A top social conservative in Iowa says Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum should get a spot on the main debate stage this month in Colorado.
Robert Vander Plaats, head of the Family Leader, an Iowa-based Christian group, told The Washington Times thatWednesday Mr. Jindal and Mr. Santorum deserve a ticket to the big show.
“I think both those guys probably deserve a spot on the debate stage,” Mr. Vander Plaats said.
Mr. Jindal and Mr. Santorum, winner of the 2012 Iowa caucus, were relegated to the first two undercard debates because they lagged behind in the national polls that the RNC and television networks have relied on to determine who takes part in the prime time debates
It is likely they will both miss the cut for the Oct. 28 debate at the University of Colorado Boulder unless the RNC and CNBC tweak the current threshold, which requires candidates to average 2.5 percent support in national surveys.
Mr. Jindal’s campaign called this week on the RNC and CNBC to rely on polls out of Iowa and New Hampshire, and the two-term governor weighed in on Wednesday.
“By ignoring the early states and instead only looking at meaningless national name ID polls, the networks are in effect trying to create a national primary,” Mr. Jindal said in a statement. “They are attempting to winnow the field long before the voters in Iowa and New Hampshire get to cast their ballots by restricting access to debates.”
• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.
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