On Tuesday night, the Republican presidential candidates will face off in a debate at the Venetian in Las Vegas. Nine candidates, including Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, Ben Carson, Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio, Chris Christie, Carly Fiorina, John Kasich and Rand Paul will take the stage with just seven weeks left before the first votes are cast to determine the Republican presidential nominee. With all of this intense pressure on these candidates, what can you expect from the debate tonight?
Cruz vs. Trump
Many believe a Cruz vs. Trump showdown is imminent tonight, especially after Cruz has slowly gained ground in Iowa, with latest polls showing Cruz finally surpassing Trump in this crucial state. Trump recently went as far as to call Cruz “a little bit of a maniac” and stated he doesn’t think Cruz is “qualified to be president”. Trump has never been one to shy away from a battle, so expect him to come out with guns blazing.
All candidates vs. Trump
Cruz will probably not be the only one throwing punches at Trump, especially after Trump’s controversial comments regarding banning Muslims from the United States. All of the other Republican candidates have openly disagreed with Trump’s statements, although some more than others, so it is expected that everyone will attempt to take a few jabs at Trump.
Cruz vs. Rubio
These two Hispanic candidates will most likely face off about immigration issues, especially because tonight’s debate is the first time they have faced each other since Rubio began to openly attack Cruz’s policies. Many analysts have predicted the race may come down to these two contenders, so tonight’s debate may set the stage for a long battle ahead.
Whatever the outcome is, it’s sure to be an interesting and intense debate, given the small amount of time left for candidates to campaign and gain ground in the race.
Editor’s Note: We will of course provide our version of the results tomorrow. The question is whether any of the candidates on the edge can get momentum. Fiorina and Christie both had good debates last time but failed to capitalize. Will they do anything differently this time? Kasich managed a bounce in his ratings in New Hampshire. Can he get another one this time, enough to make him a serious contender? Will Jeb show up? Come on Jeb, step up!!
While Trump has been dominant, he now has Carson, Rubio and Cruz on his tail. Frankly, I would feel much better if the more experienced candidates, Jeb, Kasich and Christie were higher in the polls, since they would be better at challenging Hillary.