It would appear that the era of 10-candidate free-for-all debating has come and gone.  With the Iowa caucuses in just a few days, and New Hampshire’s primary early next week, it’s time to get serious. 

At least that’s what ABC and Facebook have decided for their Saturday night debate, one of the final ones leading up to the NH primary vote.  In order to get an invitation, a candidate must meet one of these requirements…

1. A showing in the top four in Iowa.

2. At least 5 percent support in the most recent independent polls in New Hampshire.

3. At least 5 percent backing in a recent national survey.

What does that mean?  Well, we can be pretty sure that Huckabee, McCain, Giuliani, Thompson, and Romney will make the cut.  Ron Paul should also probably make it.  Despite a likely finish outside the top 4 in Iowa, he’s been polling above 5% in New Hampshire.

Duncan Hunter and Alan Keyes will have to find something else to do that night.

For the Democrats, it’s expected that Mike Gravel, Dennis Kucinich, Chris Dodd, and Joe Biden won’t be invited.  Although it is possible that Joe Biden might surprise some people and pull off a fourth place finish in Iowa.  If that doesn’t happen, we might see the end of his campaign before that debate is held anyway.

Either way, the format also promises a refreshing change.  No more of the strict time limits and robotic short-answers that we’ve been used to.  This could really benefit the strong debaters in the group like Senator McCain and Governor Huckabee. 

But first, we’ll have to see what happens in Iowa.