Previewing tonight’s GOP debates

Say what you will about the debate tonight in my home state of South
Carolina. Question the depth of the star power if you must. You might
even wonder aloud if topics that matter most to the average American
voter will come up (anyone for a few birther questions?). But one thing
is certain — a winner will emerge.
 
And for one of the five in attendance, that could mean a nice shot in
the arm. However, the boost will benefit and sustain some candidates
more than others.
 
Put another way, there are essentially only two individuals tonight who need this win. Of the five, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum and former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty have the most to gain (and lose) tonight. On paper, they blow away the rest of the admittedly weak field. They have the background and time spent in the true public spotlight and legislative arenas to mount legitimate campaigns.
 
I’d wager that no one could even name the state Gary Johnson presided over, much less the public office he held (New Mexico’s governor). Former CEO of Godfather’s Pizza Herman Cain puts new meaning to the word “long-shot.” And then there’s Texas Rep. Ron Paul. What can you say about him? He can definitely mobilize a conservative voting bloc, but in terms of broad appeal and an agenda that would attract the much-needed vote of independents, he misses the mark.
 
Tonight is also a laboratory for myriad attack lines against President Obama. Rest assured the political wordsmiths will be rolling out new themes and messages to see which ones stick.
 
Will Mitt Romney and Donald Trump be watching? They’d be fools not to. It’s the beginning of the presidential selection process for the GOP. More importantly, Fox News will be covering it. That’s a direct line to millions of primary voters in key states.
 
So despite the impressiveness of the slate of contenders tonight, traction will be gained, messages will be tested and one candidate might begin to see the stars aligning in his favor …