According to a recent study by the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs, Texas Congressman Ron Paul has been allotted less time than the other GOP candidates at the last three GOP debates. A total of 18 minutes and 47 seconds has been allotted to Paul in the last three GOP debates. Of the three debates, Paul was allotted the least amount of time at the Fox News-Google debate in September.
Even with less time to speak than the other candidates, Paul is doing well in the polls. Paul finished third in the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll of likely Republican voters. In the poll, conducted between October 6 and 10, Paul earned 13 percent of the votes. Despite 34 minutes and 12 seconds of allotted time at the last three GOP debates, Texas Governor Rick Perry is falling in the polls. In this poll, Perry earned fourth place with 10 percent of the votes.
According to the study, released on Tuesday, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney has been allotted the most time to speak at the last three GOP debates. Romney has been allotted 41 minutes and 9 seconds of speaking time. Perry came in second and Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann came in third with 23 minutes and 59 seconds. Former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman and pizza magnate Herman Cain finished with a little more than 21 minutes apiece.
Smart Politics’ Eric Ostermeier, the author of the article, points to the recent New Hampshire debate as a prime example of how little speaking time Paul is allotted at a GOP debate. Ostermeier argues that Romney was the frontrunner in terms of allotted speaking time prior to the time period when candidates could question each other. Once candidates could ask questions of each other, Romney’s allotted speaking time soared as four out of seven GOP candidates directed questions at him.
The next GOP debate is on Tuesday, October 18 at 8pm ET in Las Vegas, Nevada. The CNN/Western Republican Leadership Conference debate won’t be attended by Huntsman, because he is boycotting the mid-January date for the Nevada caucuses.