Tue • Aug 01, 23

As America prepares for the 2024 Presidential elections, so do the Republican presidential candidates. And the first GOP primary debate is starting with a bang.

The 2024 Presidential elections are just around the corner. With the divisiveness within this country continually growing, this election is poised to be one of the most important ones in recent history - if not of all time.

Republican candidates are gearing up for Wisconsin's first GOP primary debate, a key battleground state.

But this first debate comes with several new requirements that differentiate it from previous GOP primary debates. Political experts call these requirements "tougher" when compared to historical requirements.

With 13 candidates vying for the nomination, the Republican National Committee (RNC) has enacted several new guidelines that will help streamline the process, mainly aimed at the lesser-known, long-shot candidates.

All candidates must meet fundraising minimums, polling thresholds and sign a loyalty pledge agreeing to support the eventual nominee.

The "loyalty pledge" has come with some criticism, however. There has been some moaning and groaning over the requirement, but only one candidate has outright refused the pledge - former Texas congressman Will Hurd.

Well, at least he now stands out from the pack.

Hurd has essentially taken himself out of the running unless he or the RNC has a change of heart. We'll see about that.

Those Who Met Requirements

Only a few candidates have fully met the requirements.

Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis are the only two candidates who NYMag's Intelligencer has considered to have "easily met" the requirements.

It has also been reported that Trump may not even attend the first GOP primary debate. However, DeSantis has been noncommittal about his pledge, but, unlike Trump, he cannot afford to miss the debate.

The other candidates who have met the RNC requirements are Nikki Haley, Tim Scott, Vivek Ramaswamy, Chris Christie, and Doug Burgum.

On The Fence

Former Vice President Mike Pence has struggled to fundraise but experts believe he is on pace to meet the requirements by the deadline.

Asa Hutchinson, on the other hand, has only acquired 25% of the donor requirement.

His work is cut out for him.

Tucker’s Candidate Interviews 

If you want to take a peek at some of the above candidates’ platforms and what drives them, check out Blaze Media’s The Summit, hosted by Tucker Calrson. Tucker pulls no punches and asks the tough questions–and actually allows them to answer. It is quite revealing, and many pundits believe he single-handedly knocked a few out of contention due to their weak and unclear responses. But you be the judge–take a look for yourself.  

The Long Shots

That leaves the long-shot candidates: Francis Suarez, Perry Johnson, and Larry Elder.

Saurez was late into the game. And worse yet, he does not have the financial support system as some other candidates do.

Both Johnson and Elder's requirement performances have been dismal at best. It could be a simple ploy to get their name out to the public, which candidates from both sides of the aisle have done in the past.

We are looking forward to the Milwaukee debate on August 23rd. And we will be behind the candidate that will pursue our most treasured American values like freedom of speech, the Second Amendment, anti-abortion, and so on.

But who that will be remains to be seen.

 

-Mammoth Nation

 

https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/first-republican-debate-2024-who-qualified-boycotting.html#:~:text=The%20requirements%20announced%20in%20June,and%20two%20early%2Dstate%20polls