CNYCentral.com
Originally Posted: September 16, 2015
WASHINGTON (Sinclair Broadcast Group) — The second Republican presidential debate, airing on CNN Wednesday night, promises to bring more drama and conflict to an already-unpredictable race. Here are six key things to watch out for (and one not to) as the candidates crowd the stage at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California.
The Fiorina Factor
Former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina was already one of the most buzzed-about participants in Wednesday’s debate even before front-runner Donald Trump appeared to insult her looks in a Rolling Stone article. After Trump’s comments, and Fiorina’s super PAC response, the prospect of the two candidates facing off on stage has become highly anticipated.
“I’m hoping to see if Carly can tame Trump,” Dr. Allan Louden, professor and chair of the communications department at Wake Forest University, said. “Because I think that Trump gets away with being Trump because it’s kind of entertaining.”
The other candidates may approach Fiorina cautiously to avoid appearing anti-female, but Trump has shown little interest in holding back and she likely will not either.
“It’s a big deal for Trump because of the way he’s perceived to have treated women in general, and the thing he said recently about Fiorina, for him it makes a big difference for her to be on the stage,” explained Dr. Matthew Wilson, an associate professor of political science at Southern Methodist University.
“I’d expect she’s pretty willing to throw a punch,” Alan Schroeder, a journalism professor at Northeastern University, said. READ MORE