Politics & Government

Wofford College To Host Republican Debate

CBS News and National Journal will present first Republican presidential primary debate

CBS News and National Journal will present the first Republican Presidential Primary debate to be nationally televised on Saturday, Nov. 12 at Wofford College in Spartanburg.

David Rhode, CBS News president, and Ron Fournier, editor-in-chief of National Journal, announced the debate on Tuesday.

The debate, which will be moderated by CBS News Anchor Scott Pelley and Major Garrett of the National Journal, will focus primarily on national security and will be held in conjunction with the South Carolina State Republican Party.

The 90-minute debate will begin at 8 p.m. The first hour will be broadcast live on the CBS Television Network.

"The first debate of the campaign on broadcast television will be on CBS," said Rhodes. "Scott Pelley and all of us at CBS News look forward to a spirited discussion of the issues with all of the Republican candidates in Spartanburg next month."

During the Republican debates that have been held to date, the candidates have sought to define themselves against each other and President Barack Obama. The CBS News/National Journal debate will reveal the candidates' views on wide-ranging foreign affairs topics, such as the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the changes throughout the Middle East, Africa, and Asia, and the global war on terror.

"This debate will examine the critical questions of America's role in the world, now and in the future," said Fournier. "National Journal is proud to build on our 2012 election partnership with CBS News to give voters a thorough understanding of how each of the Republican candidates would take on these issues."

The South Carolina Republican Party is excited to welcome the first televised debate to South Carolina and to the Wofford campus.

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"Presidential candidates and Republican activists across our nation know South Carolina's historic tradition of successfully choosing the Republican nominee, a tradition uninterrupted for over 30 years," said Chad Connelly, Chairman of the South Carolina Republican Party. "We look forward to the Nov. 12 debate on Wofford College's beautiful campus and continuing to demonstrate that in South Carolina, 'We Pick Presidents.'"

Wofford President Dr. Benjamin Dunlap said the liberal arts college located in the heart of Spartanburg is a natural fit for the debate.

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"In politics, everyone aims to be a winner, so, given our tradition of athletic success, Wofford College is an encouraging location for a presidential candidates' debate," Dunlap said. "And given our national leadership among foreign study programs, we're a logical place in which to hold discussions on the subject of national security. Most significantly, it's our institutional dedication to 'the unfettered pursuit of knowledge' that makes us such an appropriate host as we welcome the candidates to our beautiful and historic campus."


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