Thursday, May 21, 2015

Fox to Limit First GOP Primary Debate to Top-10 Candidates



Fox News Channel will limit the first 2016 Republican presidential debate to candidates who place in the top 10 of an average of the five most recent national polls, the cable network said on Wednesday.

The limit will encourage the party’s second-tier candidates to improve their standing ahead of the Aug. 6 debate. Fox hasn’t decided which polls it will use. The network may invite more than 10 candidates, should there be a tie for 10th place.

The rule could exclude as many as eight candidates. Already the party’s long-shot candidates have begun jockeying for inclusion in officially sanctioned debates.