GOP Debate: Fewer Candidates, More Ron Paul?

With both Jim Gilmore and Tommy Thompson having dropped out of the GOP presidential race, so-called second tier candidates appearing on Wednesday's Fox News and University of New Hampshire GOP debate - at the Whittemore Center at 9:00 PM ET - may discover that the format becomes a bit more generous.That’s what the Ron Paul (R-Tex) campaign is hoping anyway. “Fox is not entirely even-handed in all this,” says one source close to the campaign. “It’s well known that Fox owner Rupert Murdoch has hosted fund raisers for Rudy Giuliani and Hillary Clinton.” On the other hand, this source pointed out, “There have been plenty of calls to Fox complaining about the kind of coverage that Ron Paul gets and its tone.Ron Paul supporters want to see him get a variety of questions at these debates, and in the same number as other candidates.” And this source added, “I think it’s safe to say that Fox got the message, though whether they will treat Ron Paul in this upcoming debate more fairly than in the past is still an open question. Time will tell.”