Rand Paul on Main Debate Stage After Poll Movement, CNN Says

Chris Christie will join eight other candidates on the prime-time Republican presidential debate stage on Tuesday.

But now they hope that Tuesday night’s CNN debate in Las Vegas – the first since terrorist attacks in Paris and California refocused voter attention – will be a clarifying moment to pivot into a more sober final phase. He doesn’t throw “red meat” towards supporters, like Donald Trump or Ted Cruz, but presents arguments which are meant to engage.

This novelty allowed Christie to return to the prime-time stage – and Paul to remain on it – as neither candidates are polling nationally as well as they are in Iowa and New Hampshire. As mentioned before, this would be the second time that CNN has shown a GOP debate online for free, which many believe is odd because it cuts against the views of some in the cable industry, because free streaming undercuts the business model of paying for content on the television.

The main debate begins at 6 p.m.at The Venetian in Las Vegas and will be aired on CNN.

Five of the nine candidates-real estate mogul Trump, Texas Senator Ted Cruz, retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, Florida Senator Marco Rubio and former Florida Governor Jeb Bush-received more than the 3.5 percent average needed in the national polls.

Those in an earlier debate on Tuesday will be Mike Huckabee, a former Arkansas governor; former Pennsylvania Sen. It will be held in North Charleston, South Carolina, just two days after President Obama’s State of the Union address.

CNN’s minimum qualifications for the main stage were a 3.5 percent national average, or 4 percent in the early voting states of Iowa or New Hampshire. An MRC analysis of the 43 unique questions posed by moderators John Harwood, Carl Quintanilla and Becky Quick at CNBC’s Republican presidential debate found almost two-thirds (65%) hit the candidates with negative spin, personal insults or ad hominem attacks.

“We’re all hearing all these announcers saying, ‘Well, who’s going to take on Trump tonight?’ ‘Who’s going to hit Trump hardest?'” he said.

The Paul campaign released a statement Saturday night saying that “rounding up should be applied” when candidates are chosen for the main stage.

CNN’s Wolf Blitzer and Dana Bash, along with Salem Radio’s Hugh Hewitt, will moderate.