Despite almost everyone agreeing the GOP debates need to be trimmed to the top 5, 6, or 7 – CNN has decided, yet again, to put nine candidates on the prime-time debate stage and four remain at the lower-tier debate.

(Rand Paul previously hinted that if he was not on the prime-time stage he would withdraw):

(Via CNN) […]  CNN’s debate, which will be held in Las Vegas and is the fifth of the primary season, is the first to use early-state polls as a way to make the main event in prime-time. Candidates must meet one of three criteria in polls conducted between October 29 and December 13 and recognized by CNN: an average of at least 3.5% nationally; at least 4% in Iowa; or at least 4% in New Hampshire.

Along with Christie, Fiorina and Kasich qualified for the primetime debate because of their New Hampshire average.

CNN considered live interviewer national and state surveys by ABC News, Bloomberg News, CBS News, CNN, Fox News, Gallup, Marist University, McClatchy News Service, Monmouth News Service, NBC News, The New York Times, Pew Research Center, Quinnipiac University, Time, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Des Moines Register, the University of New Hampshire, WBUR and WMUR.

The debate will be moderated by Wolf Blitzer, with CNN’s Chief Political Correspondent Dana Bash joining Salem Radio Network talk show host Hugh Hewitt as questioners. (link)

Many people have mentioned, and I agree, that the primary stage should be whittled to the top five, and put the eight “Super-PAC contenders” in the lower tier.  Alas…