“Mr. Walker, exactly how many people survived the shipwreck?”

“Mr. Cruz, name all the survivors of the shipwreck...”

[Theoria]

Interesting. The DNC has just said they will have 6 debates[primary].

[Resolute Conservative]

Exactly or off behind the curtain on stage right.

[BenLurkin]

If necessary break them into multiple divisions and then switch them around round robin

[shalom aleichem]

Rove has openly said that “they” (The GOPe) will weed out the conservatives from the debates.

Bring it on Turdblossom!

[Resolute Conservative]

A debate with more than 3 people on stage is a huge waste of time. Each debater needs to be allowed to address each question. In this format we won’t get to hear Cruz say anything it will be the Jeb, Rubio, Walker, Hickabee, Paul, Fiorina, and Carson RINO lovefest.

BS.

[Pollster1]

Reference for those who are interested, and in no particular order:

http://www.c-span.org/video/?324979-1/ted-cruz-presidential-campaign-announcement

http://www.c-span.org/video/?325251-1/senator-marco-rubio-rfl-presidential-campaign-announcement

http://www.c-span.org/video/?325139-1/senator-rand-paul-rky-presidential-campaign-announcement

http://www.c-span.org/video/?325800-1/carly-fiorina-2016-presidential-campaign-announcement

http://www.c-span.org/video/?325722-1/dr-ben-carson-presidential-campaign-announcement

http://www.c-span.org/video/?c4536287/sanders-announcement

http://www.c-span.org/video/?325323-1/hillary-clintons-presidential-candidacy-announcement

Note: I couldn’t find the Mike Huckabee announcement.

[Lisbon1940]

A preliminary round of three debates, six or seven candidates in each, as needed. Draw lots for debate assignment, no seedlings. One week after the first round, select the top 10 by polling data to participate after that.