The ninth installment in the Republican debate cycle will take place on Saturday, Feb. 13, with coverage beginning at 8 p.m. EST on CBS News. South Carolina, the next stop on the campaign trail, will host the event that will feature the six remaining GOP candidates.
The GOP field heads to South Carolina in a slightly slimmer fashion than prior to the New Hampshire primary, with both Carly Fiorina and Chris Christie suspending their campaigns for president after poor showings in the polls. Ben Carson, despite numerous claims he would also drop out, has declared he will continue to campaign, although his campaign's financial status has come into question, as HNGN previously reported.
This debate will feature the ongoing name-calling battle between recently reestablished front-runner Donald Trump, who's coming off a win in the New Hampshire primary, and the oft-second placer Ted Cruz. Trump recently took to going so far as to echo the claim that Cruz is a "p---y" when a supporter yelled it out at a rally in New Hampshire, reported the New York Daily News. Cruz recently fired back with an ad in South Carolina, accusing Trump of being a "sleaze," according to CNN. The two are sure to continue to stoke the flames between them during the debate.
Additionally, we're headed into South Carolina after a strong showing from previously lagging candidate John Kasich, who finished behind Trump in the First-In-The-Nation primary with 16 percent of the vote, as FiveThirtyEight reported. He also received a key endorsement from Home Depot co-founder and investment banker Ken Langone, as reported by Salon. Kasich will certainly look to capitalize on this recent bump – and perhaps his last chance to establish himself as a legitimate contender before his campaign runs out of gas (It was down to $2 million prior to the Langone endorsement).
Jeb Bush also saw a slight bump, albeit not as big as Kasich's, collecting 11 percent of the vote in New Hampshire, which was good enough for fourth place behind Cruz. Bush has a long way to go, though, and he has resorted to having his mother, Barbara Bush, and brother, former President George W. Bush, campaign for him, with the latter joining the trail in crucial South Carolina, according to Greenville Online.
After surging post-Iowa, Marco Rubio underperformed in New Hampshire, dropping into fifth place. Not to be forgotten, Rubio has taken his campaign into more aggressive territory, expressing disgust for both Trump and Bush this week, reported The New York Times. Rubio will certainly regroup prior to this debate, as a poor showing in the pre-New Hampshire debate last week and less-than-expected results in the polls have put him in a position that he needs to readily correct, according to Fox News.
What: The ninth GOP presidential debate.
When: Saturday, Feb. 13, at 9 p.m. EST
Where: The Peace Center in Greenville, S.C.
Who: Moderators include John Dickerson, anchor of "Face the Nation"; Major Garrett, CBS News' chief White House correspondent; and Kimberley Strassel of the Wall Street Journal.
Candidates participating
9 p.m. debate - Donald Trump, John Kasich, Ted Cruz, Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio and Ben Carson.
Rules
To qualify for this debate, candidates must have placed among the top five or top three in the New Hampshire primary and Iowa caucus, respectively; or have placed in the top five in the national and South Carolina polls recognized by the network, according to CBS News. The conversation will likely cover defense spending and national security, but we're sure to see more talk of immigration and the economy as well.
How To Watch
CBS will air the debate and offer a live stream on its website.
Online: Follow HNGN's President and Editorial Director Michael Bullerdick (@mbullerdick) for his live tweets during both events!
Bullerdick's Predictions: With fewer candidates on the stage, resulting in more questions and airtime to fill, expect the financial strugglers, Bush and Kasich, to hit the front-runners hard. Bush vs. Trump is always a good bet. Rubio gained traction by attacking Cruz two debates ago, so expect more of the same as he attempts to get Chris Christie out of his head. South Carolina's primary is Cruz's to lose given the evangelical vote, so expect him to catch the most heat followed by "The Donald." Outcome: Cruz and Trump tie as debate winners, but the post-event coverage will be on media darling Rubio.
Drinking games!
After a calculated, deep investigation, we found these sites' drinking games to be most exciting and fun for viewers, regardless of party affiliation. Or if you are solely watching to get drunk.
A word to the wise, though! Know your limit and drink in moderation, because as Surgeon General Vivek Murthy points out, "You simply can't drink every time one of these guys says something silly... It's just a formula for disaster."
This is only the ninth debate of the 2016 presidential cycle. Three more are set to take place. Some have exact dates and sponsors already set, while others are still being planned. Check below to see all of the debates scheduled between now and election day 2016, courtesy of USPresidentialElectionNews.com.
Remaining Debate Schedule
February 26, 2016
NBC/Telemundo Republican Debate
Aired On: NBC and Telemundo
Location: Texas
Sponsors:NBC/Telemundo, National Review
Candidates: To be determined
March, 2016*
Fox News Republican Debate
Aired On: Fox News Channel
Location: TBD
Sponsors: Fox News
Candidates: To be determined
March 10, 2016
CNN/Salem Republican Debate
Aired On: CNN
Location: Florida
Sponsors: CNN, Salem Media Group
Candidates: To be determined
