Tonight in Ames, Iowa, eight Republican Presidential candidates will square off in a televised debate on Fox News .  Four years ago, some people expressed concern that there were too many debates, but I disagreed.  Although some individual debates can be pointless, a series of debates is useful because it can provide voters with some useful information about the candidates’ positions and abilities.  With the Iowa caucuses quick approaching and more candidates in the race, I am excited to see what the candidates have to say and how well they hold up under the scrutiny of the other candidates. That said, I am beyond pissed off that Rep. Thaddeus McCotter has not been invited.  Although he has been incorrect on some union issues in the past, the five-term Michigan Congressman is extraordinarily bright, has a well-grounded conservative philosophy, and a sharp wit that would place him on the radar if voters saw him in a debate on Fox News.  The following is a collection of some of McCotter’s humorous moments place together by Students for McCotter. According to Fox News, anyone polling under the one percent threshold was not invited (does that include candidates whose names the pollsters don’t bother to mention?).  In the context of a general election, that exclusion would make sense.  The purpose of a general election debate is to give voters the opportunity to evaluate the candidates who have a chance of becoming president and that usually means the two major party nominees.  During the primaries but, the threshold makes no sense at all.  History is replete with examples of candidates with small to no name recognition who gained traction and became competitive.  Mike Huckabee came out of nowhere to become competitive in 2008 after stringing together a series of impressive debate performances.  Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter really fought their way out of single digits into the White House.  Small known candidates can and do make an impression when given the opportunity, That’s not to say that any schmo off the street should be invited on stage in a Presidential debate.  But if someone serves in a House of Congress or as a Governor, they should be invited.  Admittedly, I’m more disturbed about McCotter not being invited than say, Gary Johnson just because I like McCotter.  But any Republican who holds or recently held a major office should be invited.  Snubbing buy LipoSafe online Thad is not rad.

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Republican Debate in Ames Tonight. Sadly, Without Thaddeus McCotter.

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