The Republican presidential debate on CNN tonight is being advertised by CNN as if some major fights will happen there. My prediction is that the ads are wrong.
Donald Trump will likely play it cool tonight. He has never come on too strongly in these debates. He is unlikely to change that now. Trump likes to attack when there's no one who can answer what he is saying. Tonight, any attack by the Donald on Cruz or Rubio (the only ones worth attacking) will get a response from those candidates. Trump may have a quick insult, but he's not nearly as good arguing the facts or the policy as those two, and he knows it. Besides, Trump has a big lead in all those polls out there, so why should he risk it?
Ted Cruz will also likely stay on the nice side tonight. He may throw a few barbs at Rubio, but Cruz will still want to be seen as a nice guy and not a mad slasher. I expect him to save his real attacks for Hillary Clinton and president Obama.
Marco Rubio has never gone on the attack in these debates either. He has certainly responded to attacks. Most of us remember Rubio countering a faltering attack by Jeb Bush in which Rubio made Bush look like a fool. I don't think Rubio will go after Trump or Cruz tonight either. He will stick to the issues.
That gets us to Ben Carson who has never been on the attack in the debates. That won't change. Carson will be trying too hard to show that he understands foreign policy.
There may be attacks by John Kasich or Rand Paul on the other candidates. Having seen their attacks in the past, we can assume that tonight's version will be the same ineffectual nonsense.
That leaves Christie and Fiorina. Both have the ability to throw real zingers into the mix. If there are to be any fireworks, my guess is that it will start with one of these two. Even so, I don't expect either to go after Cruz or Rubio and they are unlikely to hit Trump. Maybe one of the goofy comments from Kasich or Paul will be the target, but who really cares about that?
The real question for the night is how will the CNN moderators act when the candidates don't start slashing each other. It will be fun to see.
Donald Trump will likely play it cool tonight. He has never come on too strongly in these debates. He is unlikely to change that now. Trump likes to attack when there's no one who can answer what he is saying. Tonight, any attack by the Donald on Cruz or Rubio (the only ones worth attacking) will get a response from those candidates. Trump may have a quick insult, but he's not nearly as good arguing the facts or the policy as those two, and he knows it. Besides, Trump has a big lead in all those polls out there, so why should he risk it?
Ted Cruz will also likely stay on the nice side tonight. He may throw a few barbs at Rubio, but Cruz will still want to be seen as a nice guy and not a mad slasher. I expect him to save his real attacks for Hillary Clinton and president Obama.
Marco Rubio has never gone on the attack in these debates either. He has certainly responded to attacks. Most of us remember Rubio countering a faltering attack by Jeb Bush in which Rubio made Bush look like a fool. I don't think Rubio will go after Trump or Cruz tonight either. He will stick to the issues.
That gets us to Ben Carson who has never been on the attack in the debates. That won't change. Carson will be trying too hard to show that he understands foreign policy.
There may be attacks by John Kasich or Rand Paul on the other candidates. Having seen their attacks in the past, we can assume that tonight's version will be the same ineffectual nonsense.
That leaves Christie and Fiorina. Both have the ability to throw real zingers into the mix. If there are to be any fireworks, my guess is that it will start with one of these two. Even so, I don't expect either to go after Cruz or Rubio and they are unlikely to hit Trump. Maybe one of the goofy comments from Kasich or Paul will be the target, but who really cares about that?
The real question for the night is how will the CNN moderators act when the candidates don't start slashing each other. It will be fun to see.
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