Courtesy of CNN |
Fox News has announced the line-up for the prime-time Republican presidential debate this Thursday, and here's who qualified:
Real estate magnate Donald Trump; former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush; Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker; former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee; retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson; Texas Sen. Ted Cruz; Florida Sen. Marco Rubio; Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul; New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie; and Ohio Gov. John Kasich.
The roster of 10 candidates was determined based on an average of the five most recent national polls. Trump as expected made the cut, securing the top slot. Right behind him were Bush and Walker, who each have posted strong numbers in recent surveys.
Those not included in this first debate, and who will show up for a "kid's table" debate that will come later.
Among those are former Texas Governor Rick Perry, Rick Santorum, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal; former HP head Carly Fiorina; South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham; former New York Gov. George Pataki; and former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore.
So to be clear they left out of the first debate the runner up from last year and the only woman in the race. Well so much for political credibility and gender diversity folks.
Remember that in the book "The Loudest Voice in the Room" the author quoted Roger Ailes as saying that he wanted to pick the next President.
Now that may have been back in 2012, and we all know how that went, but this time he could finally get his way.
IF the Democrats do not come out in force to vote that is.
Personally I think that we will, especially after we spend the next year and half watching this clown car drunkenly careen from debate to debate leaving seltzer bottles, over sized shoes, and a path of destruction in their wake.