A Republican presidential field that was once so unwieldy that debates had to be broken into undercard and main events may soon shrink from its peak of 17 prominent candidates to just three.
The writing was on the wall in mid-January. At a Republican debate in South Carolina, Donald Trump defended his fellow New Yorkers from Ted Cruz. Cruz made the case for his natural-born citizenship against Trump. Then Cruz challenged Marco Rubio on immigration. Rubio responded by attempting to cast doubt on Cruz's steady commitment to principle.
Trump was the only TV star in the bunch, but all three candidates starred in that debate. The two freshman senators bookended the real estate billionaire and between them they secured the traditional three tickets out of Iowa. Each of them, but no one else, could be the last men standing in the Republican presidential contest.
Which man will command the national convention in Cleveland this summer? While the trio's separation from the rest of the field is clear, the race is still in flux. A case can be made for each of them becoming the nominee, but they all face serious obstacles.
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04.20.2024