Screen shot/CNN
You can be excused if real life has gotten in the way of closely following the early presidential campaign. But there’s a way to quickly catch up before Wednesday night’s second Republican debate.
Listen to those who have.
I’d love to have a crystal ball, of course, so I could learn ahead of time whether, as one conservative friend puts it, if “any of the candidates will be asked if they disagree with the Chamber of Commerce on any issue.”
And with Carly Fiorina granted permission to appear at the prime time Big Boys/Big Girl debate on CNN, will she play the “face” card and chide a New York real estate developer for going gratuitous over her looks (then maladroitly spinning the remark to be benign, with no apparent damage to his poll ratings)?
And will anybody do an impersonation on stage of the real estate developer? Jeb Bush and Chris Christie have now done so on prime time television (both attempts somewhat lame).
So I asked a bunch of media smarties, who have been reporting on or otherwise observing the race, what they expect or what they’d love to know ahead of time if they had a crystal ball:
Mark Barabak, Los Angeles Times: “I’ll be looking for what I always look for: What separates these guys-and this gal-substantively? And what glimpse(s) of authenticity/reality/who-they-are-and-what-makes-them-tick peeks through the scripted zingers, policy platitudes and bouquets they toss at the memory of Ronald Reagan.”
John Harwood, CNBC and The New York Times: “I’d love to know a) how aggressively will Jeb Bush and Carly Fiorina go after Donald Trump? And b) does Donald Trump try out a different – more temperate and substantive – style?”
Laura Ingraham, syndicated talk radio host, Fox News contributor: “These candidates have to offer credible insights into how they are going to make this country better for the average American. When 75 percent of the people say they don’t trust our government, really radical things could happen, the old rules may be out the window, the old political attack lines might not work.”
Celeste Katz, New York Daily News (where I’m a contributing editor): “I’m interested in the dynamic between Trump and Carson. I’m interested to see how far Trump is willing to go in attacks on Carson, whether Carson takes the “high road” or pushes back on Trump’s faith, conservative credentials, inflammatory rhetoric, or anything else. Carson may have taken Bush’s place as the “adult in the room” in this second debate; watching to see how he handles that. I’m similarly interested in Fiorina vs. Trump now that they’re both on the main stage. This could be a breakout moment for her after Debate 1, or just kind of a disappointment. I’m also interested in how the moderators handle Trump, considering the opening sally of the Fox debate and the ensuing drama.”
Bill Kristol, editor, Weekly Standard: “I’d like the crystal ball to reassure me that neither of the current frontrunners, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, will be president.”
Jonathan Martin, The New York Times: “Who, if anybody, was able to draw blood from Trump? Was Carly able to tempt him into a Lazio-Hillary moment?” referring to a famously dumb 2000 move, perceived as bullying, made during a New York U.S. Senate campaign debate by Republican Rick Lazio against Hillary Clinton. “Does Jeb come alive? And which candidate goes furthest in lighting his or hair on fire to break through Trumpmania (let’s hope not literally)?”
Steve Scully, C-Span: “The big question I have: who becomes the leading ‘establishment’ candidate? If Carson and Trump are the anti-establishment, where does Jeb go? Is Kasich the next ‘go to’ guy for the GOP? Does Rubio start to make some inroads? ”
Alexis Simendinger, RealClearPolitics: “The second GOP debate will help winnow the field. Audiences will have to wait until late October to see a third debate (and it won’t showcase 11 candidates). How does Sen. Marco Rubio use the California debate to hover rather than plummet, and can Jeb Bush find the energy and strategy to ascend from what’s being described as a precipitous free fall?”
