Americans who watch Wednesday’s debate in Boulder wondering whether Republicans could really nominate one of the two poll-leading but unqualified candidates at center stage should repeat to themselves: It’s early, still very early.
Yes, the GOP candidates have already had two debates. And it seems like forever since Donald Trump announced his candidacy and started insulting opponents and bloviating on the issues. But it truly is still early. “We’re still in the functional equivalent of the top of the second inning” in the presidential campaign.
Voters are paying closer attention to the candidates and their positions than they did six months ago, but it’s nothing like the attention they’ll pay when the new year arrives and balloting nears.
Only then will we discover whether rank-and-file Republicans would actually turn to a candidate like Trump or Ben Carson, who now tops the real estate mogul in Iowa polling and one national poll, even though either would be a tremendous liability in a general election and possibly trigger a historic Democratic rout.
But give this much to the pair of political outsiders, and especially Trump: They’ve shown more resilience than almost anyone expected, and a Trump nomination in particular can no longer simply be dismissed.
As a result, while the early campaign has been one of the most entertaining on record, it has also been depressing to those who like to credit the good sense of voters. It doesn’t seem to matter what either one of these men says: Their balloons refuse to rupture.
For example, Carson said this month and “deny federal funding” where they find it exists. And yet this call for the creation of federal thought police — only the most recent example of his appalling political clumsiness — failed to damage Carson’s campaign.
Wednesday’s debate will focus on economic issues such as taxes, retirement and job creation — which have grown increasingly important as the economy limps along in second gear.
Fortunately, Trump and Carson won’t be the only candidates on the stage offering their solutions. There are others who do possess the background and knowledge to make an appealing nominee.
If they can only somehow get their fellow Republicans to listen.
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