2012 Presidential Campaign Blog

Georgia GOP Chairman Sue P. Everhart Statement on the 2012 Super Tuesday Republican Presidential Debate

Georgia Republican Party Chairman Sue P. Everhart Statement on the 2012 Super Tuesday Republican Presidential Debate

ATLANTA – Today, Georgia Republican Party Chairman Sue P. Everhart released the following statement on the 2012 Super Tuesday Republican Presidential Debate being co-sponsored by CNN, the Georgia Republican Party and the Ohio Republican Party:
 
“On behalf of Republicans across Georgia and our friends in the Ohio Republican Party, I am deeply disappointed in today’s developments regarding the 2012 Super Tuesday Republican Presidential Debate. The decision of Governor Romney, Senator Santorum and Congressman Paul to forego an opportunity to address our state’s Republican primary voters, as well as voters across the nation, in a debate just days before Super Tuesday is truly disheartening. The efforts that Republican grassroots activists put in day after day should not go unrecognized, and it is my sincere hope that the candidates will reconsider this opportunity to speak directly to the driving force behind all that our Party will continue to accomplish.
 
“With 76 Delegates – the fourth-largest GOP delegation in the nation – Georgia’s voice will be heard louder than ever on March 6th when Republican voters in the Peach State, Ohio and eight other states will take to the polls to place their vote for the next Republican President of the United States. I wish each of the candidates the best of luck moving forward, and trust that our Party’s eventual nominee will not overlook Georgia’s two-million plus Republican voters before the general election.”

Georgia Republican Party Partners with Ohio Republican Party for Super Tuesday Republican Presidential Debate on Thursday, March 1, 2012

Georgia Republican Party Partners with Ohio Republican Party for Super Tuesday Republican Presidential Debate

ATLANTA – The Georgia Republican Party is pleased to announce our partnership with the Ohio Republican Party for the 2012 Super Tuesday Republican Presidential Debate in Atlanta, Georgia. Co-hosted by CNN, the Debate will air live on Thursday, March 1, at 8 p.m. ET on CNN, CNN en Español, CNN International and streamed on CNN.com. An announcement on the venues will be forthcoming. A separate venue will be set aside in Ohio where participants, in conjunction with the Ohio Republican Party, may ask questions of the presidential candidates as well.
 
With 76 and 66 National Delegates, respectively, Georgia and Ohio are the two largest delegations that will be holding their Presidential Preference Primaries on Super Tuesday.
 
“I am thrilled that Chairman DeWine and the Ohio Republican Party will be joining us in hosting the 2012 Super Tuesday Republican Presidential Debate,” remarked Georgia GOP Chairman Sue Everhart. “With a combined 142 Delegates up for grabs on March 6th, Georgia and Ohio are truly the power brokers in this year’s Republican presidential contest.
 
“Voters across the country will be watching closer than ever on March 1st, and our Debate will provide the premier forum for Speaker Gingrich, Congressman Paul, Governor Romney and Senator Santorum to make their respective cases in the 11th hour of the race in two of our country’s most pivotal states. On behalf of Chairman DeWine and myself, we look forward to welcoming the Republican candidates to the Peach State!”
 
“The Ohio Republican Party is very pleased to take part in this special partnership with Chairwoman Everhart and Georgia Republicans,” Ohio Republican Party Chairman Kevin DeWine stated.
 
“As residents of the quintessential presidential battleground state, Ohio voters have always taken their role in vetting and electing presidential candidates very seriously.  We look forward to working with the Georgia Republican Party, and Republicans across America, to renew our party’s conservative vision and usher in a new generation of economic prosperity by fighting to ensure that Barack Obama is a one term president,” Chairman DeWine concluded.

Lynn University Launches 2012 Presidential Debate Website on Heels of Florida Primary

Lynn University launches 2012 presidential debate website on heels of Florida primary
The site will serve as the central depot for all activities related to the debate

Looking forward to the general election on the heels of Florida’s important primary vote, Lynn University just launched its official 2012 presidential debate website.

