By this time in 2007, more than a dozen people had announced a presidential bid. Fast forward four years, and there are more wars than presidential candidates.

The potential Republican field is vast and full of characters, but most candidates in the holding pen seem to be waiting for somebody else to open the latch.

The latest sign that the field is not shaping up as neatly as prognosticators had hoped came Wednesday when The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation announced the primary debate it had scheduled for May would be moved to September for lack of participants. The debate was to be co-hosted by NBC News and Politico...