CNN confirms candidates for September 12th “Tea Party” GOP debate

CNN and the Tea Party Express have announced the confirmed participants for the September 12th Republican “Tea Party” debate being held in Tampa, Florida. This debate comes just days after the Reagan Library debate and will feature the same candidate lineup baring any unforseen events. You can submit your questions to the debate here.

Air Time: Monday, September 12th, 2011 at 8pm ET on CNN

Participants: Michele Bachmann, Herman Cain, Newt Gingrich, Jon Huntsman, Ron Paul, Rick Perry, Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum

Report from CNN:

Washington (CNN) – Eight Republicans vying for support from tea party activists will face off later this month in a CNN presidential debate cosponsored by the Tea Party Express and tea party organizations representing every state in the nation.

The “Tea Party Republican Debate” will take place Sept. 12th in Tampa, Florida – the host city for the 2012 Republican National Convention. Florida is also a key state in the race for the GOP presidential nomination.

CNN’s Wolf Blitzer will moderate the debate, which will feature questions from guests inside the hall as well as from people attending viewing parties around the country. It will be broadcast live nationally on CNN, CNN en Español and CNN Radio, around the world on CNN International, CNN en Español and streamed on CNN.com.

Last month, Texas Gov. Rick Perry announced he would run for the GOP nomination, joining Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, Texas Rep. Ron Paul, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, businessman Herman Cain, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum and former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman on stage in Tampa.

CNN crafted objective criteria – modeled after criteria the network used at the June debate – to determine who would be eligible to participate in the Sept. 12th debate. Participants needed to achieve a minimum 2 percent threshold in an average of national primary polls to be invited to the debate.

I am looking forward to letting citizens ask questions as opposed to the moderators who usually have their own agenda. I am wondering whether citizen questions will focus more narrowly on the economy, a topic which moderators in previous debates have not adequately explored in my opinion.