It’s fitting that the first Republican debate of the 2016 presidential cycle is being held in the Midwest, in Cleveland, Ohio. A card game, called euchre, is very popular among the people of this region, especially in the state of Ohio.
In the game, played among four players, the “trump” suit is called by one of the players making that particular suit superior to the other three.
When the 10 top-polling candidates take the stage in primetime tonight on the Fox News Channel, these men will be jockeying to be in position to call out trump in a political game of cards. This time, literally, a man named Donald Trump.
The business mogul, political novice, and 2016 presidential candidate is trouncing the field by nearly 2 to 1 in a recent CBS News poll that came out on Monday. Several other polling outlets have similar results.
He is the early clear frontrunner, rallying the base, energizing the politically disheartened, and taking on anyone who is not friendly (media, establishment, other candidates).
While tonight’s debate, the first of 11 total, is not a crystal ball into who will return to the same Quicken Loans Arena in ten months time for the Republican National Convention as the nominee (remember Rick Perry was the front runner entering the third debate in 2011), it will be interesting to watch who, if anyone, will go toe-to-toe with Mr. Trump on policy.
The two prominent camps of voters and political pundits are divided between those who love Donald Trump in one camp and those who looked closely at his principles over the years and are either skeptical or downright against his candidacy. Is he pro-choice or does he want to shut down the government over Planned Parenthood funding? Does he support Obamacare or not? The list could go on and on. Over the next 11 debates, those questions and many more will be answered either by Donald Trump voluntarily, obligatorily after being asked directly by the moderators of the debate, or in rebuttal after his opponents try to portray accurately, distort, or misrepresent his positions for political gain.
But enough of focusing solely on him.
Who will make a great first impression on the conservative audience?
If we were able to moderate the two debates tonight and address a few of the candidates, here are some questions we would like to have answered (in no particular order).
Rand Paul: You seem to be doing several things right (defunding Planned Parenthood, arming military base personnel) and yet your poll numbers are surely not where you, or us, would like them to be at this point. Are you willing to be more conservative and articulate that conservatism unapologetically in order to expand your following beyond the strong libertarian base?
Marco Rubio: You started out of the gates well and now seem to be in free fall. Do you think your amnesty position in 2013 is still your achilles heel?
Dr. Ben Carson: How do you convince the conservative base that you are qualified to lead the nation without having any political experience?
Scott Walker: Holding steady in the polls in second or third place, are you ready to show your leadership, be more aggressive, and take charge?
Jeb Bush: You recently remarked this week that you don’t want to say something “outrageous” in order to avoid turning people off of conservatism. Do you realize that your comment would actually make more sense if you were conservative?
Rick Perry: Being relegated to the 5pm debate after not qualifying for primetime, what can you say to a limited viewing audience that will catapult you higher into the polls and avoid being left out of the debates moving forward?
Carly Fiorina: Same question as Mr. Perry.
Lindsey Graham: What time is your drop out speech tomorrow?
2016 GOP candidates, regardless of what happens tonight or your place in the polls, much can happen over the course of the next ten months.
This first debate is an opening chance to make the case to the conservative grassroots that you are a leader who will restore our republic back to its greatness.
Who wants to be the next true conservative? Who is willing to articulate constitutional conservatism and won’t back down to the establishment?
After all, in the game of euchre, after calling suit (trump), that player must take the lead and play his or her cards right in order to win.
One of you will be back inside this same arena next June preparing to accept the Republican nomination for president.
Who on the stage tonight will be the next great conservative leader who calls suit?
