Posted on 04/11/2011 4:17:54 PM PDT by onyx
Republicans who want to participate in the first presidential debate of the 2012 primary cycle will be forced to formally get into the race by the end of this month, Fox News is expected to announce this afternoon.
Fox News Channel, a co-sponsor of May 5's debate with the South Carolina GOP, is expected to outline criteria this afternoon that would, most importantly, force candidates to make a decision by the end of the month about whether to get in the race if they want to participate in the debate.
Fox is expected to outline six criteria for candidates, which are listed below. The candidates and prospective participants in the debate:
— Must register a presidential exploratory committee or have announced a formal campaign for president;
— Must file all necessary paperwork with the Federal Elections Commission (FEC);
— Must file all necessary paperwork with the South Carolina Republican Party;
— Must have paid all federal and South Carolina filing fees;
— Must meet all U.S. Constitutional requirements; and
— Must have garnered at least an average of 1 percent in five national polls based on most recent polling leading up to April 29.
The criteria could mean a smaller crowd onstage than is so far expected for the debate, which will be held in Greenville, S.C.
Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (Ga.), Rep. Ron Paul (Texas), former Sen. Rick Santorum (Pa.) and former Louisiana Gov. Buddy Roemer have all committed to participating in the debate, but only Pawlenty and Roemer have filed with the FEC to establish an exploratory committee; others are flirting with running, and have declined to formally enter the race.
Other candidates could enter the race in the meanwhile; figures like Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels (R) and Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour (R), for instance, have said they'll decide on running at the culmination of their state legislatures' sessions, which would give them time to jump into the race before the April 29 deadline.
The South Carolina debate is set to be the first of the long 2012 campaign. A previous debate set for May 2 at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library was postponed until the fall for lack of candidates.
Thanks very much, SarahFanUK.
Who the heck does Fox think *it is*? LOL.
Try holding a debate LATER ON, LAMESTREAM!
MEDIA WILL NOT DICATATE WHEN GOP CANDIDATES SHOW THEIR PROVERBIAL HANDS!
It’s too d@mn early for this.
FWIW, Canada’s having a federal election right now. It was called March 26, and will be held May 2 — total period just under 6 weeks.
This network goes more leftist every day. We’re almost back to where we were before CNN....all left wing. All they have to do now is clamp down on the internet.
Do they have to show birth certificate too? and by the way... anyone here that MSNBC is doing the Republican debate in Florida? How stupid is the Republican Party???
Well Obama couldn’t participate because you have to be constitutionally eligible.
LLS
I hope no one shows up? lol!!! Can the media make you have a debate? Is it law to debate?
Exorbitant fees which exceed the filing fees of all the other states combined.
Which are the moral equivalent of a poll tax.
I sense some greasy fingerprints here. First, Romney’s; second, his minion Rove’s.
Seems like they're trying to position themselves for increasing their already dominant market-share by shifting to the center on much of their daytime programming.
You cannot be "fair and balanced" by presenting "both sides" of an issue as though each held similar weight when one side is right, and the other is dead wrong. At that point, "fair and balanced" becomes just more of the mealy-mouthed, equivocating liberal Misleadia lie.
It almost had to happen eventually, but with big GOP gains coming in 2012, maybe we'll be able to show them the error inherent in this line of thinking before they're too far gone to save.
This new "center biased" ploy resulting in shrinking market-share might be just the thing to set the stage for a major correction. Time to out-FOX Murdoch's new diaper-headed colleagues.
;-\
The first elimination round handed by the GOP to the media and their pollsters.
After all, if they don't include your name in their polls, you can't debate.
Media and money rule, not we the people.
And the Republican Party likes it that way.
And how does one propose to show proof of meeting all constitutional requirements?
Exactly so.
Media wants their *horse race* to start before the *thorobreds* have moved to the track!
ROFLOLOLOL.
Candidates need to file with a committee if they are running. That's to reduce the chances of including those like Newt who talk about running every election to stay relevant, while never really running. You're in or you're out.
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