Are you surprised about the Republican debate roster?

The Republican candidates that will participate in the Fox News’ Republican debate on Thursday have been announced. The presidential candidates are Donald Trump, Jeb Bush, Scott Walker, Mike Huckabee, Ben Carson, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Rand Paul, Chris Christie and John Kasich. Fox used a national polling system to determine the 10 most favored candidates to be given the chance to be in the debate. This leaves Rick Perry, Bobby Jindal, Carly Fiorina, Lindsey Graham, George Pataki, and Jim Gilmore to appear in a separate debate earlier in the evening.

Does the lineup surprise you?

How likely are candidates omitted from the Republican debate roster to still have a chance at Republican nomination?

Fox News released their roster for the first Republican debate earlier today. The roster only includes the 10 top polling GOP presidential candidates, meaning that candidates that didn’t make the cut (Rick Perry, Bobby Jindal, Carly Fiorina, Lindsey Graham, George Pataki, and Jim Gilmore) are only given the chance to debate earlier in the day of the prime-time debate.

Do you think that being left out of the official Republican debate leaves the candidates with little chance of getting Republican presidential nomination?

Should all 16 GOP candidates be allowed to participate in the first Republican debate?

The first Republican debate is a week and a half away, and according to the rules declared by Fox News, only the top 10 candidates (as determined by the five most recent national polls) will be allowed on stage. There are currently 16 Republican presidential candidates, which is a historically high number. While logistically, this decision seems smart and will allot enough speaking time to the chosen candidates, many argue that the rule is unfair. Cur Anderson, a consultant on Bobby Jindal’s campaign, has voiced his disapproval, stating that “The Republican Party should be looking forward instead of backward - and seeking every opportunity to feature its roster of excellent candidates, rather than trying to find ways to constrict the field." His employee, Jindal, happens to be one of the candidates that probably will not make it onto the stage. What do you think about this debate policy?