The site will be the university’s central repository for all things related to the debate. It will allow users to find out the latest information on student events, classes, community happenings, lectures and other activities related to Lynn University’s hosting of the final presidential debate on Oct. 22, 2012.

“We are thrilled to be a part of this signature event for American democracy,” Lynn University President Kevin M. Ross, said. “And this site will help us share information about all the exciting on- and off-campus happenings coming this year that are related to the debate. It will be a springboard for anyone who wants to share in this amazing experience.”

The site was designed for easy navigation and quick access to information. As such, it offers two large buttons on the right side: “Become a Volunteer” and “Maps and Directions,” and a simple menu along the left side that may expand as more information becomes available.

To help everyone keep track of how long until the event, the site also offers a countdown clock in the upper-right of the site. The clock is visible no matter what page the user is on.

The majority of on- and off-campus activities will occur later this year so anyone interested in following the activities should return throughout the year to see updates as they become available. In the meantime, the site offers a few features that can be used now.

NBC News Facebook Debate On "Meet The Press" Seen By Over 6.26 Million Viewers On Sunday, January 8, 2012

NBC NEWS FACEBOOK DEBATE ON "MEET THE PRESS" SEEN BY OVER 6.26 MILLION VIEWERS ON SUNDAY, JANUARY 8, 2012
HIGHLY PRAISED FOR FORMAT AND CONTENT, DRIVES POLITICAL CONVERSATION AND ESTABLISHES NEW STANDARD FOR PRIMARY DEBATES

WASHINGTON, DC – January 12, 2012 – The NBC News Facebook Debate on "Meet the Press" was seen by over 6.26 million viewers across all platforms on Sunday -- over 5.942 million on television and over 324,000 online.

The 90-minute Republican candidate debate, moderated by David Gregory, took place on Sunday, January 8, 2012 from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. ET in the historic Chubb Theatre at the Capitol Center for the Arts in Concord, New Hampshire. The debate aired live in its entirety throughout New England on NECN and nationally on MSNBC, and streamed live on Facebook.com and NBCPolitics.com as part of a unique user experience. The first 60 minutes aired nationally on the NBC network as a special edition of “Meet the Press,” with the final 30 minutes offered as optional to affiliates. The third optional half-hour appeared on 160 NBC stations across the country reaching almost 84 percent of the national audience.

On air, the debate delivered:
* 4,151,000 total viewers and 1,444,000 A25-54 viewers on the NBC network broadcast
* 1,384,000 total viewers and 529,000 A25-54 viewers on MSNBC, including both the 9am ET live airing and rebroadcasts
* 390,000 total viewers and 251,000 A25-54 viewers on the network rebroadcast
* 17,200 total viewers and 13,800 A25-54 viewers on NECN’s live 9am ET airing

Online, the debate also generated:
* Over 124,000 live-streams of the 9am ET event
* Over 210,000 on-demand streams of the full debate on Sunday, January 8
* Over 860,000 total online streams from January 8 – January 12, 2012.

The “Meet the Press” Facebook page was viewed over 130,000 times on Sunday. The debate generated more than 45,000 Facebook comments, and viewers asked more than 4,500 questions on the "Meet the Press" Facebook debate tab.

Below is the Neilsen Media Research data for the regular network airing of “Meet the Press” on Sunday, January 8, 2012.

The NBC program attracted 4.151 million total viewers, +50% (+1,387,000) more than second place CBS’ 2.764 million viewers, a +76% advantage (+1,789,000) over third place ABC’s 2.362 million viewers, and a +349% (+3,227,000) lead over FOX News Sunday's 924,000 viewers.

This represents “Meet the Press’” best total viewer delivery since January 9, 2011, biggest advantage over “Face The Nation” since March 22, 2009, and biggest lead over “This Week” since December 7, 2008. "Meet the Press" has now placed first in total viewers for 512 of the past 523 weeks (when everyone is at full coverage).

