Myrtle Beach, SC, Orlando, FL August 17, 2015

Asheville, NC Correspondent–In 2012, the GOP primary debates were a spectacle. A dozen candidates created a debate that was superficial and spectacle-driven. Speaking times were short, questions were shallow, and answers were light on substance. To avoid this, Fox News capped debate entries at 10 for the main event and hosted another debate for other candidates. While voter education was certainly limited by the number of candidates excluded, the limitations of the debate format require this step. The lesson of 2012 is that the debates are meaningful only when the number of candidates doesn’t prevent meaningful exchange of ideas. The addition of a “preliminary” debate prior to the “main event” is an attempt at compromise between inclusion and depth. Continue reading →