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EDITOR OF REDSTATE

Dear Candidates: An Invitation to Have A Conversation

Below is a letter that will be going out to each campaign for President from me. The campaigns will get additional information beyond what is in this public release, including more expansive information on the media, broadcast information, contact information, etc.

But we want to make this available publicly because of the number of inquiries we’re all getting about what we are doing and also to give both the campaigns and their supporters a heads up. We do hope the campaigns will participate and grassroots conservatives will encourage the campaigns to participate.

Thanks.

———————————————–

Dear Candidates:

This letter is written on behalf of Brent Bozell with For America, Ned Ryun with American Majority, Drew Ryun with American Majority Action, and myself. 

Combined we give voice to millions of conservative activists across the country and know that most conservatives believe we have not had a chance to have a real vetting of candidates in Campaign 2012 because of the lack of substance in most of the debates.

Consequently, we would like to provide a unique opportunity for the candidates.  On the attached page we describe the details of the conversation.

Please note that these would be individual conversations and not all candidates present at the same time.  We will work with each candidate’s schedule to provide an evening for each candidate individually.

The conversation will be before an audience coordinated with conservatives in the metro-Atlanta area and the candidates’ own campaigns.  It would be broadcast live on WSB radio, the largest talk radio station in the country.  It would also be streamed live on the internet with the ability to embed on campaign websites and a television feed would be available without restriction for use by broadcast networks.

Given the desire to do these one on one with the candidates, we will work to accommodate the candidates’ schedules.  You may contact me at the address, phone number, and email address above.  We hope Congresswoman Bachmann would be willing to sit and discuss her vision for the country in a conversation led by conservatives for conservatives.

I have enclosed a more specific page on what we are offering.

Sincerely yours,

Erick-Woods Erickson

Editor, RedState.com

A Candid Conversation

For Conservatives and By Conservatives

The Presidential candidates are invited to Atlanta, Georgia for a candid conversation hosted by RedState.com, For America, American Majority, and American Majority Action.

Format

Three chairs on stage

Brent Bozell on the candidate’s right

Erick Erickson on the candidate’s left

The candidate in the center

The candidate, Brent Bozell, and Erick Erickson would engage in a free form conversation that would be guided by questions submitted by video on the internet from conservative activists around the country and vetted by American Majority and American Majority Action.

There will be a live studio audience of conservative voters.

Please note this will be an opportunity to discuss and vet the candidate’s record and ideas, not an opportunity to attack the Republican opponents.

Duration

Two hours for a total of 1.5 hours of conversation and several breaks for media format.

Location

Atlanta, GA

Date

We will accommodate the candidates based on their schedule, but insist all conversations be held between October 17, 2011 and December 16, 2011

COMMENTS

  • wbb1950

    No fluff. Just substance. Big media cannot stand the competition. The man who spreads the word that he is Cronkite, and then modestly denies it when the echo chamber feeds it back to him,, i.e. Brian Williams would faint at the idea of this. But it is what the country needs if we are to have an informed public rather than an indoctrinated one.

  • Change Jar Conservative

    1) Keep the questions about vision for America and away from other candidates.

    2) I think you should include Gary Johnson. If you are going to include Santorium then I think Johnson (who I don’t support) deserves a chance as well.

  • jiminga

    It’ll be interesting to see if any decline.

  • http://www.redstate.com/thesophist TheSophist

    I LOVE THIS!!!

    Thanks for doing this Erick. I really hope the candidates respond and take you up on this offer.

    Funny, I JUST wrote about how the campaigns need to get off the conventional path of stump speeches and televised “debates” with ‘journalists’ who just wanna get a gotcha quote out of them.

    This is pure awesome.

  • bobojake

    The Democrats won’t do it NT

  • earlgrey

    nt. :) .

  • blogforceone

    Sarah Palin will be announcing her candidacy shortly. Send her an invitation Erik. I sincerely doubt she would attend based on her treatment here but what the heck. Send it to her. ;-)

  • gawken

    Erick..it’s a superb idea….similar to what DeMint did with his candidate conversations in S. Carolina recently.

    I foresee two issues:

    The “window” of availability ( TWO months) is too long..it’s a life time during a campaign..suggest you shorten it to two weeks…candidates can rejuggle their schedule with enough advance notice…they always do so.