In Washington, D.C., "Meet the Press" placed first in the market with 121,000 viewers (4.4/12 HH), topping the competition with +124% more than “FOX News Sunday’s” 54,000 viewers (2.2/6 HH), +157% over “This Week’s” 47,000 viewers (1.8/5 HH), and +290% ahead of “Face The Nation’s” 31,000 viewers (1.1/3 HH).

In homes nationally, the NBC broadcast delivered a 3.0 rating and 8 share, ahead of CBS’ 2.0/5, ABC’s 1.7/4, and FOX’s 0.7/2. "Meet the Press" has now placed first in households for 615 of the past 619 weeks (when everyone is at full coverage).

Among adults 25-54, the NBC Sunday morning program averaged 1,444,000 viewers, outdelivering CBS by +56% (+520,000), ABC by +93% (+697,000) and FOX by +346% (+1,120,000). For the week ending January 8, 2012, in rating A25-54 "Meet the Press" outperformed “Face The Nation” by +50% (+4 tenths), “This Week” by +100% (+6 tenths), and “FOX News Sunday” by +300% (+9 tenths). This represents “Meet the Press’s” biggest A25-54 (000) advantages over “Face the Nation” since December 19, 2010 and over “This Week” since December 7, 2008.

Compared to the same telecast last season, “Meet the Press” was up +22% in rating M18-49 and +17% in rating M25-54 as it widened its advantage over both CBS and ABC in homes, total viewers, rating W/M18-49, and rating W/M25-54. Versus its 4Q’11 average, “Meet the Press” posted double-digit gains across-the-board in homes (+36%), total viewers (+40%, or +1,193,000), rating W/M/A18-49 (+40%/+83%/+80%), and rating W/M/A25-54 (+43%/+75%/+71%) while increasing its advantage over each of its competitors in all ratings categories. This season, “Meet the Press” now leads “Face the Nation” by +6% (+176,000) in total viewers and “This Week” by +34% (+772,000) in total viewers.

David Gregory is the moderator of "Meet the Press." Betsy Fischer is the executive producer, Adam Verdugo is the senior producer, and Chris Donovan and Ilana Marcus Drimmer are producers.

ABC News' Republican Presidential Debate Is Most-Watched Of 2012 Campaign Season

ABC NEWS' REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE IS MOST-WATCHED OF 2012 CAMPAIGN SEASON

7.57 Million Viewers Tuned to ABC News at Pivotal Moment in the Race for the Republican Nomination

Debate Moderated by Diane Sawyer and George Stephanopoulos Was Watched By 2.10 Million Adults 25-54

The ABC News' "Your Voice, Your Vote - Republican Presidential Debate in Iowa" drew 7.58 million Total Viewers and 2.10 million Adults 25-54 on Saturday, December 10 from 9:00-11:00 p.m., ET, according to Nielsen's true fast national ratings. Moderated by Diane Sawyer and George Stephanopoulos, the "Your Voice, Your Vote" special ranked as the No. 1 program among Total Viewers on Saturday evening.

The ABC News debate stands as the most-watched debate of the 2012 campaign season. Held at a pivotal moment in the campaign -- just 24 days before the first voters make their voices heard at the Iowa caucuses -- the ABC debate outperformed the next most viewed GOP debates by 1.47 million Total Viewers (6.11 million - Fox News on 9/22/11) and by 370,000 Adults 25-54 (1.73 million - MSNBC on 9/7/11).

The ABC debate led the most-recent Republican debate on CBS News (11/12/11) by 2.10 million Total Viewers (7.58 million vs. 5.48 million) and by 580,000 Adults 25-54 (2.10 million vs. 1.52 million).

The ABC News debate delivered the network's best performance in the time slot with non-sports programming in more than 7 months in Total Viewers, and in 6 months among Adults 25-54 - since 4/23/11 and 5/14/11, respectively.

The Republican presidential debate was hosted by ABC News, Yahoo! News, the Republican Party of Iowa, ABC5/WOI-DT, and The Des Moines Register at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa on Saturday, December 10. The "Your Voice, Your Vote" special event aired live in primetime on the ABC Television Network from 9:00-11:00 p.m., ET / 6:00-8:00 p.m., PT, and was live-streamed on ABCNEWS.com and Yahoo!

