This GOP underdog was the debate’s big winner

Marco Rubio has been playing the long game as a presidential candidate — not getting into fights, not trying to shove himself into the daily news stories, just sticking to his themes and strengths. --If his strategy is sound — and we won’t know until votes start getting cast — Wednesday night’s CNBC debate will mark the moment it began paying off big time. And if he ends up the nominee, it will be the moment people will say he made his move from the outside.

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UPDATE: CNBC Announces Criteria for 3rd GOP Debate

CNBC announced on Wednesday its criteria for participation in the third Republican presidential debate, which will be held at the University of Colorado in Boulder, Colo., on Oct. 28. --To make its main debate stage, held at 8:00 pm ET, Republican candidates must stand at an average of 2.5 percent in the national polls by NBC News, ABC News, CBS, CNN, Fox News and Bloomberg - released from Sept. 17 to Oct. 21. --To make its undercard debate, held at 6:00 pm ET, Republican candidates must be at least at 1 percent in any one of these polls.

Based only on this week's NBC News/WSJ poll, nine Republicans would make the main debate stage: Donald Trump, Ben Carson, Marco Rubio, Carly Fiorina, Jeb Bush, John Kasich, Ted Cruz, Rand Paul and Chris Christie.

Three would make the undercard debate: Mike Huckabee, Rick Santorum and Bobby Jindal. --Lindsey Graham, George Pataki and Jim Gilmore wouldn't qualify for either.

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Could CNBC Put the Campaigns of Christie, Paul and Huckabee On Death Watch?

If you’re not on stage for the next GOP debate, can your presidential campaign continue to make a sound? --At the third GOP presidential debate next month in Colorado, host network CNBC is suggesting that the criteria for making the main stage debate will be stricter than previous debates — and there will reportedly be no “happy hour” debate at all.

Read more at the Daily Caller
(Hat tip: KimR) Read More......