As the Republican presidential hopefuls – bar one notable exception – prepare to debate in Milwaukee, WI, this evening (Aug. 23), conventional wisdom suggests that each contender is looking to win Americans’ hearts and minds. And yet a decisive oratorical victory might be somewhat Pyrrhic. With the perpetual ghost in the GOP machine, Donald Trump, looming large as the heavyweight to beat, perhaps the real goals of tonight’s pageantry are a mite more subtle.
Much of the media is describing the event as a vice-presidential job interview, but such surface-level analysis ignores the ambitious personalities of those taking the stage. So who wants what, and what are their chances of achieving it?
The Debate Contenders
Gov. Ron DeSantis
Poll Aggregate*: 13.8% / Betting Odds: 7/1
At the start of his campaign, riding high on a historic gubernatorial victory in Florida, DeSantis seemed…
