A Trumpless Debate
Consider This from NPR
NPR
4.2 • 6.2K Ratings
🗓️ 22 August 2023
⏱️ 14 minutes
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Summary
So how do you prep for a big, televised debate when your biggest opponent decides not to show up?
That's been the question facing the eight Republicans who will be on stage in Milwaukee on Wednesday night.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | The last time Republicans kicked off their debate season, Donald Trump was smack dab in the middle of it, literally. |
| 0:15.0 | In the center of the stage tonight, businessman Donald Trump. |
| 0:20.0 | In that Fox News presidential primary debate, and the 11 more that followed Trump seemed to exert a gravitational force |
| 0:29.0 | bending the focus of the debates towards him. Try as they might, other candidates inevitably found there was no way not to be dragged into Trump's orbit. |
| 0:39.0 | Especially after being baited with personal insults as Jeb Bush was in this CBS debate. |
| 0:46.0 | He said the goal to go out of my mother. |
| 0:53.0 | He said the goal to go after my mother. |
| 0:56.0 | I won the lottery when I was born 63 years ago and looked up and I saw my mom is the strongest woman I know. |
| 1:04.0 | Or they got caught up in bickering like Ted Cruz here in another Fox News debate. |
| 1:10.0 | This time around, Trump looms as large as ever, dominating the polls and the conversation, but he will not be on stage for Wednesday night's opening debate. |
| 1:37.0 | That's Trump on Newsmax this month before he officially announced that he would skip the debate in favor of an interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson. |
| 1:48.0 | That leaves the candidates who will be on stage in a tricky spot. How do you criticize someone who's not on stage? Do you go there? |
| 1:57.0 | Especially when every new indictment seems only to strengthen the former president. |
| 2:02.0 | I mean, who knew that being arrested would bump you up in the polls more than say espousing low taxes? |
| 2:08.0 | Republican strategist Scott Jennings. |
| 2:10.0 | It's quite a conundrum for the rest of the candidates who want to run on policies when they're fighting off Donald Trump who's obviously running on being a victim in a martyr. |
| 2:19.0 | And nobody's figured out what to do about it yet and the polls clearly show that Trump's in a dominant position. |
| 2:25.0 | Consider this. How do you win a debate when the frontrunner doesn't show? |
| 2:31.0 | From NPR, I'm Mary Louise Kelly. It is Tuesday, August 22. |
| 2:39.0 | This message comes from in PR sponsor Organic Valley, a co-op of small organic family farms. |
| 2:45.0 | Farmer Tyler Webb shares why caring for his land has always been a priority. |
| 2:51.0 | I'd like to contribute to my community an array of ecosystem services beyond just milk, building topsoil and holding onto water. |
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