GOP candidates could be bumped from primary debates

[n2doc]

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — A broad consensus is beginning to take hold among Republican party officials that the presidential primary debates shouldn’t include any more than a dozen candidates — despite the fact that there might be as many as 19 declared candidates by the time the primary debates start this August.

Though the precise criteria for debate participation ultimately will be decided by the networks staging them — and party leaders continue to insist nothing has been finalized — there is behind-the-scenes agreement here at the Republican National Committee spring meeting that the first debates should be capped at 12 candidates.

“Our goal is to accommodate as many candidates as possible at the beginning,” said Steve Duprey, the New Hampshire committeeman who chairs the RNC’s 2016 debate committee. “I think there’s consensus to cap it between nine and 12. And we may not need more than that, depending on how the contest goes. Each of the media partners may have different criteria and they’re going to evolve.”



Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2015/05/gop-2016-candidates-primary-debates-118000.html#ixzz3aL8cSp19

Let the whining begin!

[bluestateguy]

1. How can a debate with 19 candidates up on a stage be at all useful?

I would want the Democrats to do the same thing if they were in a similar situation.

[Yupster]

4. I would do three one hour debates

with the candidates picking out of a hat which group they went with.

[yourout]

2. Make it a tournament format.....the craziest candidate advances to the next round. Or Survivor BSCR.

Bat Shit Crazy Republican.

[yeoman6987]

3. Could get interesting

The only female and two African Americans don't make the cut I bet.

[angryvet]

5. wait till we have to hear

all the whining and crying by the ones left off the stage. Hope there is lots of backbiting and name calling...so we can dismiss all of them.

[Ruby the Liberal]

6. How disappointing!

I used to love when they would lob the rare question to Ron Paul.

C'mon guys - bring on the crazy!