By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
Shifting debate strategies, GOP hopefuls to take on Trump
Placeholder Image
Staff Report
Updated: Sep 16, 2015, 3:45 PM
Published: Sep 16, 2015, 3:46 PM

WASHINGTON (AP) — In the first Republican presidential debate, most candidates took a hands-off approach to Donald Trump and hoped the brash billionaire would hurt himself.

Instead, he only got stronger.

Trump's unexpected durability has led some of his rivals to shift their strategy for Wednesday's second showdown. Now their goal is to engage Trump, without inflicting any damage on their own campaigns.

The change reflects an evolution in the way Trump is viewed within the Republican Party. No longer dismissed as a summer fling for frustrated voters, Republicans increasingly see Trump as a candidate who could remain atop the field for months and win some early states.

"He's in complete, total control of the political battle space," said Steve Schmidt, a top strategist for Sen. John McCain's 2008 presidential campaign.

Trump will be standing at center stage when the 11 candidates face off at the CNN-sponsored debate at the Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California. The lineup is the same as last month's opening debate, with one notable addition: former Hewlett-Packard chief executive Carly Fiorina, the only woman in the GOP field.

It's believed to be the largest debate field in modern political history, underscoring just how jumbled the fight for the Republican nomination remains with five months to go before the Iowa caucuses.

Trump heads into the second debate facing a fresh challenge from Ben Carson, a soft-spoken retired neurosurgeon who is climbing in recent polls. With his candidacy on the rise, Carson is likely to face heightened scrutiny from debate moderators.

But the biggest contrast in the GOP field — and the one that typifies the broader battle within the party — continues between Trump and Jeb Bush, the wonky former Florida governor. Bush has become one of Trump's favorite targets and has been visibly irritated by his jabs, particularly the reality star's depiction of him as a "low energy" candidate.

After all but ignoring Trump in the first debate, Bush has gone after the GOP front-runner more aggressively while campaigning recently. People familiar with Bush's debate plans say he'll actively look for spots to target Trump, particularly for Trump's uneven record as a conservative, but still wants to preserve space to pitch himself as an optimistic alternative.

"Real leaders are optimists — they show us a better way," said Sally Bradshaw, Bush's longtime adviser. "That's what Jeb has always done, that's what he'll always do. Other candidates won't change that, regardless of how noisy they are."

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker has also forecast a more aggressive stance at Wednesday's event. Once a favorite to win the Iowa caucus, Walker's standing has plummeted after an unremarkable first debate and a series of other summer stumbles.

"I think if people are looking for someone who is truly going to shake things up and wreak havoc on Washington, they want someone who's got real solutions and someone who is truly tested," Walker said last week. "I'm the only one on that stage that fits the bill."

Even if candidates follow through on their pledges to be more aggressive, there are warning signs about that approach. Trump has so far been immune to criticism of his lack of specific policy proposals, personal attacks on women and immigrants, and his commitment to conservatism. And with voters increasingly drawn to anti-establishment candidates, it's unclear whether attacks from those with long political resumes will be effective.

That makes Fiorina's participation in the debate all the more intriguing.

Fiorina is also a political outsider, having spent most of her career in business. She's also showed no fear in taking on Trump, including after he was recently quoted insulting her appearance. She's also thrilled GOP audiences with her sharp criticism of Democratic front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Fiorina didn't have enough support in the national polls used to select debate participants to get on the main stage in August, but she was a standout in the earlier undercard. After an aggressive lobbying effort by her campaign, CNN broadened its participation requirements to allow her on the main stage.

Carson, too, appears to be benefiting from the public's anti-Washington mood. As his standing has risen, he's waffled in his approach toward Trump, first questioning the businessman's faith, then apologizing for doing so.

Campaign manager Barry Bennett said Carson has no plans to take on Trump in the debate. "Trump will be Trump, Ben will be Ben and the contrast couldn't be clearer," Bennett said.

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, a talented politician who has largely avoided criticizing his fellow candidates, also doesn't plan to take on Trump. Rubio's campaign said the senator didn't see a need to mix things up like other candidates who are "falling" in the race.

Also on stage will be Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who is well-liked among more moderate, business-minded Republicans, and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, a favorite of social conservatives.

They'll be joined by Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, the only candidate to directly challenge Trump in the first debate; New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who had a memorable exchange with Paul over national security in the opening contest; and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, the sole contender to align himself with Trump and try to draft off his support.

Four candidates lagging behind in national polls did not qualify for the main event and will be relegated to an earlier debate: Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum and former New York Gov. George Pataki.

