01-12-2016, 06:44 PM
(01-12-2016, 06:05 PM)SERIOUSLY THOUGH Wrote: They can refuse candidates during debates ? How bizarre. Surely they should all get the chance to say their bit.If you're referring to where I said, "which Paul turned down", then I clearly misspoke. Rand Paul chose not to be on the undercard debate, as he felt it didn't reflect his campaign.
Usually, it's up to the network hosting the debate as to the criteria that must be met in order to appear in the debate. Last year at the Fox Business debate, both Huckabee and Christie were dropped from the prime time debate and put into the undercard debate because they didn't meet Fox Business' criteria for the main debate. I believe the only reason they cut those two from the main stage is because two undercard participants have dropped out from the race since the last debate, and they can't possibly hold a debate between two candidates at this point, it'd be insulting, especially considering that one of those candidates was originally in the main debates.
It is good that the field of candidates is slimming down, and I'm sure we'll be seeing the undercard debate participants suspending their campaigns in the near future. I don't see Paul or Christie dropping out anytime soon, as both have enough traction to be sustainable in this race thus far.