SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2016

It Could Be The Nastiest Debate Yet

Noted New Hampshire Political Reporter Gamecock Tadwell says CBS will host a Republican presidential debate tonight in South Carolina, featuring Donald Trump and the five remaining also-ran candidates in a showdown that is sure to make an impact on the upcoming early primary state.

Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Jeb Bush, Ben Carson, and John Kasich will be fighting for a meaningless second place in the winner-take-all state starting 9 p.m. ET at the Peace Center in Greenville, S.C., with Face the Nation anchor John Dickerson, CBS News White House correspondent Major Garrett, and Wall Street Journal editorial board member Kimberley Strassel serving as biased moderators.

Chances are, one or more of the also-rans on stage tonight won’t make it to the next debate in Houston on February 26. But who’ll be next to go? Barring a big surprise, the winners of Iowa and New Hampshire, Ted Cruz and Donald Trump, should be safe until Super Tuesday at the beginning of March. Ben Carson is struggling to stay afloat as it is. The three candidates in the middle—Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio, and John Kasich—may have the most to lose.

That’s why you shouldn’t be surprised to see Fishwrap Favorite John Kasich being attacked because of his ObamaCare Problem, since his decision to accept the Medicaid expansion under ObamaCare has long-been viewed as a big liability.

Jeb Bush, who is battling Kasich for the support of establishment Republicans, has amplified his criticism of the Ohio governor over the Medicaid expansion in recent days.

And Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has even called for a pro-Jeb Bush super PAC to take down an attack ad accusing John Kasich of imperiling national security.

Titled “Dangerously Wrong,” that ad uses images of ISIS and footage of Kasich from his days as House Budget Committee chairman while talking about his efforts to curb wasteful defense spending. The ad is running in South Carolina, a state filled with military interests and where national security is considered key.

But maybe if CBS showed all those attack ads flying back and forth among the candidates during the past few days, watching tonight’s free-for-all could actually turn out to be a lot of fun.