Fox News, the Washington Examiner and the Republican Party of Iowa are sponsoring the first debate in Iowa for the Republican presidential contenders - the two-hour Republican Presidential Debate takes place tonight, Thursday, August 11, at Stephens Auditorium at Iowa State University... The debate, with commercial breaks, starts at 9 p.m. Eastern tonight... Moderators will be Byron York and Susan Ferrechio from the Washington Examiner newspaper, one of the debate co-sponsors, and Fox News anchors Chris Wallace and Bret Baier.... Iowa GOP Chairman Matt Strawn will address the audience briefly before candidates take the stage.
◼ Eight candidates have qualified for the Fox News/Iowa GOP debate Thursday night. - desmoinesregister.com
Eight candidates have qualified for the Fox News/Iowa GOP debate Thursday night.◼ Big Expectations for Debate: One Stage, Eight Different Challenges - FOX
Expected to appear on the nationally-televised stage in Ames are: Massachusetts’ Mitt Romney, Minnesota’s Michele Bachmann, Minnesota’s Tim Pawlenty, Texas’s Ron Paul, Georgia’s Herman Cain, Utah’s Jon Huntsman, Pennsylvania’s Rick Santorum and Georgia’s Newt Gingrich, according to Michael Clemente, Fox’s vice president of news.
Rules required eligible candidates to have an average of at least one percent in five non-online national polls by a deadline of 4 p.m. today.
Much to their dismay, some candidates were shut out, including Michigan’s Thaddeus McCotter, who is the most recent to enter the race, and California’s Fred Karger, an openly gay candidate. McCotter’s name will still be on the ballot for the Iowa Straw Poll on Saturday because his campaign paid the $15,000 necessary to participate in the Republican Party of Iowa fundraiser.
beyond the big stakes for the party and the nation tonight are seven men and one woman who come to the stage with their own baggage, opportunities and needs for this debate.... Here’s a look at the expectations for the field
◼ Tonight's Panelists: Ready to ask - Washington Examiner (image source)
◼ Candidacies on the line in tonight's debate - Washington Examiner (image source)
◼ REPUBLICAN DEBATE: SETTING THE STAGE - Dick Morris
