Here's a little primer for tonight's GOP debate with coverage here starting at 8:30 PM ET. Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz will be clawing each other’s eyes out trying to make this a two-man race between them and Donald Trump, who now has a sizable delegate lead after winning the last three GOP contests. (Delegates: Trump 81, Cruz 17, Rubio 17, Kasich 6, Carson 4).
By the way, those last two will be on stage but Carson will likely catch some shut-eye while Kasich gesticulates wildly in the background. Anyway, don’t expect Rubio to take on Trump in any fashion.
The Florida senator has concluded that going after Trump would accomplish little because the businessman’s supporters are deeply committed and unlikely to swing Rubio’s way. Inciting a confrontation with Trump onstage would create drama but wouldn’t help the senator gain voters, something he badly needs as he looks for his first primary win.
They can tell themselves that all they want. Truth is, Rubio doesn't have what it takes to go toe-to-toe with Trump. But what if Trump takes aim at Rubio? We can only hope that his team has some canned responses at the ready that “Robio” repeats over and over and over again, in case we missed them the first time.
But the real pressure is all on Cruz, who's suffered three humiliating third place finishes since his "big" win in Iowa. Let's face it, winning Iowa in the GOP is a death knell, so we all know the outcome here. But Cruz will be trying to scrap his way back into race, and that's fun. Here's a sign of how desperate he is:
In the lead-up to Super Tuesday, Cruz is seeking other ways to reinforce his Southern credentials. In recent weeks, he has been aggressively appealing to Rand Paul for an endorsement.
Heh. That was a no-go by the way. Rand isn't interested. Of course, the biggest prize coming up on Super Tuesday for both parties is Texas, by a lot. If Trump scoops it out from underneath Cruz, Cruz is toast. Some recent polls have the race relatively close, but the latest from Monmouth University on Thursday still gives Cruz a solid 15-point edge. Still, let's keep our eyes on the Lone Star State to see where the momentum is heading.
And … see you tonight!