The Republican National Committee on Friday announced nine presidential primary debates with three more possible for the 2016 cycle.
The announcement came Friday during the RNC’s winter meeting in San Diego, California. Just one debate per state was sanctioned, fewer than the more than 27 debates held during the 2012 cycle.
Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus had previously vowed to cut down the number of debates in the next cycle.
“I think a traveling circus of debates is insanity in this party,” Priebus said in March. “We’re proposing to have fewer than 10, and this time around, we’re going to pick the moderators.”
Below is the list of debates, including three that were pending when the RNC announced the schedule:
1. Fox News
August 2015
Ohio2. CNN
September 2015
California3. CNBC
October 2015
Colorado4. Fox Business
November 2015
Wisconsin5. CNN
December 2015
Nevada6. Fox News
January 2016
Iowa7. ABC News
February 2016
New Hampshire8. CBS News
February 2016
South Carolina9. NBC/Telemundo
February 2016
FloridaPENDING
Fox News
March 2016
TBDCNN
March 2016
TBDConservative Media Debate
Date TBD
Locations TBD
Yeh, Rinse
How many ‘Oopses’ can Republicans overcome?
“I think a traveling circus of debates is insanity in this party.” Amazing that he would characterize it this way, since that’s exactly what it is: an insane clown posse car of oopses, ten thousand dollar bets, audiences cheering for sickness and death, raised hands in denial of science, etc. I truly cannot wait until these debates begin. It’s an appalling form of entertainment, but I just can’t look away.
Clapping with excitement. Bets on who will flame out in a debate first? Who will make the first breathtakingly brutal gaff?
9 is more than enough to showcase the crazy… particularly since, with the number cut down, each of the ones they do have will get a lot more media attention.
Trying to shield their candidates from the public won’t sell them. They need candidates who aren’t, you know, nuts… and if they’re trying to hide them, they probably know that on some level.
Only nine?
How many times can you sink the same ship?