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Subscribe to RSSNBC News and Politico have set the date for the GOP presidential debate at the Reagan Library: May 2.
The moderators will be NBC's Brian Williams and Politico's John Harris. Below is the press release:
DATE ANNOUNCED FOR FIRST GOP PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE OF THE 2012 SEASON
REAGAN "CENTENNIAL" DEBATE TO BE TELEVISED ON MSNBC, TELEMUNDO, CNBC, AND LIVESTREAMED ON POLITICONBC NEWS' BRIAN WILLIAMS AND POLITICO'S JOHN F. HARRIS TO CO-MODERATE
Simi Valley, CA – The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation announced today that May 2, 2011 is the date for the Republican presidential candidates’ debate being held at the Reagan Library. The Reagan Foundation also announced a host of details about the first Republican debate of the 2012 campaign season, including a roster of some of the nation's top journalists from NBC News, POLITICO and Telemundo to take part in the questioning.
“We have established a wonderful tradition – of which I know Ronnie would be so proud – of using the Library as a first-in-the-nation forum for candidates to introduce themselves and their visions for America to a national audience,” former First Lady Nancy Reagan said.
The Reagan Library, in Simi Valley, California, was also the venue for the first Republican debate of the 2008 campaign cycle. Mrs. Reagan and the Presidential Foundation announced last fall the plan to host the candidates as the 2012 campaign season begins.
In addition to the date of this year’s gathering — selected by the Presidential Foundation after consultation with national Republicans — there are several important features of the Library Debate announced by Mrs. Reagan today:
*Brian Williams, anchor of the top-rated NBC Nightly News, will be co-moderator, along with POLITICO Editor-in-Chief John F. Harris, a presidential scholar and one of the nation's top political journalists. A Telemundo reporter will also join in the questioning.
*NBC News and POLITICO will be joined by Telemundo and CNBC in airing the debate. This will mark the first time a news organization aimed at Hispanic Americans and the nation’s leading business news network will join in the inaugural debate of a presidential campaign season.
*The debate will air on MSNBC, POLITICO.com, CNBC and Telemundo.
The Reagan Presidential Foundation plans to play host to both the first GOP presidential debate of the 2012 election cycle on May 2, 2011 and a second GOP debate on the eve of the Super Tuesday primaries.
The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to the preservation and promotion of Ronald Reagan's legacy of inspired freedom and his timeless principles of individual liberty, economic opportunity, global democracy, and national pride. It sustains the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum, the Reagan Center for Public Affairs, the Walter and Leonore Annenberg Presidential Learning Center and The Air Force One Pavilion. Located in Simi Valley, California the Library houses 63 million pages of Gubernatorial, Presidential and personal papers and over 60,000 gifts and artifacts chronicling the lives of Ronald and Nancy Reagan. It now also serves as the final resting place of America’s 40th President. www.reaganfoundation.org
NBC News has been a leading source of global news and information for more than 75 years. Operating around the clock with bureaus in key cities in the U.S. and overseas, NBC News provides immediate coverage and in-depth reporting of major events to a worldwide audience. Telemundo, the second-largest Spanish-language network in the United States, reaches 93% of Hispanic and Latino American households. CNBC is the recognized world leader in business news, providing real-time financial market coverage and business information to more than 390 million homes worldwide, including more than 95 million households in the United States and Canada.
POLITICO is a Washington, D.C.-based political journalism organization that serves as the one-stop shop for the fastest, most in-depth coverage of the president, the new Congress and the 2012 presidential race. POLITICO’s journalists break news and drive conversation about the White House, Capitol Hill and Washington lobbying, plus the intersection of politics with Wall Street, media and personalities. POLITICO launched in January of 2007 with the mission of covering politics with enterprise, style and impact.
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TIme to go into business for myself, and quit working for someone else, it looks like.
Anyone know a good wholesale outfit to stock up on hip-waders from between now and May?
Speaking of wholesale - anyone know where I can stock up on the popcorn?
No doubt there will be some stiff competition as to who can make the bigger FOOL out of themselves! lol
I sure hope Palin & Bachmann are present...
1 thing we know is NO One will be able to Speak ILL of Sarah BatS--T Crazy Palin because Reagon's 11th commandment of never speak Ill of another Republican.
Does AF1 have a simulator in the Museum? A lot will be "Flying over the Cuckoo's nest" !
Will Brian Williams hold their feet to fire & makem Answer a question, because we already know Politico's John Harris will be throwing Softabll's to the Minor leaguer's!
