Rubio under pressure as Republicans debate in South Carolina

Marco Rubio enters Saturday night’s Republican presidential debate facing immense pressure to right his campaign after faltering badly in the last contest and finishing a disappointing fifth in New Hampshire. Rubio’s stumble re-energized some of his rivals as the race heads to the South and reignited questions about whether the 44-year-old first-term senator has the experience to be president. While he’s sought to shed some of his reliance on well-rehearsed talking points in recent days, the debate will be a prime test of whether he can rebound.

My sense is this is going to be a melee.

Republican strategist Doug Heye

Just six contenders will face off Saturday, but even with a streamlined field the Republican race remains deeply uncertain. Ted Cruz and Donald Trump each have a state in their win column and both appear to be in a strong position heading into South Carolina’s Feb. 20 Republican primary. They’ve been sparring from afar for weeks but have so far kept their acrimony off the debate stage. Whether that pattern continues in the debate is unknown. What is clear is that while Trump will be standing at center stage - signifying his lead in national preference polls - Rubio will be the center of attention.

Each has got some image issue they need to fix. Can Trump start acting more presidential without losing what makes him so appealing? Can Jeb continue the flicker of momentum he has coming out of New Hampshire? Have Rubio’s bruises healed? Can Carson show something that puts a spark back into his campaign? Has Kasich got more than his New Hampshire game?

David Yepsen, director of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University

GOP debate