After a race that has been in some ways static this summer, with Trump leading the pack as he faces four criminal indictments, at least eight expected participants have an opportunity for a reset in Wednesday night’s debate.
Republican presidential candidates, top row from left, Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former president Donald Trump, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, center row from left, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former Vice President Mike Pence, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and Vivek Ramaswamy and bottom row from left, former Texas Rep. Will Hurd, Ryan Binkley, Perry Johnson and Larry Elder.
All of which makes for a most unusual first debate of the Republican primary, an event regarded as the unofficial kickoff to the fall campaign - one that could draw tens of millions of viewers, and mark the first time many voters will be tuning in closely.
But another Republican strategist aligned with one of the candidates said the decision about how much to focus on Trump is a fraught one. “If he’s not there and you’re talking about him, are you just yelling into space?” said the strategist, who like others spoke on the condition of anonymity to more candidly discuss strategy.
In part because of concerns about Trump’s electability, part of the target audience for the Republican contenders Wednesday night is not just GOP voters, but wealthy donors who are still on the sidelines - surveying the field while skeptical that any of the candidates have what it takes to topple Trump.
Ken Cuccinelli, Never Back Down’s founder, said Sunday on CNN it was a mistake to post the memos, which drew ridicule from rivals - and instantly made it harder for DeSantis to use any of the lines they suggested. DeSantis’s campaign has also been blasting out regular emails and texts promoting the debate to supporters, sometimes taking thinly veiled swipes at Trump.
For Christie, who has plenty of experience helping others in debate prep, there is no role-playing in his own preparations for a stage that could be large and unwieldy. Instead, the former New Jersey governor is diving into policy briefs, seeking advice from a few trusted advisers and avoiding any exercise that might lead to answers that seem too rehearsed.
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