After another week of primaries, Donald Trump has won 15 states, Ted Cruz has won seven states and Marco Rubio won in Minnesota. The candidates will gather Thursday in Miami to debate. Battalion news editor Sam King gives five things to watch for in the debate.
1. Immigration will come up
Florida is a state with a large immigrant population, and as such the topic will likely be hit on in Thursday’s debate. Each of the remaining candidates have been vocal about their differences on the matter before and are likely to butt heads about it on stage again, too.
2. Trump something or other
Trump has done nothing but win in the days since the last GOP debate and look for the trend to continue doing so after Thursday. Trump proved during the last debate that he is sure of himself being the nominee and this confidence — which some consider arrogance — will continue to be a major player in Thursday’s debate, and all the campaign events moving forward.
3. Rubio’s last debate?
Rubio seems to be a ticking time bomb with Florida at the end of the countdown. Trump is still ahead of Rubio in terms of the polls and some of Rubio’s campaign advisers are suggesting to Rubio that it may be a smart idea to drop out of the race before Florida, rather than be beaten at home, according to CNN. Rubio will debate on Thursday, but it may be the last time the American people see him as a presidential candidate this election cycle.
4. Kasich the underdog
Ohio governor John Kasich hasn’t won any primaries yet, is polling near the bottom in almost every state and holds the fewest delegates with only 54: but, much like the Little Engine That Could, he’s still chugging along. Kasich remains that he will do well in the more Northern primaries — including Ohio — and performed extremely well during the last debate, declared the “winner” by many. Kasich will look to seize on this momentum and continue to distinguish himself as the candidate who doesn’t necessarily participate in the yelling matches, but still has his voice heard.
5. Climate change
Florida is a state that is feeling the affects of climate change, and many Florida mayors have urged CNN to make sure the topic comes up during this debate. The same requests were made to Wednesday night’s Democratic debate, and I anticipate the same discussion will occur on Thursday, albeit with a more conservative look at the issue.