Posted on 07/29/2015 3:35:14 AM PDT by cotton1706
Fox News is opening its 5 p.m. debate to all the announced Republican candidates who fail to make the cut for the Aug. 6 prime-time event, removing a requirement that participants reach at least 1 percent in polling.
The change amounts to an insurance policy for candidates who were in danger of being disqualified from the vital first debate based on low polls – Carly Fiorina, former New York Gov. George Pataki and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.).
The announcement by Michael Clemente, Fox News Executive Vice President, News, means that all 16 announced candidates will qualify for Cleveland — either the 5 p.m. undercard, or the 9 p.m. main event.
The 9 p.m. debate will include the 10 candidates with the highest average in national polls, as determined by Fox News. The 5 p.m. forum will now include all the rest.
(Excerpt) Read more at politico.com ...
Actually, that’s the fair thing to do.
I applaud this. Not because Lindsay Graham gets a break, but because I don’t want the media determining who we get to hear from.
I always felt that the top ten rule was arbitrary and that they should divide the group in half and have two separate debates. Though, I’d rather the debate participants for each of the two be random instead of based on polling, which has proven to be suspect in the last few election cycles.
Alan Keyes got ONE stinkin' question ... and he SAID so on national TV
Needless to say ... "they" mothballed him
Trump will put him in as embassador to the UN
It seems that the people they wanted in the debates to take down Trump weren’t going to make it, as no one from our side was interested in hearing their Establishment crap.
...so what the hell, change the rules at the last minute.
Still better than simply kicking Trump out, because they don’t like his ‘tone’, which I’m sure they also considered.
Bowing to pressure from the RNC.
So what happened to the forum or do these guys now get to participate in both?
I doubt this will help Graham a great deal. It would be nice to see Fiorina edge up a bit.
So a bunch of losers get to waste air time that would never win any way. Why didn’t they just get a job at CNN, MSNBC or FOX? Talk about worthless air time.
Why the defeatist message (so loser Lindsey, etc. can participate)?
Let the low polling candidates have a shot. If you are a conservative, you believe that competition breeds excellence.
Maybe they were afraid Jeb wouldn’t make the cut...(Minday’’s Special Report was a subtle infomercial!). Not going to watch if the losers are going to get the microphone...who cares what <1% ‘ers think? They might as well ask me to participate, I’d be more interesting than Lindsey.
This is a good idea.
It’s good that Lindsey will get into the debate to “set the record straight” and make the people of SC so proud of their selection. Who knows, people in other states may decide to duplicate the hapless Republican primary voters of SC.
I smell a set up here.
The Three Gope options Walker, Jebbie and Rubio don't want to get there Hands Dirty on national TV so let the third tier loser do the heavy lifting.
It will be ugly.
This is Walkers buddy RNC Prebius up to his dirty tricks again!
Good. This should get Carly into the debate then. I don’t know a great deal about her positions, but every time I see her on the news she is taking Hillary to task and not putting up with BS gotcha games from the reporters.
Remember the Prebius trial balloon idea to have those three Rhinos boycott the debate well that was a disaster.
Its a set up folks.
I agree with you, it is the fair thing to do.
Are the dems having any debates? Cannot wait to see Clintoon on the stage with Sandollar, Algore, The Biker, Fauxahontas and Deblatto.
I think the Top Ten in National Polls to participate in the prime time debate is ridiculous. The current polls, especially the National Polls are meaningless. A more practical approach would be to hold two back to back one hour or 90 minute debates with 8 candidates in each segment. The selection of which segment the 16 candidates would appear in would be based on a random draw. If anybody at Fox is viewing this, you might want to suggest this format.
Anything that would keep that sniveling faggot, Lindsay Graham, off the stage would be ok with me.
There has to be a cut-off at some point. The top ten division makes sense to me. Even ten is barely workable.
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