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| GOP contenders prepare for final debate before New Hampshire primary | GOP contenders prepare for final debate before New Hampshire primary |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| CONCORD, N.H. — Donald Trump will return to the presidential debate stage Saturday night in New Hampshire — trying to reclaim his front-runner status and his momentum after a surprise loss in Iowa earlier in the week. | CONCORD, N.H. — Donald Trump will return to the presidential debate stage Saturday night in New Hampshire — trying to reclaim his front-runner status and his momentum after a surprise loss in Iowa earlier in the week. |
| Saturday’s debate, which will be broadcast at 8 p.m. Eastern on ABC, is the last one before Tuesday’s crucial New Hampshire primary. Trump, who skipped the debate before the Iowa caucuses because of a feud with Fox News, is still ahead in this state’s polls. | Saturday’s debate, which will be broadcast at 8 p.m. Eastern on ABC, is the last one before Tuesday’s crucial New Hampshire primary. Trump, who skipped the debate before the Iowa caucuses because of a feud with Fox News, is still ahead in this state’s polls. |
| “So many things to say, so much at stake,” Trump tweeted Friday about the debate. He didn’t actually make it to New Hampshire to campaign Friday, as planned, because of a snowstorm. “It will be an incredible evening!” | “So many things to say, so much at stake,” Trump tweeted Friday about the debate. He didn’t actually make it to New Hampshire to campaign Friday, as planned, because of a snowstorm. “It will be an incredible evening!” |
| But Trump will be returning to a different race — and an emboldened group of challengers. | But Trump will be returning to a different race — and an emboldened group of challengers. |
| Iowa proved, after all, that the race’s bombastic front-runner could be beaten. | Iowa proved, after all, that the race’s bombastic front-runner could be beaten. |
| On Saturday, Trump is likely to face new attacks from Sen. Ted Cruz (Tex.), the winner in Iowa, who has been mocking Trump for what Cruz calls “Trumpertantrums.” Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.), the third-place finisher in Iowa, is also closing the gap between himself and Trump in some New Hampshire polls. | On Saturday, Trump is likely to face new attacks from Sen. Ted Cruz (Tex.), the winner in Iowa, who has been mocking Trump for what Cruz calls “Trumpertantrums.” Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.), the third-place finisher in Iowa, is also closing the gap between himself and Trump in some New Hampshire polls. |
| [Rubio gets a bump in New Hampshire polls after a third-place finish in Iowa] | [Rubio gets a bump in New Hampshire polls after a third-place finish in Iowa] |
| But Rubio himself could face serious attacks, from a group of three other “establishment” candidates who see him pulling away from them. | But Rubio himself could face serious attacks, from a group of three other “establishment” candidates who see him pulling away from them. |
| “This isn’t a student council election, everybody. This is an election for president of the United States. Let’s get the boy in the bubble out of the bubble,” New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said this week, lambasting Rubio as a media creation, too young and too inexperienced to be president. | “This isn’t a student council election, everybody. This is an election for president of the United States. Let’s get the boy in the bubble out of the bubble,” New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said this week, lambasting Rubio as a media creation, too young and too inexperienced to be president. |
| Christie — along with Ohio Gov. John Kasich, and former Florida governor Jeb Bush — are all in a desperate situation here. All three of them had counted on New Hampshire as the state that would launch their campaign. | Christie — along with Ohio Gov. John Kasich, and former Florida governor Jeb Bush — are all in a desperate situation here. All three of them had counted on New Hampshire as the state that would launch their campaign. |
| But it can’t launch all of them. Each of the three establishment candidates in Rubio’s shadow needs, at least, to beat the other two. | But it can’t launch all of them. Each of the three establishment candidates in Rubio’s shadow needs, at least, to beat the other two. |
| “I’ve got to beat Jeb and Kasich here, and if I don’t beat Jeb and Kasich here, I have to think long and hard about whether I go forward or not,” Christie said in an interview with The Washington Post earlier this week. | “I’ve got to beat Jeb and Kasich here, and if I don’t beat Jeb and Kasich here, I have to think long and hard about whether I go forward or not,” Christie said in an interview with The Washington Post earlier this week. |
