Associated Press: Iowa and New Hampshire are still on the horizon — but first there’s the Fox primary, and the buildup to this week’s first Republican presidential debate shows that the influence of Fox News Channel on the GOP selection process is stronger than ever. The musical chairs-like rules for participation in Thursday’s televised debate required candidates to reach a certain threshold in opinion polls, making national exposure to an interested audience vital at an early stage in the campaign. And where better to find that audience than on Fox News Channel?