CNN said Tuesday that it would change the criteria it would use to decide which GOP candidates will make it onstage for its Sept. 16 debate. CNN will
now employ two separate polling averages to determine the eligible candidates: one running from Aug. 7-Sept. 10 and another running from July 16-Sept. 10. Top 10 placement in either set earns a place on the stage
reports Nicholas Confessore:
The switch effectively helps candidates who have moved up in the polls since the first Republican debate — chiefly Mrs. Fiorina, whose performance in the non-prime-time debate in Cleveland last month impressed some donors and conservative leaders.
Even some who support other candidates have argued that the party would benefit from the presence of Mrs. Fiorina, a former Hewlett-Packard executive and the only woman in the field. [...]
In effect, the old formula would have heavily weighted polls taken in July and early August, before Donald J. Trump had begun to dominate the field and when establishment candidates like Jeb Bush and Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin were in significantly better shape.
CNN had its epiphany after enduring a barrage of criticism from Fiorina and her supporters. In truth, the network's old formula did not reflect the dynamic nature of the GOP race that has developed in which establishment favorites have performed consistently worse as initial long-shots like Trump, Fiorina, and Ben Carson perform consistently better.
But the GOP establishment has something to gain from the change too—especially if Fiorina actually makes the cut. Not only will Republicans benefit from the optics of actually having a woman on stage (wow!), but Fiorina is also one of the only GOP candidates who is viewed as delivering effective barbs against The Donald. The establishment is desperate for anyone—even a woman—to take Trump down (or at least slow his momentum). Why not give Fiorina a shot since Jeb!, Scott Walker, and every other male candidate has shrunk from the task.
Whatever. We're certainly in favor of more fireworks, and CNN probably doesn't mind either from a ratings standpoint. But kinda funny given that just last week the network claimed it couldn't alter the formula because "Federal Election Commission guidelines make it clear that these criteria cannot be changed after they have been published." Maybe the FEC's made changes too. Or CNN hired a different lawyer.