| [Christie: “I’ll perform on Saturday night, and they won’t.”] | [Christie: “I’ll perform on Saturday night, and they won’t.”] |
| But, in the most recent polls, Christie is running behind Rubio, Bush and Kasich. That means Christie will need to make a memorable impression in Saturday’s debate. | But, in the most recent polls, Christie is running behind Rubio, Bush and Kasich. That means Christie will need to make a memorable impression in Saturday’s debate. |
| In past debates, Christie has sought to stand out with brusque putdowns of other candidates, frequently mocking Rubio and Cruz as congressional gasbags who would rather debate than face hard decisions. On the campaign trail recently, Christie has compared Congress to grade school, saying that senators are told where to sit, what to talk about and when to go to recess. | In past debates, Christie has sought to stand out with brusque putdowns of other candidates, frequently mocking Rubio and Cruz as congressional gasbags who would rather debate than face hard decisions. On the campaign trail recently, Christie has compared Congress to grade school, saying that senators are told where to sit, what to talk about and when to go to recess. |
| The good news for all of these second-tier candidates: One-third of likely Republican voters here said they could change their minds before the vote, according to a Suffolk University-Boston Globe poll released Friday. | The good news for all of these second-tier candidates: One-third of likely Republican voters here said they could change their minds before the vote, according to a Suffolk University-Boston Globe poll released Friday. |
| The seventh candidate in the debate will be neurosurgeon Ben Carson — a candidate built for Iowa, who has little hope of success in the Granite State. New Hampshire has many fewer of the evangelical voters who supported Carson in Iowa. | The seventh candidate in the debate will be neurosurgeon Ben Carson — a candidate built for Iowa, who has little hope of success in the Granite State. New Hampshire has many fewer of the evangelical voters who supported Carson in Iowa. |
| Carson may have a path forward, aiming at evangelicals in southern-state primaries, but his campaign is showing signs of sputtering. Carson recently laid off about half his staff. | |
| Carson might use Saturday night’s debate to press allegations that Cruz used “dirty tricks” to steal some of Carson’s voters in Iowa. Carson says that Cruz’s campaign misled voters around caucus time with false reports that Carson was dropping out of the race. In fact, Carson says, he was just heading home briefly “to get some fresh clothes.” | Carson might use Saturday night’s debate to press allegations that Cruz used “dirty tricks” to steal some of Carson’s voters in Iowa. Carson says that Cruz’s campaign misled voters around caucus time with false reports that Carson was dropping out of the race. In fact, Carson says, he was just heading home briefly “to get some fresh clothes.” |
| This will be the first GOP debate without an “undercard” preceding it. | This will be the first GOP debate without an “undercard” preceding it. |
| Of the four candidates in the last undercard, two — former senator Rick Santorum (Pa.) and former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee — have dropped out. The other two, former tech executive Carly Fiorina and former Virginia governor Jim Gilmore are still in the race. | |
| But their poll numbers were so low, they weren’t invited to the main debate stage. | But their poll numbers were so low, they weren’t invited to the main debate stage. |
| “The game is being rigged against you--by the political class & the media elites,” Fiorina tweeted in protest. She added the hashtag “#LetCarlyDebate.” | “The game is being rigged against you--by the political class & the media elites,” Fiorina tweeted in protest. She added the hashtag “#LetCarlyDebate.” |
| Gilmore, for his part, used Twitter to complain about Fiorina. He was unhappy that she wasn’t asking for him to be included, too. | Gilmore, for his part, used Twitter to complain about Fiorina. He was unhappy that she wasn’t asking for him to be included, too. |
| “@CarlyFiorina so busy playing the victim, she’s forgotten there r 9 candidates in the race. Let’s stop whining & talk issues #LetThemDebate,” Gilmore tweeted. | “@CarlyFiorina so busy playing the victim, she’s forgotten there r 9 candidates in the race. Let’s stop whining & talk issues #LetThemDebate,” Gilmore tweeted. |