WATCH: Billionaire real estate mogul Donald Trump will be center stage during the first Republican primary debate Thursday night, along with nine other men who want to be president. Jackson Proskow reports.
With the candidates for the Republican presidential nomination set to take the stage in Cleveland for their first debate Thursday night, here are five things to watch for.
1. The Trump Card
Donald Trump has the most to lose in tonight’s debate. He’ll quite literally be attacked from all sides: as frontrunner, he will take the centre podium. The Donald will be challenged to offer serious ideas instead of his usual bluster and rhetoric. He’s already promised to tone down his attacks on fellow candidates — the same people he’s regularly called “losers.” However, Trump has to walk a fine line here and he would be unwise to entirely abandon the bombastic say-what-he-wants style that has carried him to the top of the polls.
READ MORE: Donald Trump’s Fordian Slip: Two campaigns singing the same tune
2. Jeb, Scott, Marco, Chris, etc.
Most of the other 16 republican candidates are traditional politicians and many assumed one of them would capture all the attention. Instead, they’re floundering in the polls. With Trump throwing a wrench into things, the objective of the other candidates will be two-fold: Steal the back the spotlight and offer up substance and thoughtful policy — something these political mainstays are all pretty good at.
3. Who breaks through
The debate format is a tricky one. The top 10 polling candidates will face off for two hours on primetime television, while the lesser candidates participate in a late-afternoon “happy hour debate” that won’t get nearly as much attention. There are no opening statements – just straight to questions. Each candidate will have one minute to provide answers, and 30 seconds for a rebuttal. That’s not much time to break through.
READ MORE: Which Republican candidates will face off with Donald Trump in the first debate?
4. Who lays the groundwork
Remember, we’re still six months away from the first primary, almost a year away from the actual nomination and 17 months away from the election. Sure, one curiously coiffed candidate is riding high in the polls now, but a presidential campaign is about the long-game. Making a little splash at the debate has the potential to turn into a tidal wave down the road. Watch for the candidates to use this very public forum to craft their image for use at a much later date.
Comments