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Subscribe to RSSThe Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation, along with partners NBC News and Politico, today will announce that it's moving its GOP presidential debate -- originally scheduled for May -- to the fall. The debate now will take place on Sept. 14.
The reason: So far, few prospective Republican candidates have formed exploratory committees, and none has formally announced a presidential bid.
“Although there will be a long and impressive list of Republican candidates who eventually take the field, too few have made the commitment thus far for a debate to be worthwhile in early May," said John Heubusch, the Reagan Foundation's executive director. "The Reagan Foundation’s first Republican presidential primary debate will move to the fall, allowing enough time for the full slate of candidates to participate.”
The NBC/Politico debate will be moderated by NBC's Brian Williams and Politico's John F. Harris.
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Good Morning Mark! Out of the gate early today, eh. I like it. Great for us early starters.
This isn't surprising as you note. I think the republicans still have a lot of crazy to shake out. Thanks for all you and the FR crew do!
Doesn't NBC News know that Politico leans right??
Chris, Dorr, MI
Good Morning Mark! Out of the gate early today, eh. I like it. Great for us early starters.
I agree Chris. The early bird get the worm.
I think that is the reason too. The T-Party is really dragging the Republicans down.
@ Bev......The T-Party is really dragging the Republicans down.
I know...just breaks my heart ;0)
NOT
Wow, early, early in the morning.
The Republicans are afraid of each other, the Teabaggers, and of course, President Obama!
Their positioning seems contrary to their constant 'fear mongering'! Folks by now, are afraid of them!
Good to see Mark so bright eyed & bushy tailed this morning! lol
The question remains, by moving the debate to September, do you think you'll have more than 2 participants by then?
For some 'odd'reason - no one wants to declare... LMAO!
Joe in Albany "Doesn't NBC News know that Politico leans right??"
Right of what - Left Field?
Moving the debate also provides less time for the media to Palinize (Demonize) them.
That debate ought to be FASCINATING! All that crazy contained in one room! The way the Republicans are going at this, it looks like the contest is less about the country, but more about a race to see who can sound the most delusional to appeal to the "teabaggers". Not good for the country, but entertaining all the same.
Stock up on popcorn. This is going to be very entertaining. Michele Bachmann and Newt Gingrich on the same stage, priceless. Can't wait to get my lawn sign.
Maybe Newt will tell Michelle "oh, baby- you're the only one for me, you know that doncha, baby? It's always been YOU, baby- marry me!"
...but News says that he has beautiful kids, grandkids......blah, blah, and he's 67 years old!
can't do it anymore!
Neat. I've never seen a 'fruitbar dimwitt' derby.
Interesting.
By just listening to the rhetoric you would think there should be dozens of GOP candidates who would have thrown their names in the mix in time for May. Perhaps the 'communist, marxist, fascist, superfragalilisticexpialadocious government that we've clearly been changed into the last 2 years is secretly preventing all these fine candidates from creating Presidential Exploratory Committees?
I'm sure the President has personnaly ordered the Secret Service to prevent such patriotic voices from speaking for America. I would even venture so far as to say the cost is easily in the 200+ million dollar a day range to prevent Americans from hearing their voices.
By September hopefully they can all navigate their way through all the red-tape this repressive Administration has put in front on them.
I love it: "superfragalilisticexpialadocious government"
It will take until Fall for the Republican candidates to get their stories straight over whether President Obama's action in Libya was "too little too late!" or "too much! too fast!"
I suspect the lack of committment stems in part from the would be candidates waiting to see how President Obama handles the next series of disasters. So far he is looking pretty adroit at maneuvering through the minefields so they are holding back waiting for him to "mishandle" a crisis and they will come out of the woodwork. Even the Newtster, "serial adulterer, who will never be President." So saith Lawrence O'Donnell.
You gotta love these folk. They are art in motion.
Bachmann, Barbour, Palin, Gingrich, Huckabee, Pawlenty, Trump, Romney, on stage together.
Priceless.
lol.
Yeah, definitely comes across as a little suspect. Funny how in the Presidential cycles both sides think they can win, they can't get in the race quick enough. But the cycles where they don't have that same confidence, they spend all this time looking for the sacrificial lamb to take one for the team.
If they believed their talk, there would be easily be 10-15 candidates declared and off and running. Money still runs the show and they know there isn't enough to go around.
They believe in 'America' alright...unfortunately it is the 'America' written on our currency and not the one the People live in.
Allen - Omaha
I agree. I watched the President's speech on Libya the other night, and while I can see how folks might object to his policy, there is no question the man is intelligent, rational and responsible. I couldn't believe the howls the next day, from folks trying to paint him personally in a negative light. It's absurd we finally have a gifted President, someone who can articulate his position, and Republicans want to tear him down personally, instead of making logical arguments against his policies. (Is it because they can't make the arguments?)
Amy, we all have worked with "gifted and intellegent people" who are book smart but cannot do much beyond the schools walls. I argue, that is Obama. Yes, he is intellegent and speaks well from prepared scripts. What is refreshing is to see him off script and speaking freely. What position does Obama articulate? Obamas position on everything is just like smoke, it takes on many forms and shapes and moves around constantly depending on the breeze and you cannot get your hands on it. Obama takes the path of least resistance on all things political. Obama needs to speak his mind and do so freely and stand solidly on principle, which again, I argue, he either doesn't have or is afraid to stand on it.
Rodney-493759
I can tell by the quality of your writing that you are intelligent and rational, and therefore, I am inclined to weigh your opinion more highly than those folks on here who can't articulate themselves as well. But that's me, I'm impressed by intelligence.
