NH Union Leader to hold candidate 'forum' 3 days before FOX debate

[Mr. Morden]

Bush and Walker will participate as well, while Trump will skip it:

http://www.unionleader.com/article/20150723/NEWS0605/150729542/1066/NEWS0605

No word from Huckabee and Paul yet, afaik.

[Mr. Morden]

There is a survey that you can take here that will apparently help determine what topics are covered in the forum:

http://www.wltx.com/story/news/politics/2015/07/21/survey-voters-first-gop-presidential-forum/30465547/

How long will this last for?  2 hours maybe?  How much speaking time would that give everyone if 17 candidates show up (given that just transitioning from one question to another also eats up time)?  I don't see how they can bring the candidates on stage one at a time.  They'd waste way too much time just moving people around.

[Mr. Morden]

On a loosely related note, the Democrats have still not announced the timing or location for their first debate.  I assume they can't throw everything together at the last minute, so when the heck will it be scheduled for?  October?

[Mr. Morden]

Everyone except Trump and Huckabee (and Gilmore) is signed up:
http://www.unionleader.com/article/20150723/NEWS060501/150729542&template=mobileart

According to that link, the forum will be broadcast nationally on C-SPAN.  Do we know what time?

[Mr. Morden]

Everyone except Trump and Huckabee (and Gilmore) is signed up:
http://www.unionleader.com/article/20150723/NEWS060501/150729542&template=mobileart

According to that link, the forum will be broadcast nationally on C-SPAN.  Do we know what time?

7 PM ET

Cool.  That's 7am here in Perth, so I'll be able to watch at least the beginning of it live, while I eat breakfast and get ready for work.

How many other people in the entirety of Australia do you think will watch this live?  Might I be the only one?

[Mr. Morden]

This story gives some further hints as to the format: A succession of five minute interviews?

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hearst-television-to-carry-august-3-new-hampshire-presidential-forum-on-its-tv-stations-across-the-country-300120202.html

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[Mr. Morden]

More details, and it looks like no Gilmore:

https://www.yahoo.com/politics/new-hampshire-thumbs-its-nose-at-fox-news-over-125381639521.html

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And this:

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So not quite a debate, as it'll be a rapid succession of short interviews.  But it sounds like the other candidates will be there to see what their opponents are saying, and then have a chance to respond at the end.  So it has some debate-like qualities.

[Mr. Morden]

So all the candidates at one event answering questions from a moderator and given a chance to respond to each other isn't a debate? Sounds like one to me. The key thing here seems to be if they are on stage at the same time.

In addition to them not all being on stage at the same time, it sounds like each candidate gets multiple questions (for a total of probably ~4 minutes or something), before they move on to the next one.  Then they cycle back through the candidates again with some kind of followup questions.

So I guess it's like a slow motion debate?  You ask everyone about 3 or 4 questions at a time before everyone else can respond?  Wherea in a normal debate, it's one question at a time?

But yeah, this was clearly designed to push the limits of the "no unauthorized debates" rules.

[Mr. Morden]

This is happening when the Senate is in session, and it looks like Cruz at least will only participate via satellite:

http://www.tjcnewspaper.com/fox-opens-upcoming-debate-to-all-gop-candidates-10049/

Not sure about the other senators.

[Mr. Morden]

Ah, according to this:

http://www.unionleader.com/article/20150803/NEWS060501/150809885

Paul and Rubio will, like Cruz, appear via satellite from Washington.  Graham will be there in person though.