    I think you should have some threshhold for participation.. say the RCP moving average on Oct 10th..need to have at least 5%. In your weekly horserace piece, you often comment about the need to thin the herd…and at this point in the campaign..after multiple debates…if a candidate can’t reach, say 5%, it’s time to do a Pawlenty, and exit graciously.

  • bzip

    It is a good idea. Debates are good to a degree but this constant up and back bickering isn’t getting to the real substance of the candidates and what their real positions are. Thanks.

  • wennejunk

    I wonder if, isolated from the stage and other candidates some of them will actually have anything to say other than sniping at Perry.

    Imagine having to discuss what you are for instead of why you are against the other candidates.

  • http://www.neoavatara.com/blog neoavatara

    Glad to see this Erick. A much better format than a debate, and hopefully get into the substance of each candidate.

    In such a setting, ideas, not attacks, will rule the day.

  • macbookben

    n/t

  • Common_Cents

    All would need to be interviewed with in a few days of each other. Why?

    Then voters can see them in the same time frame dealing with the same issues at hand. We all know various hot points flare up and change quickly.

    Otherwise, new issues pop up and earlier candidates might appear to be irrelevant.

    Also, this format can accommodate many candidates if people prefer since multiple candidates wouldn’t compete for limited 2 hr debate time. They all got their own time.

  • wonkish1

    For numerous reasons.

  • RichmondG30

    Agree on both issues.

  • circlegranch

    Thanks, Erick, for this great idea. I don’t see how any candidate would turn down this opportunity to have a geniune chance to speak directly with primary voters. The debates we’re seeing now are a waste. Networks have agenda’s and work for some candidates and against others. The debates are tools for them to tell the rest of us what we can and can’t think. It’s about high time we have something like this that is truly worthwhile. Keep us posted.

  • Bailey99

    Glad to see this, candidates have to put Ideas and solutions out. Not just contrast with the other Republican candidates, Obama will be doing this as soon as he knows our candidate. The American people want and need true leadership, VISION ! Vision without action is merely a dream, action without vision is just passing time, Vision WITH action, can change our country!! Let’s vet these candidates, find out who has that Vision, and get behind them when we know for sure, Cause this election could be the Most import Ever for our country. When I could first Vote, I stuck myself out there and voted for a candidate name Ronald Reagan. I have voted every election thereafter, and we need a Clear Choice for the Voting public. I hope this will help that process.
    It’s only our future that is riding on it !
    JDSRM2

  • tailfins1959

    If you play mind games, you should expect a reaction. Palin has played mind games with the public. She deserves the push back because it is extremely annoying.

  • carolynr

    Tell you what…give the MSM a one and one half minute sound bite and they define the entire candidate. I want to have Romney and Cain asked some of the same questions as were asked of Perry. I also want to know what Romney backed race to the top…I know the answer…but he lied in the debate…and I want to know if he did change he book…and I already know that answer…and he lied in the debate…TWO BIG things the MSM would not pick up on. I am sick and tired of the lies in DC….i.e., Eric Holder did not know about Fast and Furious….Obama didn’t know about Solyndra., etc. tired…of lies…tired of all of it. Want a truthful candidate…AND ROMNEY AIN’T IT.

    Oh…thank you Erick…and don’t forget to ask all the candidates how they would fix the immigration problem in the USA. Do we ship they all home…and how do we find out who they are…and what impact does that have on the SS fund?

  • carolynr

    I want EACH CANDIDATE TO COME OUT WITH THEIR SOLUTIONS…NOT THE SNIPING…I DON’T GIVE A DARN…HOW ARE THEY GOING TO CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT FOR CREATING JOBS…AND MUCH MUCH MORE. I also know that Eric will keep them from sniping at each other. What is their plan. I already know the other’s plan…and if I don’t…I want them to explain it. Fox has had Romney, Cain and Paul on the the network…where is Perry??

  • supergirl2911

    i agree

  • snowshooze

    It should hit home and make them want to participate.
    As Perry announced with you, I believe he will hop right in, and if he does, the rest will probably decide they reall need to participate.
    This is a very good opportunity for them.
    Good luck.

  • earlgrey

    but you probably already know that. I am not sure how this internet doo-hickey works. I am from the South and all.