ABC News will be hosting its next primetime Republican presidential debate at another crucial time in the nominating process -- the days between the first-in-the-nation caucuses in Iowa and New Hampshire's first-in-the-nation primary. The New Hampshire debate, co-sponsored by ABC affiliate WMUR, will take place on Saturday, January 7 and air in primetime from 9:00-11:00 p.m., ET.

For complete coverage on the ABC News debate visit ABCNEWS.com.

Watch the ABC News #IowaDebate in its entirety here: http://abc.tv/vG6Sv7.

American Conservative Union (ACU) to Cosponsor Newsmax ION Television 2012 Presidential Debate

ACU to Cosponsor Newsmax ION Television 2012 Presidential Debate
ACU Chairman Al Cardenas Encourages All Candidates to Attend

ALEXANDRIA, VA – The American Conservative Union (ACU) Chairman Al Cardenas today issued the following statement regarding the upcoming Newsmax ION Television 2012 Presidential Debate, scheduled for December 27, in Des Moines, Iowa. The ACU, host of the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), will be a sponsor of the debate.

“The American Conservative Union is proud to sponsor the upcoming Newsmax ION Television 2012 Presidential Debate.

“Debates have already played a key role in this nominating process and present our best opportunity for comparing and contrasting candidates on core conservative issues. As the critical Iowa Caucuses quickly approach, we must continue vetting the field to ensure conservatives put forward a tested, competent leader to challenge President Obama next fall.

“We strongly encourage all Republican presidential candidates to participate. This will be a serious debate focused on serious issues. Conservatives across the nation will appreciate a debate hosted by a trusted conservative media outlet like Newsmax that includes a spirited conversation with the candidates, led by Donald Trump, a crowd favorite among CPAC attendees.”

The Des Moines Register Added as Co-Sponsor of December 10, 2011 GOP Debate on ABC

The Des Moines Register Added as Co-Sponsor of Dec. 10 GOP Debate on ABC

ABC NEWS/YAHOO!, ABC5/WOI-DT AND THE REPUBLICAN PARTY OF IOWA ANNOUNCE THE DES MOINES REGISTER JOINS IOWA REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE AS A CO-SPONSOR

Debate to Air Nationally on the ABC Television Network on December 10 from 9:00-11:00 PM/ET
 
Plus: Debate will be Live-Streamed on Yahoo! as well as ABCNews.com, MyABC5.com, and DesMoinesRegister.com
 
ABC News/Yahoo! is pleased to announce that The Des Moines Register will join ABC5/WOI-DT and the Republican Party of Iowa as a co-sponsor of the previously announced Republican presidential candidate debate in Iowa on Saturday, December 10. The debate, moderated by ABC News anchors Diane Sawyer and George Stephanopoulos, will air in primetime from 9:00-11:00pm/ET nationally on the ABC Television Network and locally on ABC5/WOI-DT.  In addition it will be live-streamed on ABCNews.com, Yahoo.com, MyABC5.com, and DesMoinesRegister.com. ABC News will re-air an excerpted version of the debate the following Sunday morning on “This Week with Christiane Amanpour.”  The debate was initially announced on March 24. 
 
Statement from Laura L. Hollingsworth, president and publisher of the Des Moines Register: “The Des Moines Register has convened presidential candidates for debates since 1980.  This year, we’re pleased to partner on this event with ABC News, WOI-DT in Des Moines, Yahoo! and the Republican Party of Iowa so that we can continue our focus on the most meaningful issues that Iowans care about and share them with the entire nation. This debate is three short weeks before the Iowa Caucuses. It will be an important time for Iowans to be making important decisions, and we are pleased to help lead them.”
 
Statement from Matthew Strawn, chairman of the Republican Party of Iowa: “This is a win-win agreement as it is in the best interest of our Republican presidential candidates and Iowa’s Republican caucus-goers. First, the remaining nationally-televised debates will assist our candidates in reaching as wide an audience as possible in the final weeks leading up to the January 3 Caucuses. Second, reducing the number of Iowa debates provides our candidates more time to engage in the personal, retail politicking with voters that is the hallmark of the Iowa Caucuses.”
 
