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CNN cancels Atlanta debate before Super Tuesday

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February 17, 2012|By Matt Viser

CNN has cancelled its March 1 debate in Atlanta after Mitt Romney and Ron Paul decided not to take part.

“Mitt Romney and Ron Paul told the Georgia Republican Party, Ohio Republican Party and CNN Thursday that they will not participate in the March 1 Republican presidential primary debate,” CNN said in a statement. “Without full participation of all four candidates, CNN will not move forward with the Super Tuesday debate. However, next week, CNN and the Arizona Republican Party will host all four leading contenders for the GOP nomination. That debate will be held in Mesa, Arizona on February 22 and will be moderated by CNN’s John King.”

The former Massachusetts governor cited a busy campaign schedule over the coming weeks – and a slew of debates so far – for skipping the debate in Atlanta. He is planning to participate in the debate next Wednesday in Arizona.

“Gov. Romney will be spending a lot of time campaigning in Georgia and Ohio ahead of Super Tuesday,” spokeswoman Andrea Saul said in a statement. “With eight other states voting on March 6th, we will be campaigning in other parts of the country and unable to schedule the CNN Georgia debate.”

“We have participated in 20 debates,” Saul added, “including eight from CNN.”

Further debates could give traction to other candidates, including Newt Gingrich, who has largely relied on steady debate performances to rejigger his campaign in the past.

In a primary contest where debates have provided one of the most influential platforms, CNN’s decision to cancel the Atlanta event means that after next week there will be no debate before the biggest number of voters make their selections on March 6. Ten states will vote that day, with Ohio and Georgia providing some of the biggest delegate hauls.