This is a state-by-state situation...not a national system which the news media tries to portray. From mid-summer onto early March 2016....there’s supposedly nine total debates scheduled.
The problem I see is that debate-wise...it’s a different crowd than in 2007 (an exceptionally weak crowd, with McCain in the middle). Cruz, Walker and Christie are four-star debate players. Ben Nelson might throw out some great ideas and attract some attention...but state-by-state, he can’t get past the three-percent point.
Jeb Bush isn’t exactly great at debates (better than average). If this was a marginal group....he’d do OK. I see his issues being low interest throughout the south except for Florida, and a 15-percent winner in Iowa at best.
Rand Paul is there to stir interest among the Tea Party folks but that’s mostly Cruz’s territory and I think Paul will be finished by late January. Rick Perry will take Texas and little else (he’s a VP player at this point). And I think Christies interest is strictly in getting the AG position.
Bush may think he holds some interest nationally...but once you go state-by-state in the primary season...he’s got limited potential. In a hot debate....with Cruz on turbo...I think he can take down Bush on several fronts.
I look back over History and how Taft never really wanted the Presidency or AG position...he was after the Supreme Court seat. Maybe Cruz sees himself angling toward this goal for himself.
Debate-wise....there’s going to be fantastic episodes coming up for the Republicans. All worthy of recording and keeping for future reminders.
“Rick Perry will take Texas and little else (he’s a VP player at this point).”
Ummm... No. Rick Perry will NEVER take Texas now that Cruz is on the scene. Cruz is immensely popular in Texas, much more so than Perry could ever hope to be.