Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Mike Huckabee to Shape GOP Focus in Final Weeks Leading Up to Iowa Caucus


Mike Huckabee will hold a GOP Candidate Forum on December 3rd in the New York Fox News Studio. Attorney Generals Pam Bondi (FL), Ken Cuccinelli (VA), and Scott Pruitt (OK) will assist Huckabee in asking questions. The focus of the forum has not yet been revealed, but the format has been detailed according to the Caucus:

Our goal is to have a unique and intimate setting in which each candidate is given equal time.

· The forum will last approximately 90 minutes.

· Candidates will be individually questioned. At no point will candidates have on-air interaction with each other.

· The order in which candidates are questioned will be determined by a draw. Each candidate will have an 8-10 minute question and answer session. The exact amount of time will depend on commercial break structure.

· Candidates will be in the studio one-by-one for their Q&A. The remaining candidates will be watching the forum from their private work space provided by Fox News.

· At the end of the forum, each candidate will be given one-minute rebuttal/final thoughts. Candidates will be on separate cameras.

· There will be no studio audience.

So far 5 of 8 Republican candidates have agreed to attend the forum: Bachmann, Gingrich, Paul, Romney, and Santorum. Huckabee is still waiting to hear from Cain, Huntsman and Perry.

Will these candidates win over an endorsement from Gov Mike Huckabee should they answer the questions to his satisfaction? Huckabee has stated numerous times that he will not endorse during the primaries, but will enthusiastically get behind the eventual Republican nominee. However, the questions that he asks will help shape the focus of the final weeks leading up to the Iowa Caucus. Huckabee is also scheduled to host a Pro-Life forum in Iowa on December 14th.

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3 comments:

hamaca said...

TexasConservative,

Are you surprised that Romney accepted? Do you anticipate any of the remaining three accepting. What would be your reaction if any of them don't?

Btw, I'm really liking the format. It seems that there are some similarities to Jim DeMint's forum in SC. I like the extended individual time with each candidate. I like that there is an occasional debate without interaction among the candidates.

I really like that there will be no studio audience. I had always felt that audiences at the other debates came in already whom to root for regardless of actual performance and responses.

Anonymous said...

Texas, Huck is warming up to Romney, maybe you should too.

-Martha

TexasConservative said...

Hamaca,

I like that Huckabee will be hosting and I am sure that it will be a friendly environment for all the candidates. No gotcha questions.

Given tonight's CNN debate and the last set of questions were about illegal immigration, I think Huckabee may end up asking a question about that given the fact that he had 1.) Given a similar answer as Newt/Perry albeit a much better soundbite and 2.) Huckabee still believes in rewarding those kids who have excelled academically while being brought over illegally.

I would imagine that all of them will show up. The only one who has not yet been on his show has been Perry. But I think he will be part of it as well.

Martha,

Huckabee has repeatedly said that he will not endorse. Here is his response to the twitter mania tonight:

KatrinaTrinko RT @jaketapper: Huckabee definitively tells me the story he’s endorsing Romney tomorrow is false. “I am NOT endorsing ANYONE in the primary,” he emails.

Martha, I agree with Huckabee and will be happy to support Romney if he is the nominee.