Carly Fiorina Bumped From
Saturday ABC Debate

| published February 6, 2016 |

By Thursday Review staff

Saturday night’s Republican candidates’ debate hosted by ABC News will not include Carly Fiorina on the stage. Based on ABC News’ guidelines and polling protocol, Fiorina does not qualify to be included in the forum, which comes just days ahead of the New Hampshire primary on Tuesday.

The debate, which will be moderated by ABNC News’ David Muir and foreign affairs correspondent Martha Radditz, will be held in Manchester, New Hampshire, and will be aired beginning at 8 p.m. Eastern Time.

Fiorina and her top campaign staff waged an intensive lobbying effort to persuade ABC to reconsider, and among her champions were several other current GOP candidates—including Texas Senator Ted Cruz and retired neurosurgeon and author Dr. Ben Carson—along with former GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney, who apparently spoke with network executives at ABC.

But ABC officials say they are required to remain steadfastly loyal to the guidelines created last year in conjunction with talks with the Republican National Committee, and among the criteria for this debate was that candidates had to meet specific numerical values coming out of the Iowa caucuses. ABC excess said it would be unfair to other candidates and to the process itself to bend or break those rules now.

Fiorina, former HP CEO and at one time last summer a serious challenger to GOP front-runner Donald Trump, wrote an open letter to the RNC and other Republican leaders expressing her concern that the debate criteria employed by the television networks is arbitrary, and based largely on design whimsy and adherence to ratings.

“Our debate process is broken,” Fiorina wrote to the RNC. “Networks are making up these debate rules as they go along—not to be able to fit candidates on the stage—but arbitrarily to decide which candidates make for the best TV in their opinion.”

Saturday night’s debate will feature businessman Donald Trump, Texas Senator Ted Cruz, Florida Senator Marco Rubio, former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, Ohio Governor John Kasich, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, and neurosurgeon Ben Carson. Earlier in the week, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul and former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum each suspended their campaigns. Late on Monday, even while Iowa caucus votes were still being counted, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee said he was dropping from the race.

Cruz emerged from Iowa the surprise winner, with Trump coming in second place and Rubio very close behind in third place. ABC’s selections of candidates are based on a combination of current national polling, specific polls in New Hampshire, and vote results from the Iowa caucuses. According to ABC News, Fiorina does not qualify using those criteria. ABC says it will place Trump at center stage, since he leads not only in several major national polls, but also in recent polls of New Hampshire voters. Trump will be flanked by Rubio and Cruz.

Related Thursday Review articles:

No Do-Over in Iowa, Despite Squabble Over Cruz & Carson Votes; R. Alan Clanton; Thursday Review; February 6, 2016.

Iowa: Cruz Surprises Trump; Rubio Finishes a Strong 3rd Place; R. Alan Clanton; Thursday Review; February 2, 2016.