Instead, they said, their strategy appears to be to wait for Trump, the star of the political summer, to fade on his own.
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When it comes to delivering the artful jab or the ideal punch, many candidates would be well served by looking to debates past.
Eleven contenders will face off again at the second Republican presidential debate on Wednesday, with candidates expected to step up criticism of poll leader Donald Trump. Yet a serious slip-up by Trump caused either by the other candidates or the moderators could break the stride he’s enjoyed in the polls.
But the biggest contrast in the GOP field – and the one that typifies the broader battle within the party – continues between Trump and Jeb Bush, the wonky former Florida governor. That first debate set records for viewership – the largest primary debate viewership ever, and the largest number of viewers for any Fox News event.
APRepublican presidential candidates from left, Jim Gilmore, Lindsey Graham, Bobby Jindal, Rick Perry, Rick Santorum, Carly Fiorina, and George Pataki take the stage for a pre-debate forum. 40% of Republicans expect Trump to do just that, while only 14% think Bush will be nominated and 10% expect Carson will. And can John Kasich or Marco Rubio steal the spotlight?
“We’re going to have so many victories, that at some point they are just going to be coming out of your ears”, Donald Trump told a packed crowd at a Dallas, Texas rally Monday.
Supporters of Democratic presidential Hillary Clinton also plan a watch party, 7 p.m.at 1408 E. Fisher Service Drive in Detroit. But this week Republicans are far more positive about Trump’s chances than they are about Bush’s.
That makes Fiorina’s participation in the debate all the more intriguing. She’s also thrilled GOP audiences with her sharp criticism of Democratic front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton. “It’s still too early to rule him out, but Jeb needs a strong performance in [Wednesday] night’s debate”, writes Greg Valliere of Potomac Group.
Recent polls show that a growing number of Americans are seeking presidential candidates from outside the political establishment, highlighting the degree of dissatisfaction toward the USA government and politics.
Despite calls for Trump to apologize, he did not – to little effect on his standing.
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Asked how she’d respond to any attacks from Trump, Fiorina said she’ll “see what happens”. “Trump will be Trump, Ben will be Ben and the contrast couldn’t be clearer”, Bennett said.
