{"id":2003307,"date":"2023-08-17T03:39:59","date_gmt":"2023-08-17T07:39:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/analysis-trump-will-star-in-debate-even-if-hes-not-there-desantis-may-make-last-stand-strategists-say\/"},"modified":"2023-08-17T03:45:28","modified_gmt":"2023-08-17T07:45:28","slug":"analysis-trump-will-star-in-debate-even-if-hes-not-there-desantis-may-make-last-stand-strategists-say","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/analysis-trump-will-star-in-debate-even-if-hes-not-there-desantis-may-make-last-stand-strategists-say\/","title":{"rendered":"Analysis: Trump&#8217;s presence will dominate the debate, even if he doesn&#8217;t attend. DeSantis could make a final stand, suggest strategists."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">40<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fanalysis-trump-will-star-in-debate-even-if-hes-not-there-desantis-may-make-last-stand-strategists-say%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2003307&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Former President Trump Takes Center Stage at \u200cGOP Debate<\/h2>\n<p>Former President Donald Trump\u200b will remain in the spotlight\u2063 at the GOP debate next week, even \u2062if he stays away from the Milwaukee stage where his Republican rivals will\u2064 vie\u2064 for attention\u2014and potential \u200cvotes\u2014from \u200ca national TV audience.<\/p>\n<p>At the same time, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/analysis-trump-will-star-in-debate-even-if-hes-not-there-desantis-may-make-last-stand-strategists-say\/\" title=\"Analysis: Trump's presence will dominate the debate, even if he doesn't attend. DeSantis could make a final stand, suggest strategists.\">lower-ranking presidential \u200dhopefuls<\/a> are walking a tightrope. Whether they take the Aug. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/iowa-state-fair-do-or-die-soapbox-gives-gop-presidential-underdogs-a-shot-at-debate-stage\/\" title=\"Iowa State Fair Soapbox: GOP Underdogs' Shot at Debate Stage\">23 debate stage<\/a> or not, they&#8217;re \u2063mired in a campaign \u2064dilemma: attacking\u2014or defending\u2014the popular Republican frontrunner who has been indicted in four cases.<\/p>\n<p>Attackers risk alienating President Trump&#8217;s broad base of supporters, who have joined him in denouncing a &#8220;witch hunt&#8221; that produced 91 &#8220;bogus&#8221; \u200dcriminal charges. Defenders \u200crisk coming across as wishy-washy apologists, and ultimately boosting\u200c President Trump&#8217;s candidacy \u2063even\u200d more.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h3>Related Stories<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/chris-christie-expects-trump-to-sign-rnc-loyalty-pledge-for-gop-primary-debate-5463471\">Chris Christie Expects Trump to \u200dSign RNC \u2064Loyalty Pledge for GOP Primary Debate<\/a> &#8211; 8\/14\/2023<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/epochtv\/gop-candidates-descend-on-iowa-state-fair-ahead-of-first-debate-5460326\">GOP Candidates Descend on Iowa State Fair Ahead of First Debate<\/a> &#8211; 8\/11\/2023<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s\u200c a \u200dreal pickle &#8230; and I don&#8217;t \u2062envy any of them being in this position,&#8221; said David Barker, a government professor at American University (AU), during an Aug. 16 C-SPAN panel discussion of the 2024 presidential race.<\/p>\n<p>He \u200cand four\u200c other\u2063 panelists also examined what factors might \u2062play a big role if there is a rematch between Democrat President Joe Biden and the Republican former president.<\/p>\n<p>In 2020, while President Trump was still in office, the two\u2063 men went head-to-head in an election \u200cthat ended with the Democrat being declared the winner. President Trump vociferously disputes President Biden&#8217;s victory to this day, leading\u200d to some \u2062of the criminal accusations he now faces.<\/p>\n<h2>Last-Minute Change?<\/h2>\n<p>While President Trump could enter the debate at\u2064 the last minute, experts say that seems unlikely.<\/p>\n<p>The former president has stated that he sees little advantage to participating while\u2063 he is the runaway favorite for his party&#8217;s nomination.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, the Democrat party has scheduled no debates. That leaves President Biden as the presumptive nominee. Although environmentalist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. \u2063is running a vigorous campaign, he&#8217;s running\u200b 50 percentage points behind the \u2064incumbent president, according to the RealClear Politics average of national opinion\u2063 polls.