‘Kiddie table’ debate also serious business

WASHINGTON – It has been derided as the “kiddies’ table,” but history shows that may not be quite fair.

The seven Republican presidential candidates who didn’t crack Fox News’ top 10 have been relegated to an earlier debate than the main event, and they are now squaring off against each other.

As candidate and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum has observed, the national polls are not necessarily a fair indicator of success, because he was at single digits at this point in the 2012 race, then went on to win the Iowa caucus, many other states, and finish second to Mitt Romney.

Those in the first debate are trying to make a strong enough impression to separate them from the pack and gain entry into the top tier, for the next debate.

Participants in the 5 p.m. ET debate are former Texas Gov. Rick Perry (polling at 1.8 percent), Santorum (1.4 percent), Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (1.4 percent), former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina (1.3 percent), South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham (0.7 percent), former New York Gov. George Pataki (0.6 percent), and former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore (0.2 percent).

The top issues they will tackle are likely to be the economy and jobs, illegal immigration, the Iran deal and Obamacare.

Both debates are being broadcast on Fox News, which set the rules and limited the participants in the prime-time event at 9 p.m. EST to the top 10 in an average of five national polls as of Tuesday.

Making the cut for the later debate were businessman Donald Trump (23.4 percent), former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (12.0 percent), Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (10.2 percent), former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (6.6 percent), retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson (5.8 percent), Texas Sen. Ted Cruz (5.4 percent), Florida Sen. Marco Rubio (5.4 percent), Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul (4.8 percent), New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (3.4 percent) and Ohio Gov. John Kasich (3.2 percent).

The debate will be held at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland.

Many analysts expect the second debate to be dominated by front-runner Donald Trump.

The big question about Trump is whether he will play it safe now that he has a double-digit lead in the polls or keep shooting from the hip and making the kind of bold statements that got him that lead in the first place.

The big question for the other nine candidates on the stage is whether any of them can break out of the pack by generating a memorable moment that will leave a lasting and positive impression with voters, despite the long shadow cast by huge personality and popularity of Trump.

With as many as 15 million viewers expected to tune in, the Washington Post reports the later debate could become “the most watched program in cable television history.”

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