Republican debate part deux: This time, it’s personal

Donald Trump may have a big target on his back at the second debate of the Republican presidential candidates tonight as his rivals seek to make up ground they have lost to the frontrunner billionaire with a flair for bomb-throwing rhetoric. Many of the 11 candidates who will be at the primetime debate see a path for themselves to the Republican nomination for the November 2016 election, and any route they take will require getting out of the long shadow cast by Trump.

I hear they are going after me. Whatever. Whatever.

Donald Trump

For that reason, the gathering at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library figures to be a more combative debate than the first one the Republicans had on Aug. 6 in Cleveland. This time, Republicans have a greater incentive to take on Trump and try to raise doubts about him since the candidate has built on his lead, with four months to go until Iowa holds the first nominating contest on Feb. 1. The debate will include Trump, Ben Carson, Jeb Bush, Scott Walker, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Mike Huckabee, Rand Paul, John Kasich, Chris Christie and Carly Fiorina.

He’s in complete, total control of the political battle space.

Steve Schmidt, a top strategist for Sen. John McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign.

Politics Republican debate