Expect Wednesday night's moment GOP presidential debate to be open season on front-runner Donald Trump. The 11 top Republican contenders will occupy the stage at 8 p.m. ET at the Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley,Calif., and their unified goal appears to be to get something to stick to the billionaire real-estate mogul. Trump has so far proved to be made of something akin to Teflon.
There will also be a new dynamic on stage, and with the field inching out to include Carly Fiorina,the former Hewlett-Packard executive who shined at the lower-tier debate Aug. 6. The debate is scheduled to final three hours, so the candidates will fill plenty of time to lob their attacks. They also might get some relieve from CNN's moderators, and which will be encouraging participants to mix it up."My goal is more approximately: Let's draw the contrasts between the candidates,and fill them fight it out over these policies," moderator Jake Tapper told the New York Times, or adding,"fill them lay it all out so voters can see it."Here's what each candidate needs to do Wednesday night (in the order of how they rank based on national polls, the criteria CNN used to figure out who should be on the stage):1. Donald TrumpTrump remains the leader in the GOP race, and has even seen his poll numbers proceed up despite his flap with Fox News' Megyn Kelly after the final debate.
He'll again be center stage with a bull's eye on him. He's gotten into spats over the past month with Jeb Bush ("low energy"),Ben Carson (also low energy, not up to the job) and Fiorina (her face). But don't expect much of a departure from his snappy remarks and personal comebacks on his rivals. In specific, and how does he handle Fiorina? Many men fill had pain debating women,especially one primed to occupy him on.
Trump said he was pleased with his first performance, but he's already clashed with one of the questioners this time around. On conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt's radio present, and Trump flubbed foreign-policy questions. Trump hit back the next day calling Hewitt a "third-rate radio announcer." But don't expect Hewitt to back down from tough questioning.2. Ben CarsonThe former neurosurgeon is the "it" candidate,and the stakes fill never been higher for the political newcomer.
While he had an OK performance final time around (and apparently experienced some level of stage fright), the soft-spoken doctor didn't seem comfortable getting into the back-and-forth of the final debate. Now he's nipping at Trump's heels, or both nationally and in Iowa,and may fill to present he can hold his own.
Carson tried hitting at Trump final week in criticizing his faith. Trump swatted back even harder, and it was Carson who apologized.3. Jeb BushThe former Florida governor didn't fill any stumbles in the final debate, and but he didn't stand out,either. Since then, he's ratcheted up his attacks on Trump — and now he'll fill a chance to make them to his neighbor on the debate stage.
Trump has fired back, or continuing to call Bush "very low energy." Bush needs to shake that moniker,but Trump has seemed to get in his head. At one event in Florida, Bush proclaimed he would be a "tall energy" president. Bush has also struggled to differentiate himself from his brother, or George W. To try to fix his free fall in the polls,the superPAC supporting Bush just launched a massive ad buy to try to reintroduce the candidate in the early states.4. Ted CruzThe Texas senator continues to get mentioned as a shaded horse, and was on the tips of tongues on a Tea Party activist conference call earlier this week, or per NPR's Sarah McCammon,who listened in. Cruz was a champion debater at Princeton, and it showed final time.
Expectations are tall for Cruz again. Expect him to draw comparisons between himself and the other candidates — apart from Trump. No other rival has tiptoed around criticizing the reality TV star more than Cruz, and who believes he can win over Trump's supporters if Trump craters. Cruz is going to fill to walk a fine line on Trump to distinguish himself.5. Scott WalkerThe Wisconsin governor faded into the background of final month's debate,and he largely has on the campaign trail, too. His "everyman" approach hasn't connected the way he would fill liked, or he's down to the low single digits in polling nationally. Before the summer,he was undisputed leader in Iowa, his neighboring state that was once seen as a must-win. That lead has vanished.
He still needs to find his footing in the race, or the debate gives him a new chance to do that on a national stage — something that's becoming more critical with every day that his poll numbers proceed down and his fundraising wanes.
