The RNC will sponsor eight or so official debates. They won’t tell anyone not to go to any other “debates” or forums or penalize states for holding non-RNC designated gatherings via delegate penalties.

Henceforth, the RNC will simply exclude from its official debates anyone who participates in a non-official debate.

The major candidates with established credibility will cheer and continue to make their plans and attend events. The marginal candidates will have to choose to go to non-sanctioned events or wait until the RNC series begins.

Tough choice, but a fair one. If one of the “bigs” wants to skip the RNC debates and try to crash them later, the RNC has got to be prepared to make its rules stick.

Networks and cash-hungry state parties and conservative organizations will try to set up “forums,” invite all to come, then claim the participants are not really debating.