The Republicans have not made rational arguments against his policies, instead they smear the President as "Other," question his country of birth, badger him to set up a no-fly zone in Libya, then criticize him for doing that very thing.
You call President Obama a shape-shifter, but from what I can see he is working with a Republican House and a split Senate and a hostile media. What choice does he have, but to tack to the middle? So far, he has accomplished more than BIll Clinton did, by playing his political games. It was fascinating to me to watch Gates and Hillary Clinton together on Meet The Press, last Sunday, seeming to make two different cases for the same action. Personally, I believe President Obama is a brilliant politician as well as being "book-smart."He's got my admiration.
All the boys are waiting to see when Palin will get in. After she buries them she is coming after the OBAMANATION. These guys have small balls and OBAMANATION has none. What a total disgrace to America. This gutless man child most be stopped. All you lap dogs that support him are enabling him to destroy the country.
Interesting, a dozen or so republicans chomping at the bit to make President Obama a one-term president but only one or two have bothered to form an exploratory committee let alone announce they're running in 2012. There are not enough declared candidates to even hold a previously planned May debate. What troubles me is there are too many unqualified extremists in the bunch, the debates will become carnival sideshows dragging the more moderate and reasonable republicans to the goofy side of the stage. It is quite possible that a more moderate, regular republican such as Romney or Pawlenty will not win the GOP/TP nomination because the far right Tea Party has hijacked the party.
I think we all know how the Republican-Tea baggers are. They are so full of FAKE OUTRAGE and no matter what the President does; these Circus Clowns are waiting in the wings, to be against the President. For example, if the President was to come out and say let’s repeal the Health care reform act, they the Republican-Tea Baggers, would suddenly be for the bill.
And the fix is in. Why does Chuck Todd even have a job?
The longer that the Republicans wait, the better. Why give the leftist media a solid Republican target to go after in the relentless style that they do any sooner than necessary? This presidential election cycle needs to be as short as possible. We already know all we need to know about the Incumbent Democrat President and there are no fresh faces on the Right. The election will be nothing more than a referendum on Obama and his policies. Any early news about a Republican Presidential candidates will serve nothing more than an opportunity for the media to provide a constant drumbeat of negative "news" that will give cover and distraction from Obama and what he is doing to this country. No one will be paying attention to political noise until the summer of 2012, so my advice to the Republicans, wait as long as you can to announce your intent to run for President.
Kind of like how they foisted the unknown Sarah Palin on us three weeks before the Presidential election in 2008. Can you imagine her now, knowing what you do about her dysfunctional personality, a heart beat away from the Oval Ofiice?
Amy, McCain/Palin was not my choice of candidates. I supported Hillary in the primary because she was a known quantity. Obama remains and unknown. You have to admit, Obama got a pass during the primary and all other candidates, Democrat and Republican, were smeared. BTW, Biden is a heart beat away from the Oval office amd that is not comforting either.
Michelle is going to use Newt.."I'm a MOm with 26 foster kids" and I've a husband that I haven't traded in for a newer model. I worked on a kibbutz in Isreal farming and steeping across land mines..real ones Newt. By th eway have yourdraft deferments expired yet?
Or, "Newt,in 1995 you said that every child-epecially poor ones should get a lap top compter.Today with the rise of netbooks it's possible doable and affadable. So how come you don't mention this any more? One Minnesota school district already does this. Another one just put inan order for IPADS. Whyaren't you up to speed on technology, Newt..you've fallen behind the times.
The Republicans are getting tons of free press because the press wants to be there when someone announces. Way more press than they are giving to Democrats right now. This of course may be brilliant planning or piss poor planning because the crazies like Bachmann, Trump and Gingrich (yes he is a crazy also) are giving lots of fodder to Democrats to use in commercials.
LOL,,,,,,,Sept????
The GOP seems to be having an especially rough time finding a candidate, Their present crop of "possibles" all have some major issues, It's pretty hard to claim moral superiority when your on you third wife leaving you for cheating, Pretty hard to claim economic expertise when your on your 3rd-4th bankruptcy, Pretty hard to claim business savy when half of your properties have been repo'd, Really hard to claim international knowledge and experience when you think the Magic Kingdom is soveriegn nation somewhere in Europe.
Even the most dedicated Democrat KNOWS someone somewhere in the Republican Party has some kind of moral and leadership abilitiy, This is getting pathetic!!!
Obama is going to walk away with 2012 without having an "real" opponent and the only folks Republicans will be able to blame are themselves,,,,,,,,,Leaning toward the lunatic leadership of the Tea Party has been a disaster comparable to if Democrats started leaning toward the tens of thousands of naked migrating rainbow people, LOL Alienating the 30% of registered Republican Union workers will be a hard one to come back from. Within only a few years Black, Hispanics, Orientals, etc will become the majority of registered voters, Yet day in and day out we hear hate and racial intolerance from even the highest ranking Republican politicians to the most racially and religously diverse country on the planet.
Um, you know the primaries aren't until next year, right? September 14, much less May 2, is insane overkill.
The GOP debate, nothing better than a couple of out of touch GOP losers telling the American people lies about how they are for the people when in fact they don't give a crap about the people. The GOP probably are cringing at the thought of some of there people answering questions with people like the Koch brothers giveing them the answers. Watch the debates for a laugh then realize these nuts are serious. Vote for the GOP and you vote to destroy our country. Just ask yourself has the GOP and their power grab made you feel like our country is going in the right direction. Everytime our country is in trouble there is always some GOP person behind the robbing of our coffers and rights.