This makes no sense — choosing to bypass inviting an actual candidate running for the President to your debate, but roll out the red carpet for two non-candidates. That is absurdly discriminatory.
In a statement, CNN announces its line-up for the September 12 Tea Party Express co-sponsored debate in Tampa: Gov. Rick Perry, Rep. Michele Bachmann, Gov. Mitt Romney, Rep. Ron Paul, Newt Gingrich, Herman Cain, Rick Santorum, and Jon Huntsman. The network adds that Rudy Giuliani and Sarah Palin were invited: “Giuliani declined the debate invitation, while a Palin representative has yet to respond to it.”
CNN can get away with this shadow dance of leaving, for instance, openly gay candidate Fred Karger off of the invite list by adhering to these standards for its Tea Party debate.
– A person must have received an average of at least 2.00% in at least three national polls released between July 1 and July 31 that were conducted by the following: ABC, AP, Bloomberg, CBS, CNN, FOX, Gallup, Los Angeles Times, Marist, McClatchy, NBC, Newsweek, Pew, Quinnipiac, Reuters, USA Today and Time.
-OR-
– A person must have received an average of at least 2.00 % in at least three national polls released between August 1 and August 31 that were conducted by the following: ABC, AP, Bloomberg, CBS, CNN, FOX, Gallup, Los Angeles Times, Marist, McClatchy, NBC, Newsweek, Pew, Quinnipiac, Reuters, USA Today and Time.
Honestly it’s questionable whether Jon Huntsman, who’s polling in the low single digits, should be on that list either, but he’s there. Why can’t CNN buck the trend and have Karger up there to provide viewers with a broader view of the Republican field than the lopsided, fringe-right element. Putting Palin and Giuliani (the latter turned down the invite), sounds more like a ratings grab than a chance to show the American public a wider political range of the 2012 GOP Clown Car than most in the mainstream media normally expose them to.

Like Miss Hattie McDaniels so famously said in Gone With The Wind, "It ain't fittin'. It jus' ain't fittin'"