What would be your criteria for including candidates to the GOP debates?

[retromike22]

A minimum of a 2 or 3% average in the latest national polls?

[Attorney General, LGC Speaker, and Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

2% average in the last 3 national polls OR meeting a certain fundraising target (not sure how high)

[Ebsy]

2% average in the last 3 national polls OR meeting a certain fundraising target (not sure how high)

So now you can buy your way into the GOP debates? Talk about Democracy for sale.

[Attorney General, LGC Speaker, and Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

2% average in the last 3 national polls OR meeting a certain fundraising target (not sure how high)

So now you can buy your way into the GOP debates? Talk about Democracy for sale.

It's a check against the polling companies - this way they can't throw a candidate they universally hate out of the debates who actually should be included by simply not including that candidate in their polls.

[Mr. Morden]

2% average in the last 3 national polls OR meeting a certain fundraising target (not sure how high)

So now you can buy your way into the GOP debates? Talk about Democracy for sale.

It's a check against the polling companies - this way they can't throw a candidate they universally hate out of the debates who actually should be included by simply not including that candidate in their polls.

The RNC can hire whatever polling companies they like, and tell them which candidates to include.

[Attorney General, LGC Speaker, and Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

2% average in the last 3 national polls OR meeting a certain fundraising target (not sure how high)

So now you can buy your way into the GOP debates? Talk about Democracy for sale.

It's a check against the polling companies - this way they can't throw a candidate they universally hate out of the debates who actually should be included by simply not including that candidate in their polls.

The RNC can hire whatever polling companies they like, and tell them which candidates to include.

Polls paid for by the party establishment doesn't work either - they'll exclude Cruz, who is obviously a serious candidate, for being too anti-establishment. Using polling you didn't pay for makes it fair.

[Mr. Morden]

2% average in the last 3 national polls OR meeting a certain fundraising target (not sure how high)

So now you can buy your way into the GOP debates? Talk about Democracy for sale.

It's a check against the polling companies - this way they can't throw a candidate they universally hate out of the debates who actually should be included by simply not including that candidate in their polls.

The RNC can hire whatever polling companies they like, and tell them which candidates to include.

Polls paid for by the party establishment doesn't work either - they'll exclude Cruz, who is obviously a serious candidate, for being too anti-establishment. Using polling you didn't pay for makes it fair.

What?  Priebus isn't going to exclude Cruz from said poll.

But it doesn't matter.  If the RNC cares about an objective standard for inclusion, then they should just demand a poll that includes all the names, and let the chips fall where they may.  If they *don't* care about an objective standard, then there isn't any need to do polling in the first place.  They can just pick and choose whoever they like.

[Mercenary]

Something simple like 5%+ in national poll average OR ahead in at least one state poll.

I don't support a fundraising total being a criteria, but I would be open to the number of unique donations being one.

[Indy Texas]

Collecting a minimum number of signatures might be a good "alternate" method of qualifying.

And perhaps each debate could have one "wild card" spot on the stage where one of the candidates who otherwise didn't meet the qualifications is randomly selected to participate.

[Ebsy]

Collecting a minimum number of signatures might be a good "alternate" method of qualifying.

And perhaps each debate could have one "wild card" spot on the stage where one of the candidates who otherwise didn't meet the qualifications is randomly selected to participate.

In my experience, signature collection involved paying unemployed bums to go trick people into signing your petition. If I was the GOP, I would skip it.

[Likely Voter]

They can't use money because many candidates wont even have FEC filings (or at least filings covering a full quarter), even if it wasn't a ludicrous idea. Also technically each debate media partner makes the criteria decision "in consultation" with the RNC, so they have plausible deniability for anyone not making the cut.

The latest reports say they are thinking of using polling level and a cap (say 12). That seems to make sense. However even with a polling criteria and a cap, how they calculate it matters. Looking at RCP, HuffPollster and WaPo gives you a different ranking of the top 12, with the 12th being different in each. So as of now Fiorina, Jindal Graham would be in or out depending on how you calculate it, unless you include Trump, then they are all out. Of course Pataki, Gilmore, King and Erlich would all also be out.  I think they should reduce the number by one for each debate so they will be down to seven candidates for the last debate before Iowa, kind of like Survivor voting one off the island each episode.
 

[Attorney General, LGC Speaker, and Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

They can't use money because many candidates wont even have FEC filings (or at least filings covering a full quarter), even if it wasn't a ludicrous idea. Also technically each debate media partner makes the criteria decision "in consultation" with the RNC, so they have plausible deniability for anyone not making the cut.