___

Associated Press writers Thomas Beaumont in Burbank, California; Scott Bauer in Madison, Wisconsin; and Steve Peoples in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

___

Follow Julie Pace on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jpaceDC
Raging wildfires in South force evacuations in Tennessee
1204Fire1
Fires blaze on the hills above Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. Tuesday morning. Bruce McCamish Photography | The Covington News
Staff Report
Updated: Nov 29, 2016, 2:44 PM
Published: Nov 29, 2016, 2:45 PM

ATLANTA (AP) — Raging wildfires fueled by high winds forced the evacuation of thousands of people and damaged hundreds of buildings in a popular resort town on the border of the Smoky Mountains National Park as National Guard troops arrived early Tuesday to help overwhelmed firefighters.

Rain had begun to fall in some areas, but experts predicted it would not be enough to end the relentless drought that has spread across several Southern states and provided fuel for fires now burning for weeks in states including Tennessee, Georgia and North Carolina.

The storms appeared to be taking aim at the nearly 28,000-acre Rough Ridge Fire in north Georgia and the nearly 25,000-acre Rock Mountain Fire that began in Georgia and then spread deep into North Carolina.

In Gatlinburg, Tennessee, officials said hundreds of homes and other buildings, including a 16-story hotel, were damaged or destroyed by flames. And preliminary surveys indicated that Westgate Resorts, with more than 100 buildings, and Ober Gatlinburg were both likely destroyed, according to a news release Tuesday morning.

Emergency officials ordered evacuations in downtown Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge and in other areas of Sevier County near the Smoky Mountains while crews continue to battle the blaze, which also had crept to the edge of the Dollywood theme park. About 14,000 residents and visitors were evacuated from Gatlinburg alone, officials said.

No deaths have been reported, though several people were hospitalized with burns, emergency officials said in the news release.

Officials say there are about 1,200 people sheltering at the Gatlinburg Community Center and the Rocky Top Sports Park. Several other shelters have opened to house those forced from their homes. TV broadcasts showed residents streaming out of town just as rain started to wet roads.

Workers at an aquarium evacuated because of the wildfires were concerned about the thousands of animals housed there. Ryan DeSears, general manager of Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies, told WBIR-TV the building was still standing and all workers had been evacuated late Monday. However, he said workers were anxious to return to check on the well-being of the 10,518 animals.

The rain forecast "puts the bull's-eye of the greatest amounts right at the bull's-eye of where we've been having our greatest activity," said Dave Martin, deputy director of operations for fire and aviation management with the southern region of the U.S. Forest Service.

The projected rainfall amounts "really lines up with where we need it," Martin said Monday. "We're all knocking on wood."

After weeks of punishing drought, any rain that falls should be soaked up quickly, forecasters said. It will provide some relief but won't end the drought — or the fire threat, they said.

Drought conditions will likely persist, authorities said. The problem is that rainfall amounts have been 10 to 15 inches below normal during the past three months in many parts of the South, authorities said.

"I think we racked up deficits that are going to be too much to overcome with just one storm system," said Mark Svoboda, director of the National Drought Mitigation Center in Lincoln, Nebraska.

"I would say it's way too early to say 'Yes, this drought is over,'" Svoboda said. "Does it put a dent in it? Yes, but we have a long ways to go."

The rain also brings danger because strong winds at the leading edge of the storms can topple trees and limbs that can kill and injure firefighters, he said.

In Mississippi, trees were reported downed Monday in nearly 20 counties across the state. Sustained winds of 30 to 40 mph with gusts of more than 50 mph were reported and more than 2 inches of rain fell in some areas.

Power outages peaked at more than 23,000 statewide in Mississippi. Powerlines downed by winds sparked grass fires in four counties, said Greg Flynn, a spokesman for the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency.

The storms moved across Alabama on Monday night and fell on Georgia during the overnight hours. High wind warnings were issued for mountainous areas in northern parts of Georgia.

In South Carolina, the stormy forecast was giving hope to firefighters battling a blaze in the northwest corner of the state. The South Carolina Forestry Commission hopes to contain the Pinnacle Mountain fire by the middle of next week.
More rain was expected Tuesday night and Wednesday morning in parts of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.
___
Fuller reported from New Orleans. Associated Press writers Rebecca Yonker in Louisville, Kentucky; Jeff Amy in Jackson, Mississippi; Beth Campbell in Louisville, Kentucky; and Jack Jones in Columbia, South Carolina, contributed to this report.