Does anyone know if they'll be wearing tea-bag hats for the debate.... I'm trying to see whether I'll tune in or not. :)
What if there aren't any candidates yet??????????? Could bring back the last crowd since most of them are being considered or names are thrown out there that they might run.
The GOP have the place, the time, the media, the moderator...are there going to be any candidates?????
I was wondering that myself. There's been a parade of them in Iowa since fall but none seem willing to be first; guess they don't want to take the heat. Maybe they'll hold a group announcement.
lol... thats funny... grand announcement for the grand ol party.
The good news is the GOP candidates will be able to express their allegiance to former President Reagan and get it out of their system and move to today's issues (I can dream). It will be fun for the media to count the number of times each candidate compares him/herself to Reagan or invokes Reagan in some other form; they should also count the 9/11 references, flag waving and how often each candidate declares their patriotism--oh, and I expect a count of flag pins. Of course, they will ignore that Reagan would not meet the GOPTP purity test today; he did compromise which is another "no, no"; and he recognized when his tax cuts were destructive and unsustainable and subsequently increased taxes; he also did NOT cut spending or decrease the size of government--he increased both substantially.
The whole thing is ironic since Regan couldn't be nominated as a Republican now because he wasn't far right enough!
This Just in. All potential Republican Candidates have Announced they will Decide after May 2 on whether to run or not..
We just had an election. Isn't 5/2/2011 a bit early? I just re-read this. Surely they mean 5/2/2012?
That's what I was thinking. Else NBC is looking for a 17 month election cycle? Revenues must be down and this is must be the only way to generate some conflict, ehh, income stream, ehh, advertising revenue, ehhh, something to talk about.
They are trying to Force people to announce whether or not they are going to run. All republicans that are Serious about Running really should just hold out Announcing til after may 2nd.
Was wondering the same thing...but it has to be 2011, considering I think the primaries start at 12:01 am January 1, 2012. ;-)
How early would 5/2 be compared to the 2008 election cycle's first primary debates?
I don't see anything about eligibility for participating...maybe I'll sign up and get instant frontrunner status as the only attendee!! ;-)
It does seem early to begin primary debate but they mean 2011 because the Iowa caucus is usually Jan or Feb 2012.
By late Feb 2008, all candidates had officially declared they were running. Since neither party had a VP in the running, the entire primary process started earlier. Now I think we see this will be the new normal.
"Grimey", good idea. You'd be the presumed nominee because you actually declared you were running.
OK...just did a quick search...looks like the first Democratic primary debate of the 2008 cycle was 4/26/2007 at South Carolina State University.
The first GOP debate was 5/3/2007 at the Reagan library. So, I guess this earlier after all.
The GOP Presidential candidates may face a very tough election.
Reports are now coming in that the percent of businesses reporting they will hire this year is at a level last seen when Clinton was in the White House.
I hope someone asks the candidates the following:
"How do you intend to break the tradition started with President Reagan of Republican presidents presiding over ever increasing budget deficits and return us to the fiscal sanity last practiced by Bill Clinton?"
Under 'Sick Willie", Gingrich and the repubs contract with america almost balanced the budget. Sicky Wacko had nothing to do with it. Dick Morris helped.
Oh alright Jack... so all those who are now repubs helped... but the thems "had nothing to do with it"... just like Bush had nothing to do with convincing the US Iraq had WMDs... lol, u r too cute~!@
GOP repeating mistake of debates led by left-wing host and tv channel.
All will be directed toward nominating an 'almost' democrat again.
Another two years of political bull, and people looking for taxpayer jobs while many dont have jobs....I think every American should run, guaranteed at least two years of free money and benefits, along with a nice pension after two years.........
Palin won't show up. One she doesn't take questions from people that are not employeed by her employeer Fox network. Two she believes she is above everyone and doesn't need to share a stage with them.
Will Bachman show up is the real question?
Any conservative political advisor who agrees to have a debate mediated by a bunch of mental patients from MSLSD at the Reagan Library should be immediately fired. Also, whoever approved these miscreants to gain access to this great institution to speak against the greatest president of of the 20th century should be dismissed as well. If MSLSD controlls the debate we need to hold this in a sewer where it belongs.
We Americans left in this Leftist-hole will still do everything we can (peacefully of course) to keep your hit men away from the few candidates still defending Americans who fight to preserve Liberty. You Leftists sure hate this country. Man....