Fourth GOP Debate: 4 Things to Watch For

What: Fourth GOP Primary Debate

When: Tonight at 9 p.m. ET

Where: Milwaukee

Hosts/Sponsors: Fox Business Network and The Wall Street Journal

Moderators:

FBN Managing Editor of Business News, Neil Cavuto

FBN Global Markets Editor, Maria Bartiromo

Wall Street Journal‘s Editor-in-Chief, Gerard Baker.

Participants: Donald Trump and Dr. Ben Carson, followed by Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, Jeb Bush, Carly Fiorina, John Kasich and Rand Paul.

How to Watch: The debate will be broadcast on Fox Business Network and will be live streamed on FOXBusiness.com.

[Related: Huckabee and Christie Kicked Off GOP Debate Main Stage]

1. Ben Carson Will be Under a Microscope
Ben Carson faced a lot of heat last week when more information came to light that suggested that he has not been completely honest about his past. Carson has been accused of lying about his acceptance to West Point, almost stabbing a “close relative“ in a heated fit of anger, and sheltering fellow classmates during a race riot, among other things. Carson voiced his distress over the increased media attention on Meet the Press, telling Chris Jansing that he had “not seen that with anyone else.”

His comments were quickly seized upon by rival candidates, and it was questioned whether Carson will be able to handle the scrutiny he will receive if elected president. Expect to see Carson fielding questions of this nature, and a continuation of the conversation regarding his trustworthiness.

2. Will Rubio remain the GOP’s new golden boy?
The last debate went extremely well for Marco Rubio, earning him third place in the polls, with a solid 12% He’s also been enjoying a sharp uptick in his fundraising efforts, as well as multiple high-profile endorsements.

Due to his new status as the establishment favorite, Rubio is expected to come under intense fire from his rival candidates tonight. Due to the nature of this debate, you can expect to see Rubio face questions regarding his personal finances, as well as his alleged inappropriate use of Republican Party funds. Rubio managed to pivot to policy issues when confronted

with similar questions in previous debates, but don’t be surprised if other candidates, primarily those who are worried about their standing in the polls, jump on this line of questioning to gang up on Rubio.

3. Fox Business News vs. CNBC
As BlackEnterprise.com previously reported, the GOP candidates were not happy with CNBC’s handling of the last GOP debate. If their debate promo serves as any indication, Fox Business News clearly agrees with the candidates’ assessment. The promo script reads:

“CNBC never asked the real questions, never covered the real issues. That’s why on November 10, the real debate about our economy and our future is only on Fox Business Network.”

Fighting words.

When asked what a moderator’s role should be, FBN’s Global Markets Editor Maria Bartiromo told the Washington Post, “I think you have to challenge. You have to know your content cold, so that you can say, “Well, that’s not true.” And you want to be able to do that on the spot so that the moment doesn’t

leave you.” This was clearly aimed at CNBC debate moderator, Becky Quick, who needed an entire commercial break to figure out that the source of one of her questions came straight from a candidate’s campaign website.

FBN’s Managing Editor of Business News Neil Cavuto warned candidates that while they could expect a more relevant, policy-based line of questioning, they would also be expected to follow the rules.

“I understand candidates getting annoyed, but they better be careful about looking like whiners and babies.”

(Continued on next page)

4. Who will make a comeback?
The unscripted nature of these debates can sometimes lead to stunning political comebacks, which a number of GOP presidential candidates are in need of right now. As BlackEnterprise.com previously reported, former front-runners Chris Christie and Mike Huckabee have been demoted to the undercard debate airing at 7 p.m. Both Christie and Huckabee are known for their high-energy delivery, so expect to see a lot of fireworks as both candidates will surely try to reclaim their former standing in the polls, as well a spot back on the main stage.

Also looking to recapture the attention of the GOP voter base are prime-time debate participants, Jeb Bush and Ted Cruz. Facing a fleeing campaign staff, dwindling funds, disappointing poll numbers, not to mention awkward family in-fighting, Bush has a lot to prove during tonight’s debate. He’ll need to do a better job of explaining his fiscal policies to viewers, while staying clear of the Trump-esque below-the-belt jabs he disatrously tried to employ against Marco Rubio at the last debate.

Ted Cruz will also have to be on his A-game, especially in light of his recent attacks on the RNC and the GOP primary debates, in general. Viewers will be expecting Cruz to back up his calls for better moderating and questions, so he’ll have to deliver answers grounded in policy. The theatrics, lofty rhetoric, and Bolshevik references  won’t cut it tonight.

–written by Hailey Wallace

Fourth GOP Debate: 4 Things to Watch For