We could start with this proposition: Any format that elevates Trump, Carson, and Fiorina—none of whom have ever held elective office and one of whom is only nominally a Republican—while relegating two-term governors and the GOP candidate who finished second to Romney to the preliminary debate, is flawed. Not to mention excluding Sen. Lindsey Graham, the only military veteran in the bunch, from even participating in the undercard. On the eve of Veterans Day, no less.

How did this happen? By basing everything on public opinion polls. This is upside down. The debates are supposed to determine the placing in the polls, not the other way around. Sure, there has to be some discretion because hundreds of people, most of whom are unknown in their own neighborhoods, file to run for president. But excluding sitting senators and incumbent governors is absurd. If there must be two debates, so be it. Make them equal.

Republicans should also honestly face facts about moderating televised debates. Liberal bias is annoying, even infuriating, to conservatives. That’s fair. The real problem is that the networks hosting these debates want high ratings. That’s why Trump gets so much airtime. It’s why moderators pose gotcha questions. It’s why they want to promote food fights on air. This is not a small point, as the networks are paying for the privilege. If Republicans don’t like that, they should pony up the money, a point the pro-free market candidates should understand. Is the networks’ financial motivation a conflict of interest? Perhaps, but Republicans wants high ratings, too. It’s how they get voters interested in their candidates.