Let all candidates debate on GOP stage

As far as Amy Tarkanian is concerned, there's no good reason Republican presidential candidate Carly Fiorina shouldn't be on the debate stage Saturday night with her peers.

Tarkanian, a former chairwoman of the Nevada Republican Party, is part of the wave of Fiorina supporters who are objecting to debate rules that will see Fiorina be the only candidate excluded from the ABC event.

The rules say in order to make the main stage, you've got to come in among the top three candidates in the Iowa caucus, or among the top six in an average of New Hampshire or national polls. Fiorina doesn't meet those criteria. (According to Real Clear Politics, she's polling at an average of 2.2 percent nationally, in ninth place in the entire Republican field.)

Then again, that field is a lot smaller now: After Iowa dealt them some cruel blows, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum have all dropped out. ABC won't hold the traditional "undercard" debate, since the candidates who would have taken part are now gone, save for Fiorina.

And Fiorina actually beat New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and tied Ohio Gov. John Kasich in the Iowa caucus this week. She earned one delegate in that contest, which is more than Christie, who got none.

Not only that, but Fiorina has a number of high-profile people taking her side, from former Texas Gov. Rick Perry (a backer of U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz) to former Republican nominee Mitt Romney to New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte.

And there's also Tarkanian, who accompanied Fiorina on a recent trip to Las Vegas and is busy helping to plan for the next one.

"It's a matter of principle," Tarkanian said. "It's a matter of fairness."

Tarkanian noted Fiorina still has money and paid staff, and is not dropping out of the race. "She's got a great following. She brings crowds to their feet."

Really, what good reason is there to exclude Fiorina from the debates at this point? She's got at least as much right to be there as Christie and Kasich. Besides, it's not like the ABC debate rules were handed down on chiseled tablets on Mt. Sinai. But as of Thursday, ABC was refusing to budge.

Tarkanian's right: Let Carly in!

Speaking of campaign fouls, the criticism this week of DREAMer and immigration activist Astrid Silva by supporters of Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., was unnecessary and hurtful. Yes, politics is not played by the Marquis de Queensbury rules, or any rules, really. But c'mon, people.

After Silva and seven other DREAMers endorsed former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Silva got some personal pushback online. Erika Andiola, the Sanders campaign national Latino press secretary (and a fellow DREAMer) wrote this: "Difference between showcasing 'Dreamers' and organizing with 'Dreamers'? One will get you a press hit, other one will build political power."

Andiola was criticized by everybody from DailyKOS to Sen. Harry Reid for the remark, which is as it should be.

Silva has every right — and articulated some legitimate reasons — why she thinks Clinton would be better on the issue of immigration reform than Sanders. Obviously, fans of Sanders — and I am one — disagree. But you don't need to denigrate Silva and her fellow DREAMers to make those disagreements clear. That's especially true when you consider that people in both camps agree on the need for immigration reform with a pathway to citizenship. Regardless of who wins the nomination, Democrats will almost assuredly end up pushing the button beside a Democratic name in November.

Until that happens, Sanders' supporters should remember they have an obligation to give him a campaign worthy of the candidate who pledged to talk about the issues, not personalities.

— Steve Sebelius is a Review-Journal political columnist and co-host of the show "PoliticsNOW," airing at 5:30 p.m. Sundays on 8NewsNow. Follow him on Twitter (@SteveSebelius) or reach him at 702-387-5276 or SSebelius@reviewjournal.com.