• President 2012,  Ronald Reagan Presidential Library

    President 2012: First GOP Presidential Debate Announced at Reagan Library on May 2, 2011

    This will more than likely be a debate that all of the candidates for the Republican nomination will appear first and at one time – at the Reagan Library in Simi Valley, California.

    The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation announced today that May 2, 2011 is the date for the Republican presidential candidates’ debate being held at the Reagan Library. The Reagan Foundation also announced a host of details about the first Republican debate of the 2012 campaign season, including a roster of some of the nation’s top journalists from NBC News, POLITICO and Telemundo to take part in the questioning.

    “We have established a wonderful tradition – of which I know Ronnie would be so proud – of using the Library as a first-in-the-nation forum for candidates to introduce themselves and their visions for America to a national audience,” former First Lady Nancy Reagan said.

    The Reagan Library, in Simi Valley, California, was also the venue for the first Republican debate of the 2008 campaign cycle. Mrs. Reagan and the Presidential Foundation announced last fall the plan to host the candidates as the 2012 campaign season begins.

    In addition to the date of this year’s gathering — selected by the Presidential Foundation after consultation with national Republicans — there are several important features of the Library Debate announced by Mrs. Reagan today:

    *Brian Williams, anchor of the top-rated NBC Nightly News, will be co-moderator, along with POLITICO Editor-in-Chief John F. Harris, a presidential scholar and one of the nation’s top political journalists.  A Telemundo reporter will also join in the questioning.

    *NBC News and POLITICO will be joined by Telemundo and CNBC in airing the debate.  This will mark the first time a news organization aimed at Hispanic Americans and the nation’s leading business news network will join in the inaugural debate of a presidential campaign season.

    *The debate will air on MSNBC, POLITICO.com, CNBC and Telemundo.

    The Reagan Presidential Foundation plans to play host to both the first GOP presidential debate of the 2012 election cycle on May 2, 2011 and a second GOP debate on the eve of the Super Tuesday primaries.

    So, all of the potential Republican candidates better be ready to rock and roll soon.