Posted on 05/18/2015 10:57:59 AM PDT by GIdget2004
Three months before the first official Republican presidential debate—and with as many as 19 potential GOP candidates—party leaders are struggling to figure out how many can plausibly fit on one stage.
Last week Politico reported a “behind-the-scenes” consensus at the Republican National Committee spring meeting that the first few debates should be capped at 12 candidates. But the confab concluded without any final decisions as to how the culling should occur.
Quantitative measures proposed so far include the candidates’ standing in state and national polls, the number of campaign events and campaign staff members, elective office experience, and fundraising. And while the party would never cop to engaging in affirmative action, some suspect that the formula will be tweaked in ways that ensure gender and racial diversity on the debate stage.
Yet somebody will have to be excluded, and the RNC is already sweating the likely backlash. Last year the RNC triumphantly seized control of the debates to make sure "grassroots conservatives have a greater voice in the presidential primary debate process," unlike in 2012 when “the liberal media interrogated our candidates on issues that were often not a priority to most Americans.” Reports now indicate the party is looking to pawn off final approval of the eligibility criteria onto the partnering media organizations in hopes of deflecting any blame.
The RNC should worry. Any sort of complicated, opaque, bureaucratic formula would not only arouse suspicion, but would also come across as (gasp) liberal. Republican debate rules should be rooted in conservatism: Simple, clear and unflinchingly firm. Reward winners. Don’t coddle losers.
How do you accomplish that? Boil it down to the one objective measure that really matters before the first vote is cast: money. Here’s the only criterion the RNC needs: Only let on stage the top 12 fundraisers.
(Excerpt) Read more at realclearpolitics.com ...
I agree. Non-announced “candidates” are just in it for the personal exposure and money.
“Only let on stage the top 12 fundraisers.”
That would NOT be a correct or efficient way to showcase people who REFLECT the views of ALL American Conservatives.
It would JUST put the most slippery and least genuine people front and center.
Legitimate contenders should have organizations up and running in all 50 states.
Period.
Stop having debates.
Leaders don't, for the most part, play well on television, and the system is run by our enemies.
First, knock out the joke candidates who truly have no chance at POTUS or Veep, “The Donald” Trump, Bobby Ehrlich, Petey “I hate Ted” King, Linda Graham, and “Who was” Georgie Pataki. Some of these guys may not even run, but would just love to have their 15 minutes of face time. This gets us to 12!
Second, have tough conversations with the Ricks, “Oops” Perry and “Can’t win your home state” Santorum. They had their chance last time, so it’s time for them to find another calling in life! Now we are at 10!
This group of 10 might be manageable and leaves a true RINO group of Bush, the Huckster, Kasick, and Christie; semi-RINOs, Jindal and Rubio; newcomers Carson and Fiorina with Paul, the Libertarian and Cruz as the only true Conservative.
Make them answer a series of yes or no questions with no elaboration. Call a break and then recall the real conservative ones. Of course the trick is to get real conservative monitors and not media/GOPe hacks.
I get sick of the blather without ever really answering the question.
I think flooding the field is the GOPe’s strategy to ‘water-down’ Ted Cruz....
No debates.
The public can read their positions and send money to the best candidates. That's what I do and it is not difficult. I have no use for a soundbite festival with post-spin all run by the enemies of America and capitalism. If the "public" is too stupid to do that, then they should not be fed these "debates" by liberal media. It serves no useful purpose.
It’s not just flooding. It is stalking horses like Graham who will simply tear down Cruz (about the easiest prediction I can possibly make in this charade). Once they have torn Cruz down we will get a second best like Walker before they tear him down, then maybe a third. Jeb may implode, but that doesn’t matter to the enemies of America. There are plenty of other RINOS to take his place e.g. Crispy, Fiorina, etc.
Trump buys his way on-stage?
With 50 years of gradually worse Republican presidential candidates, isn’t it time for something new? Here’s what I recommend: let the Koch brothers choose the candidate.
Yep. That accomplishes two things. It cuts off time from someone like Cruz, and lets the establishment candidates repeat the same mantra over and over...
It greatly amplifies the also ran candidates, too. Why should someone who is not officially running and polling in the low single digits get the same time as a front runner.
There’s still plenty of room on the democrat side. About half the so called republicans ought to just be done with it and head over there.
Given the 10 minute canned bite, we'd never have anything resembling debate.
The debates are going to happen. They are scheduled. I was just offering an idea as to how that can be accomplished in as fair a manner as possible.
“This group of 10 might be manageable and leaves a true RINO group of Bush, the Huckster, Kasick, and Christie; semi-RINOs, Jindal and Rubio; newcomers Carson and Fiorina with Paul, the Libertarian and Cruz as the only true Conservative.”.........
A well-thought out posting - except that you did not include Scott Walker. He is my first choice and is ahead in some of the polls. You will need to eliminate one more candidate in order to put in Scott Walker.
How about starting with a tag-team event between Conservatives and CINOs? Eliminate the pretenders as a group and then move on to candidate selection.
Some of these idiots like trump just need to be told to shut up and go home. Reeses pieces at the RNC should be telling all of these wannabes that they are limiting the debate to 4 candidates.
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