While none of us who blog here are fans of identity politics, we can't help being pleased that an impressive woman who has been wowing 'em from coast to coast in the wake of the first Republican debate, likely will be on the stage with the top-tier candidates at the GOP debate later this month.
CNN is changing the criteria for being in the September 16 GOP debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, and this means that Carly Fiorina, who was universally proclaimed da winnah when she debated with the second-tier candidates at the Fox debate, will likely be on stage with the first-tier candidates. The Republican National Committee has approved the change.
CNN originally was going to use national polls from July 16the to determine who would be on the top-tier debate. But there apparently will have been fewer than usual national polls taken between the end of the first GOP debate and the CNN debate, thus making pre-debate polling for a surging candidate (Fiorina) a ball and chain.
This change will make for a more interesting debate, and not only if Fiorina makes it on the program. It will reflect the volatile nature of the race and the effect of the first debate on the polls. There will also be stability: Donald Trump will be there, as will most, but not all, of the familiar faces from the first debate.
There was a huge effort, including a letter from two hundred and fifty political and business leaders, to CNN head Jeff Zucker, urging the network to amend its criteria and get Fiorina on the stage. But the real leader of the move to get Carly on the stage was Carly Fiorina. We don't for sure know that she is going to make it, but it is more than likely and her perseverance in this matter shows that a women to be reckoned with is emerging–and emerging quickly–from the field.
And we can't help noticing something interesting about the two women running for president: while one seeks to hide from the public, one confidently seeks exposure and wants to discuss her ideas.