In about an hour or so, the Republican presidential candidates will take the stage in Iowa for yet another debate, this one co-sponsored by ABC and Yahoo. It takes place just 24 days before the caucuses, and will feature six major candidates: Newt Gingrich, Mitt Romney, Rick Perry, Ron Paul, Michele Bachmann, and Rick Santorum.
Jon Huntsman did not meet the minimum eligibility threshold and was not invited. (I believe he was overheard saying, “Fine, I didn’t want to hang out with you guys anyway.”)
With the race having changed considerably in recent weeks, tonight’s debate is likely to be less sleep-inducing than most of the recent gatherings. While most of the debates over the last couple of months have left us wondering when (and whether) the GOP field will go after Romney, this week, it’s been an increasingly-desperate Romney lashing out at Gingrich. We’re likely to see a continuation of this offensive tonight.
Indeed, given all of the recent polling showing the disgraced former House Speaker with substantial leads in the Hawkeye State, it’s a fairly safe bet everyone on the stage will be targeting Gingrich.
I’ll probably have some thoughts on this in the morning. In the meantime, the floor is yours.
