Ted Cruz and Donald Trump both get middle-stage billing tonight and Trump's been itching for a fight ever since Cruz dusted him in several recent Iowa polls. Here's the lineup from left to right: Kasich, Fiorina, Rubio, Carson, Trump, Cruz, Bush, Christie, and Paul. And here's what the night has in store while you research whether to buy that "I'm with Trump!" koozie or the Cruz Santa sweater to burn in effigy at your annual holiday party.
Clash for the ages: Trump v. Christie
C'mon, this is a mouthwatering matchup. Frankly, no one has really landed a blow that's stuck to Trump yet. Rubio's still hoping someone else will put on their big-boy pants and do it. Cruz is too busy salivating over Trump’s supporters to take him on. Kasich, bless him, has tried. Jeb may hate him, but he's been powerless against Trump so far.
Who does that leave? Chris Christie, who's got just enough Jersey bluster to match Trump's gale force winds. Plus, this is basically a do-or-die moment for Christie, who's never quite found his footing in this race.
Highlight: Cruz hatefest
Everyone loves to hate Ted, especially now that he's topping the polls in Iowa. But this is the moment when Marco Rubio must make his mark as the establishment candidate who can take down Cruz.
Rubio has hammered the Texas senator for his vote to end the NSA’s bulk collection of telephone records. During a weekend appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” the Florida senator torched his rival for cutting defense spending and even branded Cruz an “isolationist.”
“I guess my point is each time he’s had to choose between strong national defense and some of the isolationist tendencies in American politics, he seems to side with the isolationist,” Rubio said. “It’s not personal.”
Lowlight: Who will keep America safe?
Get ready to be nauseated ...
Aides say they’re prepping their candidates for a battery of questions about the Syrian refugee crisis, National Security Agency wiretapping, and Islamic State terrorism.
Pigs fly … and Carson’s "slam dunk" on foreign policy
Forget about that national security adviser who went on record with the New York Times to say that Ben Carson had failed to absorb even "one iota" of intelligence from months of foreign policy briefings. Carson has been studying up!
“It should be fun,” the retired neurosurgeon said in a video posted by his campaign while en route to Las Vegas, the site of Tuesday’s debate. “I sure hope we’re gonna get a lot of questions about foreign affairs and national defense. If so, slam dunk!”
Absolutely.