Coming up just two days before the South Carolina primary Jan. 21 will be the 17th debate among Republicans seeking the GOP presidential nomination. Even though he will be on the ballot there, Texas Gov. Rick Perry may not be allowed to participate in a Jan. 19 debate scheduled in Charleston by CNN. That's because he falls short of the
channel's requirements.
Participants in the debate, Eric Kleefeld points out, must have come in at least fourth in the Iowa caucuses or the New Hampshire primary, or have received 7 percent support in at least three national Republican or South Carolina polls released in January. If those rules stand, Perry won't make the cut. His last debate appearance then would be on Fox in Myrtle Beach on Jan. 16.
No big loss, according to Herman Cain, whose flash-in-the-pan front-runner status fizzled after a number of women made allegations of unwanted sexual attention from him. Still getting media attention, this time on Fox Business Network’s Don Imus Wednesday, Cain said:
“[Perry] started out with a lot of hoopla, and it wasn’t deserved, because the media, as well as the establishment, wanted to make him a foregone superstar as soon as he got in the race. ... And he had to debate. People found out that he had very weak debating skills, in my opinion. He wasn’t deep on any of the issues, and this sort of thing.”
“You’re being kind,” Imus said.
”You know, I’m trying to be respectful,” Cain responded.
Condensed version: My opponent was a dunce. As some of the women he has interacted with know, Cain has an interesting comprehension of "respect."
[Update]: Eric Kleefield writes:
CNN now says that Rick Perry is being invited to their debate in South Carolina on January 19, two days before the big primary in which he hopes to make his last stand. But has he in fact met the official criteria?
“Yes, Gov. Perry will be invited to next week’s CNN debate,” said Edie Emery, director of public relations for Turner Broadcasting Systems, in an e-mail to TPM. “He has met the criteria.”
A follow-up e-mail to Emery, asking which criteria Perry has met, was not immediately returned.