Ten Republican presidential candidates have been invited to participate in a nationally televised debate in Columbia, S.C., in mid-May. They are: U.S. senators John McCain of Arizona and Sam Brownback of Kansas; U.S. representatives Duncan Hunter of California, Ron Paul of Texas and Tom Tancredo of Colorado; former governors Mitt Romney of Massachusetts, Mike Huckabee of Arkansas, Jim Gilmore of Virginia and Tommy Thompson of Wisconsin; and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani.
Fred Thompson, though he is in the top three in most national polls, isn't invited because he hasn't declared his candidacy.
The New York Times wonders which Rudy Giuliani will show up an an earlier Republican presidential debate, this week in California, in an article the NYT's political blog, "The Caucus," exploring the GOP race front-runner's political debating styles...
Which Rudolph W. Giuliani will show up Thursday night in California for the debate among 10 Republican presidential candidates? The hard-hitting prosecutor? Or Mr. Nice Guy?
Mr. Guiliani has played both in his short debate history. Now, with polls showing him as the front-runner of the Republican field, his performance may well be the most-watched on Thursday. But it has been a decade since Mr. Giuliani last debated as a political candidate, and his two closest challengers, Senator John McCain of Arizona and Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts, have more recent experience.
Mr. Giuliani’s debate history is encapsulated in a relatively brief period, from 1989 to 1997, all when he was running for mayor of New York. A review of transcripts of those debates shows a man who evolved quickly.
Thursday night, I predict, we'll see a confident, tough but nice Giuliani.
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