Four debates within the debate
1. Trump v. Carson: They are the clear leaders in the polls, they believe they need to demonstrate to voters why they should be the next president and not the other guy. At least that’s what Trump has to believe. Maybe Carson just has faith in the Bible?
2. Bush v. Rubio: They believe that it’s the support of Republican party elites and wealthy donors who will determine the victor in the nominating process, and that Trump’s support in the polls will magically disappear without that, and that Carson is just the Huckabee of the current election cycle who will only win in Iowa and a small handful of Bible-Belt states. Certainly that’s what Bush believes and he has to go after Rubio despite the fact that the strategy failed miserably during the last debate. This is a make-or-break debate for Bush. If he does as poorly against Rubio as he did in the previous debate, Bush is toast.
3. Paul, Fiorina, Kasich: Don’t they realize they have no chance of winning? Why are they still in these debates?
Rand Paul believes in his namesake, Ayn Rand. Didn’t Howard Roark turn around a trial he was doomed to lose with his amazing oratory? Paul thinks that if he just keeps showing up, eventually he will say something so amazing and so logical that everyone will have to realize that Paul is the only sensible Republican nominee. I really wish that Gail Wynand would walk out of the novel, Lloyd Bentsen-like, and say “I competed over the same woman with Howard Roark! I knew Howard Roark! Howard Roark was a friend of mine! Senator, YOU’RE NO HOWARD ROARK!”
Fiorina is still here because she believes that her psychopathic pursuit of power is best served by participating in another debate. And she has nothing better to do with her time. It’s not as if she has a job.
Kasich’s goal is to impress the mainstream media with how much smarter and wiser he is compared to all of the other wingnuts on the stage.
4. Ted Cruz: Last but not least. Cruz doesn’t know who he’s supposed to be debating against. Is he supposed to join up with the “real” politicians, Bush and Rubio, and try to win support from party elites and wealthy donors? Is he competing against Carson to be the choice of evangelical Christians? Should he be trying to poach support from Paul and Fiorina? Should he play it safe and only have an imaginary debate against Hillary Clinton?
Lion of the Blogosphere 
Think of Carson as a VP candidate. Bush and Rubio will not win establishment support, because the smarter, non-senile contingent of the establishment would like to start winning presidential elections again and they’re the ones driving the bus now in the wake of 2008 and 2012. Paul is running because he is has a following to cater to and, because he is young, after all, would like to keep his congressional career rolling. Fiorina and Kasich are also running for VP. And, as far as I’m concerned, Ted Cruz can get stuffed – he’s a sociopathic little troll and a traitor to the American people (advocates annual H1-B issuance cap raised to 325k) and in any case he’s very difficult for mainstream swing voters to get very excited about.
Viscount Douchenozzlé
November 10, 2015 at 2:29 PM
Perhaps that makes sense like “remember, if I have an accident, you’re getting Joe Biden over there.”
Glengarry
November 10, 2015 at 6:30 PM
Just try…try…for a moment to break loose from the narcissistic American reference frame and imagine yourself in the place of the average American swing voter. Better yet, imagine yourself as Reince Priebus and a bunch of old, billionaire donors in a hotel conference room trying to cater your pitch to that voter. Then we’ll discuss who’s making sense.
Viscount Douchenozzlé
November 11, 2015 at 1:37 AM
So, what are you saying?
B.T.D.T.
November 10, 2015 at 8:46 PM
Paul seems genuinely befuddled that his idea of putting together a coalition of blacks, ex-cons, college kids, and pot heads isn’t sweeping the Republican nomination for him.
Mike Street Station
November 10, 2015 at 3:29 PM
Yes, his support for B Lives matter is baffling and ridiculous.
fakeemail
November 10, 2015 at 4:15 PM
Why? Did you miss the fact that all of MSS’ aforementioned demographic groups are growing and in 20 years will be seriously worthwhile given a lack of economic and/or employment growth?
Viscount Douchenozzlé
November 11, 2015 at 1:38 AM
Straight on with most of these. Bush and Rubio believe that the evangelicals will have their fun and then return to their highest value which isn’t faith but obedience. The evangelicals always fall in line behind the establishment candidate who then kicks them in the teeth if elected. So either Bush or Rubio will collect Carson’s support and go on to lose to Hillary. There’s an outside chance the establishment goes with Christie or Kasich, but it’s not likely.
Fiorina and Kasich are there to audition for veep. It worked for Biden and Bush 41.
Cruz thinks he can collect Trump’s support when the dirty trick campaigns from the establishment finally drive him out. It’s the usual delusional thinking, same as Rand Paul. Rand Paul has to keep going even if he sees it’s a delusion because he needs to pay his campaign team until it’s time to declare for re-election next year.
behiker57w
November 10, 2015 at 4:06 PM
Free education and political correctness should be in the debate but won’t be. Here is a video satire I found to be funny. http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2015/11/10/modern_educayshun.html
cesqy
November 10, 2015 at 4:44 PM
Not to be paranoid, but is it possible that Bush gave up on the nomination some time ago and is basically in it now to boost Rubio’s chances? Bush going after Rubio in the last debate for missing Senate votes struck me as ridiculous (given that this is standard when running for president.) And now Bush is trying to say that Rubio is too far to the right on abortion – something sure to lose Bush any chance he had with the base and certain to make social conservatives want to rally around Rubio in protest. Wasn’t Rubio a protégé of the Bush family? Jeb’s behavior is otherwise inexplicable.
Maryk
November 10, 2015 at 8:51 PM