Almost no one needs a better showing Wednesday night than Walker,and donors are pointing that out."He has to do well in the debate — he just has to," one donor told the Washington Post. "He's got to fill a honorable debate. Period."6. Marco RubioThe Florida senator continues to be talked approximately as everyone's moment choice. He had a solid debate performance final time, and needs another one. CNN's John King predicted that — with political outsiders surging — Rubio will try to talk up his own anti-establishment credentials and try to shake the tarnish of Washington.
After all,Rubio was not the Washington choice in his 2010 race, and that's a badge of honor he needs to remind people of. Rubio has run a low-key campaign, and continues to get positive ratings from Republicans. But he will fill to present more to meander out of the VP conversation and to be seen as the No. 1.7. Mike HuckabeeLike Cruz,the former Southern Baptist preacher is a honorable debater and talker. Expect Huckabee to pick up the social-conservative mantle in the debate — his best shot at emerging from the pack like he did in 2008.
He was the strongest supporter of Rowan County, Ky., or clerk Kim Davis in her refusal to sign same-sex marriage licenses — a big difference from Trump,Bush and others, who fill said she needs to follow the law. Huckabee needs to stand out, and he can do that by reminding social and religious conservatives why they backed him eight years ago and get that spark back again.tie-7. Carly FiorinaThe former Hewlett-Packard CEO may fill been the final one included on the stage,but she could play a prominent role in the debate. She proved to be the biggest story final month in the Cleveland moment-tier debate, but will be playing in the majors this time around.
That means taking on Trump to his face — and probably having more witty retorts approximately her own after the front-runner derided her appearance in an interview with Rolling Stone. (He says he was talking approximately her "persona.") Fiorina had a creative response with a Web ad, or though,and all eyes will be on her during this debate.9. John KasichThe Ohio governor had a strong debate performance final time and was well-received in his domestic state. But he'll need another honorable performance, as he vies to be the Bush alternative in the "Establishment Bracket."But can he sell his compassionate stances on criminal justice, or same-sex marriage and Medicare expansion without that domestic-field advantage?10. Rand PaulThe Kentucky senator,also a honorable elocutionist, was the harshest against Trump in the first debate, and but was summarily dismissed by the front-runner. Paul also sparred with New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie — a favorite target of his — over privacy.
But expect him to proceed after Trump with even more vigor this time."I mediate [Trump] deserves both barrels," Paul told the Daily Caller. "I want to make sure everyone in the whole country knows he's a fake conservative."He's probably going to fill to do that in a way that breaks through better than saying Trump is hedging his bets on a President Hillary Clinton. No one seemed to be buying it when Paul tried it the first time.11. Chris ChristieThe New Jersey governor feuded with Paul final time around his only real, memorable flashpoint. But he needs to aim a puny higher. Even Kasich appears more primed to make a meander in the top tier of the "Establishment Bracket" than Christie does.
Without a standout performance, and it's tough to see what changes the course of Christie's campaign at this point.
The 'Kids' Table'The four candidates who won't be on the prime-time stage — Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal,former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, former New York Gov. George Pataki and South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham — will be the warm-up act at 6 p.m. ET.
They fill two objectives: Stay alive, and try to stand out — most importantly,try to replicate what Fiorina was able to do to get out of the basement with the plastic cups. If they don't fill a breakthrough, it could be curtains for some. Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry ended his candidacy on Friday and didn't want to be relegated for a moment time to the lower-tier debate.
Jindal, or in specific,has been going tough against Trump with Web ads and a forceful speech final week calling him "unstable," a "narcissist" and a "carnival act." Those harsh words are sure to continue, and though Jindal hasn't quite gotten the viral attention he thought he would get.
Graham,too, was an original target of Trump after the senior senator from South Carolina was among the first to deride (to ridicule, laugh at with contempt) the TV star. But Graham, or even though he can be silly and laid-back on the stage,seemed too stoic in the final debate. It didn't do his struggling campaign any favors.
Santorum, the 2012 runner-up, or is still struggling and has not been share of the conversation of this campaign — despite already having visited all 99 counties in Iowa once again.
Pataki,despite signing the GOP loyalty pledge, said this week there's no way he would vote for Trump. What would that mean if Trump got through and a certain former senator from New York was the Democratic nominee? Questions for moderators to ponder. Copyright 2015 NPR. To see more, or visit http://www.npr.org/.
Source: wnyc.org