The latest reports say they are thinking of using polling level and a cap (say 12). That seems to make sense. However even with a polling criteria and a cap, how they calculate it matters. Looking at RCP, HuffPollster and WaPo gives you a different ranking of the top 12, with the 12th being different in each. So as of now Fiorina, Jindal Graham would be in or out depending on how you calculate it, unless you include Trump, then they are all out. Of course Pataki, Gilmore, King and Erlich would all also be out.  I think they should reduce the number by one for each debate so they will be down to seven candidates for the last debate before Iowa, kind of like Survivor voting one off the island each episode.
 

Fiorina would get the 12th spot, the RNC wants a woman on stage.

[Likely Voter]

there is no way the RNC can control if Fiorina gets on the stage. The criteria is going to be announced soon. Even if she fits the criteria today, there is no guarantee she still will by the time of the debate.

[Attorney General, LGC Speaker, and Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

there is no way the RNC can control if Fiorina gets on the stage. The criteria is going to be announced soon. Even if she fits the criteria today, there is no guarantee she still will by the time of the debate.

Can't they give her some special waiver or something?

[Likely Voter]

Again it is up to FOX, so the RNC actually is just consulting. And FOX is not going to mess around with random selection. They got enough crap when they excluded Ron Paul from a NH debate in 2008 but invited Giuliani and Thompson (even though Paul was outperforming both).

Any way you slice it, some are going to not make the cut, It might be the only woman, the Indian-American, the popular governor of the most important swing state, the guy who won IA last time and/or the only gay Senator (jk).

[Mr. Reactionary]

Something simple like 5%+ in national poll average OR ahead in at least one state poll.

Yeah. With the number of candidates I think 5% should at least be the minimum polling average.

[Bull Moose Base]

First one is top 10 in the average of 5 most recent.

Walker
Bush
Rubio
Paul
Huckabee
Cruz
Carson

Seem safe bets. The last 3? Christie, Trump if he runs seem fairly likely with last spot up for grabs.

[The Other Castro]

Everyone that's filed on the FEC website under Republican, because I enjoy chaos.

[CountryClassSF]

Fox just announced debate selection criteria for the Fox News/Facebook GOP debate on August 6th:

-Candidate must place in the top ten in the average of the five most recent national polls leading up to the debate.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/fox-news-to-limit-the-field-for-first-gop-presidential-debate/2015/05/20/7d4e0386-ff2e-11e4-805c-c3f407e5a9e9_story.html

[The Free North]

Fox just announced debate selection criteria for the Fox News/Facebook GOP debate on August 6th:

-Candidate must place in the top ten in the average of the five most recent national polls leading up to the debate.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/fox-news-to-limit-the-field-for-first-gop-presidential-debate/2015/05/20/7d4e0386-ff2e-11e4-805c-c3f407e5a9e9_story.html

I was hoping for 20 people on stage at once, this is upsetting.

[retromike22]

Fox just announced debate selection criteria for the Fox News/Facebook GOP debate on August 6th:

-Candidate must place in the top ten in the average of the five most recent national polls leading up to the debate.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/fox-news-to-limit-the-field-for-first-gop-presidential-debate/2015/05/20/7d4e0386-ff2e-11e4-805c-c3f407e5a9e9_story.html

I just read that too.

As of now that would be:

Bush
Walker
Rubio
Paul
Huckabee
Cruz
Carson
Christie
Perry
Santorum

[retromike22]

CNN's having a two-part debate with different sets of candidates:

http://www.politico.com/blogs/media/2015/05/cnn-sets-criteria-for-second-gop-debate-207470.html?hp=c2_3

The CNN Republican primary debate on Sept. 16 will be divided into two parts featuring two different sets of candidates: those who rank in the top 10 according to public polling, and the remaining candidates who meet a minimum threshold of 1 percent in public polling, the On Media blog has learned.

"The first 10 candidates – ranked from highest to lowest in polling order from an average of all qualifying polls released between July 16 and September 10 who satisfy the criteria requirements ... will be invited to participate in 'Segment B' of the September 16, 2015 Republican Presidential Primary Debate," the network states in its candidate criteria. "Candidates who satisfy the criteria and achieve an average of at least 1 percent in three national polls, but are not ranked in the top 10 of polling order will be invited to participate in 'Segment A' of the September 16, 2015 Republican Presidential Primary Debate."

[PPT Spiral]

The CNN debate going with that format makes it likelier that the ultra-longshots (Gilmore, Ehrlich, King, etc.) will jump in, methinks.

Excellent news!

[IceSpear]

You're only allowed in if your name rhymes with Ronald Frump.

[Attorney General, LGC Speaker, and Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

You're only allowed in if your name rhymes with Ronald Frump.

LOLOLOL

Hopefully, the one you're thinking of doesn't even run. This field is simply too big.