A Trump aide said the billionaire would be well-prepared to respond to attacks at the debate.
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All of the surveys of Iowa voters in the past week have put Dr. Ben Carson in the top spot. Neither Trump nor Carson are career politicians but both have capitalized on anti-Washington, anti-establishment feeling among many conservatives.
Carson said it was absurd to allege he’s connected to the company. It is a placidity that is central to Carson’s character.
Despite Trump’s recently sliding Iowa poll numbers, the Landens are optimistic about his chances. But Carson represents a challenge fueled by that same electorate. And others will need to seize an opportunity to show that they can handle economic concerns, which remain atop voters’ minds.
On the evening’s main topic – the economy – Carson has had a few missteps. Now he’s sick of waiting.
Among the participants are two senators – Florida’s Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz of Texas. Trump wins the Twitter wars.
They’re the ones to watch Wednesday night as the Republican presidential nomination race begins a new, crucial phase. The poll numbers have shown that.
Trump, who had predicted the debate would be “unfair” hours before it started, told CNBC after he walked offstage that he felt the Republicans had been treated far differently than the Democrats during their first faceoff earlier this month.
He needs also to find a way to sidestep one of the most damaging comparisons that his ally-turned-adversary Jeb Bush has been leveling against him – that he bears a striking resemblance to another first-term senator who took the White House too soon and sunk the economy.
So how does Trump handle this asymmetric threat?
The Iowa caucuses now are under 100 days away, and they’re even closer when one counts the two upcoming holiday weeks in November and December that pause major campaign activity. If Ron Brownstein is right and Trump’s support among non-college educated voters is solid, then he’s got a strong floor of support. Let Carson wear the front-runner hat for a while and see if it stays on; Trump’s base isn’t going anywhere. He’s mocked Paul’s hair and questioned Carson’s faith. He’s also questioned his position on abortion. “Cruz attacks him at his peril”.
It’s not just Carson’s unabashed duplicity when it comes to matters of science, but also his shattering deafness in the face of a wide variety of social and political issues. But the GOP electorate likes Carson.
Cruz garnered enthusiastic applause when he criticized debate moderators for trying to stir up fights among the candidates, casting it as a sign of media bias against Republicans – a popular line with GOP voters. He is different, unlike any presidential candidate in modern history. Carson usually dismisses the barbs in his gentle, quiet way.
Trump did not take the news of the polls lightly. Can he deftly deflect or manage Trump’s needling and prodding?
Four months after he announced for President, Trump has defied the political professionals to claim the unquestioned lead. He often talks about the “killers” he’s clobbered at the negotiating table.
“I’ve about had it with these people”, he yelled at a pre-debate rally on Tuesday.
“I’ve used that to my advantage as a businessman”, Trump said. That does not sound joyful. But his continued rise even higher means the pressure is on the soft-spoken doctor more than ever.
A joke, but perhaps one with more than a grain of truth.
“He’s very fond of saying he only hits back when he gets hit”, said Chip Felkel, a South Carolina Republican operative. If he can pull it off, however, all the greater glory will come his way. Each will be eager for the kind of standout moment that Fiorina had in the second debate to jumpstart her campaign. By showing leadership you graft that quality on to yourself when you have no experience doing so. “Donald Trump, you hear about it every time he walks up on stage”.
But Rubio is a pretty cautious guy. Now, I’m sure one day he’ll take it back. He’s already given the off-Broadway version of this, railing Tuesday at the zany ideas from various rivals. Rand Paul of Kentucky arrived in Colorado sulking about sinking poll numbers and lousy fundraising. Time for her to get another charge.
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“There is no name more synonymous with real estate – or self-promotion – than Donald J. Trump”. Lindsey Graham will be in the 6 p.m. showdown for lower-tier candidates.
