FBN Hopes for 'Serious Discussion' During GOP Debate

"My goal is to make myself invisible," Neil Cavuto, one of three moderators for the primetime debate, said in an interview. "That I'm not the issue ... That we're not the issue. The answers to what we're raising become the issue." Republican National Committee chair Reince Priebus has dismissed CNBC's debate on 29 October as a "crap sandwich".

Neil Cavuto, Maria Bartiromo

RBN Moderator Maria Bartiromo said, "After that [CNBC] debate, I realized, I knew my marching orders. It was clearer than ever what my marching orders are, and that is to help the viewer, help the voter better understand what each candidate's plan is, is it a realistic plan, can it work and how is it different from the next guy or gal."

During the CNBC debate, Ted Cruz thundered at the moderators: "This isn't a cage match" at one point, accusing them of focusing on loaded, negative questions. Afterwards, many of the campaigns ganged up on the RNC. As a result, the RNC suspended plans to partner with sister network NBC News on a February debate.

FBN will allow more time for answers than at previous debates and will utilize a bell to signify when time is up, which should at least make it easier for the moderators to keep the stage under control. The network is also planning to keep close track of how long each candidate is speaking in order to insure equal time

Cavuto warned that tonight's debate will be a serious discussion about issues and that Fox Business won't become a character in the campaign soap opera. "Don't trivialize this, don't 'gotcha' this, don't make this into something it's not. It's a debate on economic issues, it's not Access Hollywood." (they should ask Carson about his bio stories, however - regardless)