<\/p>\n<p>On the \u2062Republican side, Florida Gov. Ron\u2062 DeSantis is President \u2062Trump&#8217;s nearest rival amid a crowded field of hopefuls. But \u2063RealClear Politics reports that Mr. DeSantis is running 40 \u200dpercentage points behind the former president.<\/p>\n<p>As of Aug. 16, President Trump still was refusing to throw his\u2064 support behind the\u200d eventual Republican\u200b nominee, if someone\u200b other than him wins\u2064 the contest. The Republican National Committee (RNC) is requiring\u200b all presidential contenders \u2064to sign a &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/mcdaniel-says-trump-will-have-to-make-loyalty-pledge-to-join-rnc-debate-stage\/\" title=\"McDaniel Says Trump Will Have to Make \"Loyalty Pledge\" to Join RNC Debate Stage\">loyalty pledge<\/a>&#8221; before being \u2064allowed on the debate \u200dstage.<\/p>\n<p>If Mr. Trump \u2064does join the\u200d debate, his presence will drastically change how it plays out. Another big \u200cfactor: what topics Fox News debate \u200bmoderators Bret \u200bBaier and Martha MacCallum choose to \u200cexplore, said Amy Dacey, executive director of a policy \u200dand \u200bpolitics \u2062institute at AU.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I \u200bthink it&#8217;s going to be some version of: &#8216;No-show Trump&#8217;s still \u2062the star,'&#8221; Mr. Barker\u2063 said. &#8220;I don&#8217;t \u200dthink he&#8217;s going to show up. But I think that he&#8217;s going to be &#8216;the \u200delephant in the room,&#8217; and everybody&#8217;s gonna be talking about him.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h2>&#8216;Viral Moment&#8217;\u2063 Could Strike<\/h2>\n<p>So far, President Trump&#8217;s legal dramas have overshadowed all other issues in the 2024 presidential race.<\/p>\n<p>But the\u200b debate may help shift\u200d the conversation\u2014and could prove \u2062pivotal for one or \u200bmore of the candidates,\u200c the AU panel said.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s really about the \u200cpossibility of a viral moment, which could be helpful or harmful,&#8221; said \u2062Jordan Tama, provost associate professor at AU&#8217;s School of International Service.<\/p>\n<p>Any of the candidates could be involved in a debate-stage exchange\u200c that &#8220;shoots them upward or \u200cdownward,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n<p>Molly \u200bO&#8217;Rourke, an executive\u200d in\u200c residence at AU&#8217;s communications school, sees the race right now as &#8220;an internal food fight&#8221; among Republicans who\u2064 are \u2064trying to &#8220;elbow each\u200c other\u200d out of their \u200dway.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>She thinks the stakes are highest for Mr. DeSantis.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;If he doesn&#8217;t get back on track after this debate, I mean, I don&#8217;t really know\u2064 that this campaign is fixable \u200dat this\u200b point,&#8221; she said. &#8220;They have a very \u2064narrow \u200dwindow here to fix that.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h2>Contrast Between\u200d Trump \u2064and DeSantis<\/h2>\n<p>Mr. DeSantis&#8217;s campaign is widely viewed as floundering. In part, that may \u200bbe attributable to a &#8220;narrative&#8221; \u200cthat has taken hold,\u2063 Mr. Barker said.<\/p>\n<p>In public appearances, the \u200bFlorida \u2063governor can seem awkward and &#8220;actually\u2062 comes across as though \u200dhe hates the voters when he has to talk to them,&#8221; Mr. Barker said, &#8220;and that&#8217;s \u2064a problem.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>In contrast, President Trump, whom \u200c <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chicagotribune.com\/news\/ct-xpm-1989-03-12-8903260257-story.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Chicago Tribune<\/a> labeled &#8220;the people&#8217;s billionaire&#8221; decades ago, comes \u200bacross as folksy and down-to-earth.<\/p>\n<p>He exudes &#8220;a certain kind\u2064 of charisma or charm&#8221; that appeals to a certain segment of the population, Mr.\u200b Barker said.<\/p>\n<p>Despite the &#8220;bombast and \u2062all the lunacy&#8221; associated with the former president, he seems to\u2062 present as\u200d &#8220;positive&#8221; or &#8220;joyous,&#8221; with &#8220;a little bit of a wink &#8230; a glimmer in his eye,&#8221; \u2064Mr. Barker said.