Carson, Graham, Cruz call for debate changes

Republicans who are still steamed about last week's debate are making suggestions about how to change the process.

Ben Carson, who is at or near the top of Republican polls, told ABC News on Sunday he wants to see "substantial" opening and closing statements of "at least a minute" each. The retired neurosurgeon wants "tighter guidelines" and enforcement of time limits.

"You know some people pretty much ignore the time constraints, while others are very careful to stay within them, and I think that creates inequality," Carson said in an interview broadcast Sunday on ABC's This Week.

Aides to Carson have organized a meeting in Washington on Sunday to discuss possible changes in wake of last week's debate in Boulder, Colo., sponsored by the CNBC television network.

Echoing the criticism of that debate, Carson said that moderators should be more interested in "disseminating the information about the candidates" rather than "gotcha" questions designed to attack.

Asked why candidates shouldn't be challenged about their campaigns, Carson said: "There's a place and time for that, but as far as I'm concerned, these debates are to highlight the differences in philosophy between the candidates -- particularly when you have as many candidates as we have now."

Candidate Lindsey Graham, who has been relegated to the three preliminary debates because of low poll numbers, said the GOP should go for a series of events with "smaller groups on the stage," along with better questions and equal time.

In the first three debates, the ten highest polling candidates participated in a prime debate, preceded by a "happy hour" debate with the trailing candidates.

The current structure "is not leading to the best candidate coming out of the debates," Graham told Fox. "If we continue with this process, I think it’s going to hurt our chances for winning in 2016."

Ted Cruz, one of the most outspoken critics of the Wednesday debate, offered what he called a "radical proposition" over the weekend: "How about if we say, from now on, if you have never voted in a Republican primary in your life, you don't get to moderate a Republican primary debate?"

If the Republicans make changes, they will have to do it quickly: The next debate is scheduled for Nov. 10 -- a week from Tuesday -- in Milwaukee.