The RNC is facing the same problem as the grassroot voters have in the past, the lesser of two weevils....
I don’t think it’s so much ‘lesser of...’, but rather a case of money and a case of hedging their bets.
Trump likely would have dropped out of the debate. That’s what I would have done. The leader doesn’t really actually gain much by opening himself up as a target, and he’s had enough debates to say he isn’t chicken. Losing Trump would have cost the RNC money in what they’re going to get paid from the networks who host it. And by giving Trump and his supporters another issue to browbeat ‘the establishment’ it wouldn’t have increased their stock with the voters any.
I think they have to save face. They can’t control what is about to take place with Trump and they can’t show the people that they’ve lost control.
interesting.