Or, speed-dating, really. (And because I used the “mass debate” headline last week.)

The polling metrics that will make up the selection for Thursday’s first nationally-televised Republican debate are set to be revealed on Tuesday.

In a pre-emptive response – or a trial run – 14 would-be GOP nominees gathered – in person and by video – in New Hampshire for a candidate forum the Boston Globe reports was “an effort by Granite State media to refocus the presidential race on the early nominating states instead of an increasingly nationalized race.”

Because it wasn’t an “officially-sanctioned” GOP event, the candidates didn’t actually talk to each other, but rather appeared individually to answer questions from a host. Each candidate got about 6 or 7 minutes, while the audience was instructed to remain quiet.

* Watch a recording of the proceedings here, via C-Span.

Ohio Gov John Kasich – who might yet miss out on Thursday’s debate in his own state – picked up an endorsement.

Donald Trump decided to keep his powder dry for Thursday. Meanwhile polls showed two sides of the man whose insanely broad name recognition is keeping him ahead of the pack.

but, er..

http://twitter.com/jonathanhsinger/status/628335593416568832

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* POLITICS * Talking of Planned Parenthood, and the St Anselm Forum, the three video call-ins for the latter were absent because they were in Washington trying to defund the former.

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* BUSINESS * The first person to face jail time over the Libor-fixing market manipulation scandal was sentenced to 14 years.

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* MEDIA * Will Hobson writes at The Washington Post that sports channel ESPN “isn’t in the kind of trouble dire talk would indicate – at least until next decade.”

The biggest threat to ESPN, and its competitors, is a scenario develops in which sports leagues can make more money televising their games themselves than they do now selling their television rights to the highest bidder. That day could come, analysts think, but not this decade.

“I think the NFL’s people are the smartest people in the room. If it made more sense for them to go direct to consumer, they would do it tomorrow,” said Rich Greenfield, media and tech analyst at BTIG. “They are laying the groundwork to go direct to consumer over time, but that is a 2020-plus event.”

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* SPORTS * What’s next for women’s UFC champion Ronda Rousey, who has apparently run out of people to fight? Well.. probably what you’d expect:

With a week to go before the start of the new Premier League season, transfer spending by England’s top division clubs has reached a total of £500m, with a new pre-season record possible, the BBC reports.

And then, of course, there’s this…

* CULTURE * Finally, the story of the day is undoubtedly this…