Thanks largely to the fact that he finished in the double digits in Iowa last night, Ron Paul will be at the ABC New Hampshire debate tomorrow night after all:
NEW YORK (AP) – ABC News is eliminating Republican presidential candidate Duncan Hunter and Democrats Dennis Kucinich and Mike Gravel from its prime- time presidential debates Saturday night because they did not meet benchmarks for their support.
The Democratic debate three days before the New Hampshire primary will include Iowa caucus winner Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, John Edwards and Bill Richardson. It starts at 7 p.m. EDT.
Before the Democrats take the stage in Manchester, N.H., Republicans Mike Huckabee, John McCain, Rudy Giuliani, Fred Thompson, Mitt Romney and Ron Paul will hold their own forum.
ABC anchor Charles Gibson will moderate both debates.
ABC’s criteria, which involved finishing in the top four in Iowa, seemed reasonable when first announced and their decision to exclude Hunter, Kucinich, and Gravel from the debates makes eminent sense.
