So midweek we get the last real debate among the Republican candidates before the holidays, barring some last-minute addition. It’s sponsored by the Des Moines Register, and as Byron noted, they’ve invited Alan Keyes.

On the Democratic side, Mike Gravel is not on the list of confirmed attendees, nor is Dennis Kucinich. They are not listed as “accepting the Register’s invitation” at this point.

I make this argument entirely separate from the respective qualities and views of these men; I cannot understand why Alan Keyes is going to be invited to the Republican debate. At that point, you might as well invite John Cox.

And I grumble loudly that the Democrats might debate without both of their what-the-hell-are-you-doing-here candidates, Kucinich and Gravel. The “serious” candidates in the Democratic field will get their time split among six, with no angry rants about how “everyone on this stage is corrupt” or “I resent the use of the term illegal immigrants” other typical Gravel or Kucinich outbursts.

Meanwhile, an already-crowded GOP stage will include Keyes’ inspired, but ultimately irrelevant sermons, splitting the time nine ways. We’ve had nine Republican debates so far. At this point, if you haven’t broken out past the margin of error, it’s not going to happen. It’s long past time to get the guys who are at four percent or less off the stage.