AND NOW THE FIRST DEBATE:  PLEASE BE KIND AND DON'T YAWN.  THE FIRST REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE DEBATE TAKES PLACE WENDESDAY.  BUT DONALD TRUMP WON'T ATTEND.  FROM FOX: 

In a Republican presidential primary race dominated by former President Donald Trump, you can’t underestimate the importance of Wednesday’s kickoff GOP nomination debate, a Fox News-hosted primetime showdown in Milwaukee.

"It means a lot for me and every other candidate. It’s going to be the biggest audience any of us have spoken before in a long time," former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, making his second run for the White House, told Fox News Digital earlier this month. "It’s important for people to get to know you, to know who you are, what you want to do for the party and for the country."

Christie is one of eight candidates who have reached the polling and donor thresholds mandated by the Republican National Committee to qualify for the initial debate. 

The others are former President Donald Trump, former Vice President Mike Pence, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, former Ambassador and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and biotech entrepreneur and bestselling author Vivek Ramaswamy.

With one more day to go to qualify, roughly a half dozen other Republican White House hopefuls are still aiming to make the stage.

COMMENT:  Trump has announced that he won't attend the debate.  He's also said that he won't sign the Republican "loyalty oath," pledging to support the eventual party nominee for president, and also pledging not to participate in any debate not approved by the Republican National Committee.

But of course Trump will be there this Wednesday night, if not in person, then in clout.  He remains the frontrunner in every poll, the champion of the largest bloc of Republicans that can be identified.  If the nominating convention were held today, he'd walk off with the crown.

However, the convention isn't being held today.  It won't be held for another year, and there's plenty of time for almost anything to happen, including the actual courtroom trials of Donald Trump.  What we're seeing now is the preview of coming attractions.  The movie comes later.

August 20, 2023