Stage Set for CNBC GOP Debate

By Chris Ariens 

On Closing Bell today, CNBC’s John Harwood announced the stage makeup for the GOP debates next week. Today marked the close of the five-week window for determining eligibility based on national polls. The results were based on national polls conducted by NBC, ABC, CBS, Fox, CNN and Bloomberg.

The 2-hour main event at 8 p.m. ET will include 10 candidates. Donald Trump and Dr. Ben Carson, who are leading the polls, are in the middle. Flanking Trump and Carson are Sen. Marco Rubio and Carly Fiorina. Gov. Jeb Bush is next to Rubio and Sen. Ted Cruz is next to Fiorina. Gov. Mike Huckabee, Gov. Chris Christie, Gov. John Kasich and Sen. Rand Paul are in the last four positions.

The first debate at 6 p.m. ET will feature the bottom four candidates who met the minimum threshold of one percent in any one of the national polls. They are Sen. Rick Santorum, Sen. Lindsay Graham, Gov. George Pataki, and Gov. Bobby Jindal.

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The debate focusing on the economy will be held one week from tonight at the University of Colorado-Boulder.

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