About ABC5/WOI-DT
 ABC5 News, serving Central Iowa from the state capitol city of Des Moines, has a long tradition of producing robust coverage of the Iowa caucuses and related events such as the Iowa Straw Poll.  Its partnership with ABC News in recent election cycles has provided viewers the most comprehensive and incisive political coverage available. Sponsoring, hosting, and/or broadcasting political debates along with exclusive one-on-one candidate interviews are an integral part of ABC5′s news and public service commitment. ABC5 News coverage is also available at www.myabc5.com, on mobile platforms at m.myabc5.com and as a free iPhone/iPad application.
 
About Des Moines Register Media
 Des Moines Register Media is a multi-platform, news and information and advanced marketing services company. Des Moines Register Media, a Gannett Co., publishes The Des Moines Register, along with 10 community and weekly newspapers, Juice, five monthly lifestyles magazines, and a multitude of web and mobile sites including DesMoinesRegister.com, HawkCentral.com, DesMoines.Metromix.com and RAGBRAI.com. National alignments and partners include apartments.com, careerbuilder.com, cars.com, homefinder.com, Yahoo! and others. Des Moines Register Media owns and produces RAGBRAI, a trek across Iowa that’s the world’s oldest, largest and longest annual bicycle ride. Des Moines Register Media reaches more than 500,000 actively engaged consumers every week and excels at providing local businesses with solutions to reach their best customers.
 
About ABC News
 ABC News is responsible for all of the ABC Television Network’s news programming on a variety of platforms: television, radio and the Internet.  Its flagship program is “World News with Diane Sawyer” with other programs including “Good Morning America,” “Nightline,” “Primetime,” “20/20,” and the Sunday morning political affairs program “This Week with Christiane Amanpour.” With an average television and radio audience of 180 million people in a given month, ABC News surpasses the competition.  More than 2,400 affiliate stations broadcast ABC News Radio’s global news coverage.  In addition, ABC News NOW is a 24-hour news and information network currently available to 44 million users across cable, broadband, and mobile platforms. NewsOne, the affiliate news service of ABC News, provides live and packaged news, sports, and weather reports, as well as footage of news events, to 200 ABC affiliates and more than 30 domestic and international clients.
 
About Yahoo!
 Yahoo! (NASDAQ:YHOO) is the premier digital media company, creating deeply personal digital experiences that keep more than half a billion people connected to what matters most to them, across devices and around the globe. And Yahoo!’s unique combination of Science + Art + Scale connects advertisers to the consumers who build their businesses. Yahoo! is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California. For more information, visit the pressroom (pressroom.yahoo.com). Yahoo! is home to the No. 1 sites for finance, sports, news, entertainment news, and more. Yahoo! and Yahoo! News are the trademarks and/or registered trademark of Yahoo! Inc. All other names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective owner.

Georgia Republican Party/CNN Announce 2012 Super Tuesday Republican Presidential Debate

GAGOP Chairman Everhart Announces 2012 Super Tuesday Republican Presidential Debate

ATLANTA – Tonight, Chairman Sue P. Everhart is pleased to announce that the Georgia Republican Party will be partnering with CNN to host the 2012 Super Tuesday Republican Presidential Debate. Taking place in Metro Atlanta, Georgia within days prior to the March 6th Primary, each of the ten candidates to appear on Georgia’s Republican Presidential Preference Primary ballot will be invited to share the stage.
 
In the coming days, additional details will be released as they are finalized.
 
“I am excited that the Georgia Republican Party will be partnering with CNN to host a Presidential debate here in Georgia before the March 6 Presidential Preference Primary,” remarked Secretary of State Brian Kemp. “When I set the Primary date last month, I chose March 6th because I felt Georgia would be very relevant on this date, and we will be.”
 
