G.O.P. debates shouldn’t be limited to 10

Fox News made the unfortunate decision to limit the first Republican debate, scheduled for two months from now, to 10 participants, based on their standing in national polls.

This will exclude some worthy contenders on a flimsy basis—including a candidate with 4% support, while a rival with 3% is excluded. Given that the margin of error in most polls—their admitted rate of inaccuracy—is at least 3-6%, this makes no sense. Also, ten candidates on stage is far too many since each prospective president will be limited to 5 minutes, maximum, to discuss all the big issues.

A much better plan would be something like this: the candidates should draw lots, dividing into three debates with five debaters each. As candidates quit the race, this can shrink to two groups, with eventually all survivors on stage together. It’s not too late to restructure debate plans for the sake of the party, and the country.