Despite her post-debate surge among GOP voters, former HP CEO Carly Fiorina may be frozen out of the second debate.
Similar to the first debate, CNN’s event to be hosted at the Reagan Library in Simi Valley, California, will limit the seats on the stage to the top 10 contenders.
However, the criteria for determining those 10 candidates includes a portfolio of top polls between July 16 until a week before the debate.
The problem with this formula is that it gives equal weight to polls conducted before the first debate which show Carly at 1% which therefore dilute the effect of her debate performance.
University of Michigan political science professor Michael Traugott pointed out the flaw in this methodology in that it doesn’t account for momentum explaining, “A campaign is a dynamic process by definition, you would want to take care of and account for the most current data.”
UCLA professor Matt Barreto concurred calling the possibility that CNN might give equal weight to poll prior to the first debate “a little bit silly.” CNN has not responded to questions about whether and how it might modify its calculations.
Another debate without Carly would be a shame, considering that she was as well prepared and professional as any of the other 16 candidates on either stage the first time around.
