If your true love is politics, then Valentine’s Day weekend brings something better than roses, champagne or a box of chocolates: another Republican debate.
Advertisement
In order to qualify for the debate, candidates had to place among the top five candidates in the New Hampshire primary; have placed among the top three candidates in the Iowa Republican caucuses; or place among the top five candidates in an average of national and South Carolina Republican presidential polls conducted over a four-week period starting January 15. Why did cupid’s arrow land on the Palmetto State? Marco Rubio stands between the two men during the Republican U.S. presidential candidates debate, sponsored by ABC News, at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire, Feb. 6, 2016.
CBSN will also offer a special 9:00 PM broadcast of the debate that will include enhanced graphics to showcase real-time Google Trends data and a curated Twitter stream.
The nomination contest has entered a risky phase for the Republican establishment. Marco Rubio and businessman Donald Trump. If he manages to come off as unscripted – say, if he wins some tense one-on-one exchanges with other candidates – he could be deemed the debate’s victor and regain some of the ground he’s lost both in the polls and in elite opinion.
Advertisement
Trump also swore off swearing, after TV news networks interviewed South Carolinians who said they might not vote for him because of his potty mouth – and his lack of credible religiosity. Things have gotten increasingly tense between them lately. Trump tweeted Friday to question Cruz’s Christianity. We’ll see how their rivalry plays out during the debate.
