As five Republican contenders made their pitches to the American people from the stage at the Adrienne Arsht Center in Miami, FL, it became apparent that the candidates had firmly decided the roles they intended to play. The November 8 GOP debate hosted by NBC was a strange combination of recrimination, grand schemes, and attack tactics designed to differentiate themselves from the pack. With another higher threshold debate scheduled for December 6, for at least two hopefuls, this may be their last bite of the publicity apple.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, and Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) were all in attendance. The one man with an almost unassailable primary lead was not. Donald Trump was a mere 11 miles away, holding a rally event that sought – somewhat successfully – to…
