There will be a GOP presidential candidate’s debate, hosted by Fox News, on Wednewsday in Milwaukee. There’s another one scheduled for September 27 in Simi Valley, California, to be hosted by Fox Business and Univision.
I have no intention of watching either one. I’m sure somebody will post highlights.
Trump intends to skip the first debate. Instead, he’s going to be interviewed online by Tucker Carlson. I’ve just learned this interview will be prerecorded and released at the same time as the televised debate. It would be great fun if the official debate gets a lot more viewers than the interview, however.
It’s tempting to dismiss the GOP nomination contest as Trump and the Seven or So Dwarves. But it’s not impossible for one or two of the not-Trump candidates to break out of the pack and become serious contenders after the debates. No, I’m not going to guess who that might be. But televised debates have been known to elevate minor candidates while deflating major ones.
The candidates who for sure will be debating Wednesday are Ron DeSantis, Vivek Ramaswamy. Nikki Haley, Tim Scott, and Doug Burgum. Mike Pence allegedly qualified, but some news sources still have him listed as maybe. Chris Christie is maybe still a maybe. Asa Hutchinson, Francis Suarez, and Will Hurd are probably nots. But that could change.
Note also that the big money donors of the GOP are backing away from Trump. They would prefer someone who could pass for a normal human being, which leaves out most of the current field. But there’s a lot of interest in Glenn Youngkin and Brian Kemp. Meanwhile, Trump is burning through donors’ money paying for his legal defense(s). Even if he’s the nominee and stays out of jail, he’s not going to have much left to pay for a national general election campaign. Although maybe the big money guys will bail him out.
There is roughly eleven months before the 2024 RNC Convention in Milwaukee. A whole lot could happen in those months that none of us anticipate. But I can’t imagine how the Republican Party is not royally bleeped right now. If Trump is the nominee, they’re bleeped. If he isn’t the nominee he’s likely to attempt an independent run, and the GOP is still bleeped.