  • http://applescorneroftheorchard.blogspot.com/ Pomme

    Really hope the candidates take you up on this idea! We really need to focus on the issues and not sniping 101.

  • joecollins

    Excellent idea. Perhaps you might do this when the Repiublican nominee is selected and we move into the general election campaign.

  • rightwingmom52

    Or at least advance opportunity to sign up for the event?

    Great idea.

  • blogforceone

    Mind games th the likes of Wolf Blitzer and Jake Tapper. Timing is everyting.and her time imearly upon us.

  • blogforceone

    Mind games to the likes of Wolf Blitzer and Jake Tapper. Timing is everyting and her time is early upon us.

  • http://908StraightSt.wordpress.com/ mbecker908

    Where is your discussion of the issues related to Palin that have been repeatedly raised?

    You’re really pathetic.

  • blogforceone

    Ignore her? Reach out to her? Attack her? She will be a frontrumner

  • blogforceone

    Or hit pieces written by you and your cohorts over at Daily Kos. This still does not answer the question of what Erik will do after she joins the fray. He can hardly be an UNBIASED moderator regarding Mrs. Palin. Can He?? This format is a great idea that will be ignored and sidelined if Mrs. Palin is not invited, and/or does not attend should she join the race. BTW, IMHO- she will be a candidate shortly. How does Erik repair what he has done last Friday via damage control, or trivialize his great idea by ignoring the big wolf in the room., Sarah Palin.

  • gekster

    Palin said she would announce by the end of September.
    She let it pass.
    You cannot undue that.

  • http://908StraightSt.wordpress.com/ mbecker908

    You’re a total coward who can’t recognize legitimate issues and address them.

    Go back to c4p, you’re stinking up the site.

    Oh, and why haven’t we heard anything about the “Redstate poll” lately?

  • toothpick

    Great idea. I hope the candidates take advantage of the opportunity. It would be a terrific service to voters, excellent exposure for the candidates, and a significant boost to redstate’s position in the world of conservative communities. A trifecta!

  • lineholder

    I’m sure you’ve probably heard about this already

    http://hotair.com/archives/2011/10/05/flap-with-marco-rubio-causes-six-gop-candidates-to-boycott-univision-debate-in-january/

    Question: any way to include English-to-Spanish translations as in this plan? And find a site to stream it?

  • wonkish1
  • lineholder

    /

  • wonkish1

    Univision was or may still be.

    One of the candidates alluded to it when they sent off their notice that they weren’t participating in Univision until there was an apology.

  • lineholder

    Telemundo debate then. It would definitely put NBC/Telemundo on option, and Erick’s approach would let voters have information from the individual candidates prior to the Telemundo date.

  • Scope

    fagetaboutit, because it would favor one candidate over the others. Erick, don’t bother, your goal is useless.

  • wonkish1

    nntt

  • runner12

    I hope that all of the candidates will take you up on this. Then we can learn about their plans to restore this great country instead of hearing them more back and forth snipe.

  • davesinsanantonio

    what is in Obummer’s core, his motivating beliefs, the more they will desert him. Real Americans love this country and want it to succeed. They need to know what Obummer really believes and what he really wants to accomplish. Then, no matter what he says in the debate with Perry, no one will believe that he is anything but a hater who wants to destroy what this country stands for. Also, that will help down-ballot Republicans against those still in Obummer’s party. We need to win the down-ballot elections as well as the White House.

  • davesinsanantonio

    and don’t broadcast any until all have been interviewed. That way they can’t snipe, even sneakily, nor can they pirate what someone else has proposed first.

  • BA Cyclone

    to your “alternate debate” also posited on the front page now.

    How many degrees of awesome would it be to have an actual, bona fide conservative debate? Particularly among the chief front runners?

    The candidate conversations would be like dessert!

  • wonkish1

    I never once implied that he shouldn’t do it.

    I’m just pointing out that if the window was very wide then EE should prepare himself for Candidates wanting to be as close as they can get to the last spot.

    You shrink the window considerably and it should remove this problem.

  • jonedanger

    Campaign drink? Something to drown your sorrows when your “candidate” really isn’t one?

  • wonkish1

    I realize that is a double negative, but whatever.

  • Common_Cents

    nt