<\/p>\n<p>Those are qualities that Mr. DeSantis seems to lack; he can come \u200cacross as &#8220;joyless,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n<p>Such\u2063 descriptions of Mr. DeSantis have begun to define him \u2063as a candidate, Mr. Barker said, adding: &#8220;It&#8217;s becoming \u200bharder and harder for him to cut loose\u2063 from that\u2014and I&#8217;m not sure he can.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>He said\u2064 that, if he were Mr. DeSantis, he would\u2064 change his strategy; he advised Mr. DeSantis to become &#8220;as combative as he possibly can.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s \u2062part of the \u200bway that Trump got \u200dhis\u2063 loyal following in the first place,&#8221; Mr. Barker \u2062said. That&#8217;s also\u200d how Mr. DeSantis began to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/millions-sign-petition-for-trucker-given-110-year-sentence\/\" title=\"Millions sign petition for trucker given 110-year sentence\">gain national attention<\/a>, &#8220;by attacking elites, attacking the media &#8230; attacking the professoriate, attacking the intellectuals,&#8221; \u200dMr. Barker said.<\/p>\n<p>If Mr. \u2062DeSantis \u200cdoes that, he might be able to &#8220;score some points and get some viral\u200c media coverage out \u2064of it,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width:6000px\" class=\"alignnone\"><figcaption>Republican presidential\u2063 candidate \u2062and Florida \u200cGov. Ron\u200b DeSantis \u2064speaks at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, Iowa, on \u200cAug. 12, \u200b2023. (Madalina Vasiliu\/The\u2062 Epoch Times)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>Other Candidates Influential<\/h2>\n<p>Even candidates who\u2064 are predicted to have very little chance of\u200c winning \u2062the GOP nomination are influencing the \u200drace and could create fireworks at the debate, Ms.\u2062 O&#8217;Rourke said.<\/p>\n<p>For example, challenger\u2062 Chris Christie, a former New Jersey governor \u2062and federal prosecutor, has been\u2064 &#8220;very aggressive in litigating the\u200b case against Trump,&#8221; she said.<\/p>\n<p>Thus, Mr. Christie has been taking pressure off\u2063 his fellow \u2064challengers. But he also is in a position to \u2064&#8221;put heat on them&#8221; if he \u200burges them\u2062 to &#8220;take some sort of pledge&#8221; against President Trump, Ms. O&#8217;Rourke \u2062said.<\/p>\n<p>In addition, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy has promised \u200cthat, if he is elected president, he would pardon President Trump\u2014which\u2064 could put his fellow \u2063contenders under pressure to follow \u200csuit.<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Barker said a candidate can \u200bnavigate \u200dthis dilemma by promising to pardon President Trump and later reneging on that promise by simply stating something like, &#8220;We know more now than we did then &#8230; and so now I can change my position.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>If President Trump does become the\u200d nominee, as widely predicted, Ms.\u2064 O&#8217;Rourke \u2062thinks that his legal troubles could have &#8220;an exhausting, deflating \u2063effect on turnout&#8221; in\u2062 the general election.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width:1700px\" class=\"alignnone\"><figcaption>Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie speaks at a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/mtg-attacks-haley-as-bush-in-heels-following-her-2024-announcement\/\" title=\"MTG Attacks Haley as \u201cBush in Heels\u201d Following Her 2024 Announcement\">town-hall-style event<\/a> at \u2062the New Hampshire\u2063 Institute\u200d of Politics at Saint \u2063Anse<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Former President Donald Trump&#8217;s presence will loom over the GOP debate, despite his absence from the Milwaukee stage. As his Republican rivals compete for attention and votes on national TV, the lesser-known candidates must navigate a delicate balance. Their actions on August 23 will shape their political futures.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1196,"featured_media":2003308,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2003307","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2003307","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1196"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2003307"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2003307\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2003308"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2003307"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2003307"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2003307"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}