Christie,
Huckabee fail to qualify for next week's Republican debate
Send a link to a friend
[November 06, 2015]
By Peter Cooney
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - New Jersey Governor
Chris Christie and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee failed to
qualify for next Tuesday's prime-time Republican presidential debate,
which will feature a smaller field of eight candidates, Fox Business
said on Thursday.
|
Christie and Huckabee had both been on the main stage for the
party's first three televised debates. But they did not meet the
criteria set by the cable network in which candidates needed an
average of at least 2.5 percent support in the four most recent
major polls ahead of the November 2016 election.
They will join Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal and former
Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum in the "undercard" debate of
lower-polling candidates, who were required to score at least 1
percent in any of those four polls.
Two Republican candidates who previously appeared in the undercard
debates - South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham and former New York
Governor George Pataki - joined former Virginia Governor Jim Gilmore
in failing to qualify for either of next week's debates because of
low polling numbers.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2015/Nov/06/images/ads/current/american_legion_sda_2014.png) The eight candidates chosen for the main debate according to Fox
Business' polling criteria were billionaire businessman Donald
Trump, who ranked first, followed by retired physician Ben Carson,
Florida Senator Marco Rubio, Texas Senator Ted Cruz, former Florida
Governor Jeb Bush, former business executive Carly Fiorina, Ohio
Governor John Kasich and Kentucky Senator Rand Paul.
The previous Republican prime-time debates had at least 10
contenders on stage.
"It doesn’t matter the stage, give me a podium and I’ll be there to
talk about real issues," tweeted Christie, who has struggled to gain
traction in the crowded Republican field for the party's 2016
nomination.
Huckabee tweeted on Thursday night: "I'm happy to debate anyone,
anywhere, anytime," adding in a second tweet: "We are months away
from actual votes being cast and neither the pundits nor the press
will decide this election, the people will."
Graham's campaign manager, Christian Ferry, voiced disappointment,
saying in a statement: "Regardless of this decision tonight, Senator
Graham continues to be the foremost expert on foreign policy and
national security in this field of candidates, on either stage."
[to top of second column] |
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2015/Nov/06/images/ads/current/revolving-ad_graue_sep_2015.gif)
Pataki said in a statement: "I am very disappointed tonight that
early national polls are shaping the election choices for the
American people," adding the trend was "a clear boost to the worship
of celebrity over accomplishment and ideas."
Some Republican campaigns are demanding a more active role in
negotiations with TV networks after anger at how the CNBC debate
last week was handled. There have also been concerns that too many
candidates are on stage and do not get enough time to speak.
Next Tuesday's two-hour prime-debate in Milwaukee will air at 9 p.m.
EST preceded by the undercard debate at 6 p.m. EST.
To learn about the undecided voters who determine elections, visit
the Reuters website.
(http://www.reuters.com/election2016/the-undecided/).
For more on the 2016 presidential race, see the Reuters blog, “Tales
from the Trail” (http://blogs.reuters.com/talesfromthetrail/).
(Reporting by Peter Cooney; Editing by Bill Trott and Lisa Shumaker)
[© 2015 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Copyright 2015 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2015/Nov/06/images/ads/current/cia_1_lda_102814.png) |