CNN Makes Room For Fiorina In Primetime GOP Debate

by Austin Petersen

By Rachel Stoltzfoos

CNN has changed the criteria for its upcoming Republican presidential primary debate, clearing the way for Carly Fiorina to make it on the main stage, the network announced Tuesday.

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Fiorina wowed in the second-tier debate in August, and has argued since that CNN’s criteria for its debate would unfairly disqualify her. Hundreds of business leaders and state-level representatives sent a letter on her behalf to CNN President Jeff Zucker Tuesday urging the network to include her in the debate.

“In a world where we expected there to be at least 15 national polls, based on historic precedent, it appears there will be only five,” CNN said in a statement announcing the changes Tuesday. “As a result, we now believe we should adjust the criteria to ensure the next debate best reflects the most current state of the national race.”

Any candidate who ranks in the top 10 in national polling between Aug. 6 and Sept. 10 will now be included in the primetime debate Sept. 16.

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Fiorina has jumped to seventh in the Real Clear Politics national polling average, ahead of Chris Christie, Rand Paul and others since the first debate. She has also been surging in important primary states, such as Iowa and New Hampshire, where she jumped to third place above Jeb Bush and Scott Walker in the most recent polls.

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Austin Petersen is a homegrown Missourian with a lifelong passion for liberty. He grew up on a horse farm in Peculiar, Missouri and went on to attend Missouri State University, graduating with a degree in the Fine Arts. After developing a career in media in both New York City and Washington, D.C., he returned to Kansas City, MO, the city he now calls home. In 2016, Petersen appeared on the national stage as a candidate for president of the United States. He took second place in the crowded Libertarian primary behind Governor Gary Johnson and ahead of cyber security maverick John McAfee. During his campaign, Petersen earned many high-profile conservative endorsements, including Mary Matalin, Erick Erickson and Leon Wolf of RedState.com. Petersen also brings decades of professional experience in a wide variety of fields, from content production and media to business and political activism. He is the owner and chief executive of Stonegait LLC, a consulting firm specializing in photo and video services. He was also the director of production at FreedomWorks and an associate producer for Judge Andrew Napolitano’s show “Freedom Watch” on the Fox Business Network. Additionally, Petersen has a national following as a commentator and professional pundit. He is the founder of The Libertarian Republic, a powerful online news source for the public that receives an average of 1 million unique visits monthly and whose podcast, The Freedom Report, receives an average of one million monthly downloads. He is also a frequent contributor on television, appearing on Fox News, Fox Business, CNN, MSNBC and on dozens of local radio shows.

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