“Hosting the 2012 Super Tuesday Republican Presidential Debate will ensure that the national spotlight shines on Georgia, one of the reddest states in our great nation,” continued Chairman Everhart. “With 76 Delegates to the Republican National Convention and millions of principled, conservative voters, the State of Georgia is rightfully a can’t-miss stop for each and every Republican candidate vying for our Party’s nomination.
 
“The road to the White House in 2012 runs straight through Georgia, and I look forward to welcoming the Republican Presidential Candidates to the Peach State for our Super Tuesday Presidential Debate.”
 
Background: In accordance with the duties of his office, Secretary of State Brian Kemp set Georgia’s Presidential Preference Primary on March 6th, 2012. Also known as “Super Tuesday,” this is the date on the Presidential Preference Primary Calendar in which more primary delegates can be won than any other day throughout the entire process. The State of Georgia is allotted 16 electoral votes based on population, and also possesses 76 Delegates & Alternates to the 2012 Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida.

NBC News Facebook Debate On "Meet The Press" Set For January 8, 2012

NBC NEWS FACEBOOK DEBATE ON "MEET THE PRESS" SET FOR JANUARY 8, 2012 

NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 2, 2011 – Following New Hampshire Secretary of State Bill Gardner’s announcement that his state’s primary will take place on Tuesday, January 10, 2012, NBC News and Facebook today confirmed that their previously-announced Republican presidential primary debate will be held the morning of Sunday, January 8.

The debate, moderated by David Gregory, will air on the NBC network as a special edition of “Meet the Press” and will stream live as part of a unique experience on Facebook. The New Hampshire Union Leader, a fixture of trusted and influential journalism, will serve as a local partner and participate in the questioning of candidates.

The innovative, multi-platform forum will take place on the Sunday before the New Hampshire primary in the historic Chubb Theatre at the Capitol Center for the Arts in Concord, New Hampshire.

Viewers and users can go to facebook.com/MeetThePress and facebook.com/USPolitics to share questions for the debate and interact with others interested in the event.

The NBC News Facebook Debate on “Meet the Press” will also:
- air live and re-air on MSNBC
- air live on New England Cable News (NECN) throughout New Hampshire and New England
- stream live and be available on demand on msnbc.com

Read the original announcement: http://bit.ly/n2xjCg

Read about the New Hampshire Union Leader’s participation: http://bit.ly/vHMqsM

ABC News And WMUR-TV Join Together To Host A Primetime Republican Presidential Candidates Debate In New Hampshire On Saturday, January 7, 2012

ABC NEWS AND WMUR-TV JOIN TOGETHER TO HOST A PRIMETIME REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES DEBATE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE ON SATURDAY, JANUARY 7, 2012

ABC's Diane Sawyer and George Stephanopoulos to Moderate Debate from Saint Anselm College with WMUR Anchor Josh McElveen Just Three Days Before "the First in the Nation" Primary

Debate to Air in Primetime at 9:00 p.m., ET on the ABC Television Network

Excerpted Debate to Re-Air Sunday, January 8 on "This Week with Christiane Amanpour"

On SATURDAY, JANUARY 7, 2012 ABC News and WMUR-TV, ABC's Hearst-owned affiliate in Manchester, NH, are joining forces to host a Republican presidential candidate debate in New Hampshire just days before the Granite State's first in the nation primary -- a critical moment in the Republican nomination process. "ABC NEWS' YOUR VOICE, YOUR VOTE: Republican Presidential Candidates Debate in New Hampshire" will be the only broadcast network debate in primetime before the primary, and will air from 9:00-11:00 p.m., ET from Saint Anselm College. The debate will air live nationally on the ABC Television Network and locally on WMUR-TV, and will be moderated by ABC's Diane Sawyer and George Stephanopoulos; they will be joined by WMUR-TV anchor Josh McElveen. 

The debate will also be available on ABCNEWS.com and WMUR.com. ABC News Radio, the nation's largest commercial radio news organization, will carry it live on its stations. ABC News will re-air an excerpted version of the debate on Sunday, January 8 on "This Week with Christiane Amanpour."