Posted on 08/02/2015 9:43:03 AM PDT by GoneSalt
Jeb Bush is spending hours in sessions from Florida to Maine preparing policy answers for Thursday’s first Republican debate — but he is also being mindful to avert any display of disdain for the man he will stand beside, Donald J. Trump, who has infuriated Mr. Bush by criticizing Mexican immigrants. (Mr. Bush is married to one.)
Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin is crafting one-minute answers and 30-second rebuttals in case Mr. Trump or others continue attacking him as a flip-flopper on Common Core education standards and as a weak jobs creator, testing lines in mock debates with advisers playing Mr. Trump and other candidates.
Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, Senator Ted Cruz of Texas and Ben Carson are determined not to let the debate on Fox News become about Mr. Trump, practicing to steer the conversation to national security, entitlement reform and health care — which might implicitly plant doubts about Mr. Trump’s knowledge on those issues.
Carly Fiorina, who has been among the lower-tier Republican candidates in many polls, spoke with residents at a campaign event in Marshalltown, Iowa, last week.
These intensive preparations, described by advisers and friends of the top candidates, reflect the preoccupation that many Republican candidates have with Mr. Trump, whose taste for lacerating his rivals with provocative language has made him the most unpredictable force on a presidential debate stage in years. Mr. Trump has risen quickly to the top of several polls, challenging or erasing the long-held leads of Mr. Walker in Iowa and Mr. Bush in New Hampshire, and he enters the debates with far greater name recognition and personal wealth to draw on than the other candidates, who cannot afford to leave the debate in a diminished state.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Rockefeller Republicans, playing defence again.
Hasn’t the defeat of every Republican who played defence taught them anything?
They can “practice” against someone taking Trumps place all they want.
It is a whole ‘nother matter to face Trump himself.
It’s like preparing to box Mike Tyson (in his prime) by training with someone who couldn’t get into the ring with Tyson himself.
Better to have your own vision honed down to 45 second answers the public relates to.
Play offense.
I’m sure that is what debate *champion* Ted Cruz is doing.
The wife and I will be watching the debate first to hear Cruz and secondly hoping to see Trump or Cruz run ¿jebush? off the stage.
How true, I never could understand why someone had to study answers to give when they should be able to state what they believe in or know or understand about the subject. (and they are asking us to consider them for our President)
Bet the farm they couldn’t/can’t stump TED CRUZ
I thought worse, when I read that article. Jeb's wife is an illegal alien criminal who steals, rapes and murders others.
After all, that is what Trump was talking about, the illegal alien criminals!
I’ll be honest with you I could get up on that debate stage Thurs night and not embarrass myself. Most of the time I watch these debates and I know more than the candidates do. Its sad that these are the best of the best. That’s why I am all in for Trump. Or Cruz if he can pull himself up.
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