Convenience Big Store: Trump’s decision opens door for rivals

The Politics of Debate Skipping

I get why Donald Trump is skipping the first GOP debate tonight in Wisconsin.

So far ahead in the polls, why risk elevating any of his opponents?

But the decision could open the door for one of his opponents to build unexpected momentum. It's happened before. In 2011, that's exactly what occurred when then-Republican frontrunner Mitt Romney made the same decision to skip the first GOP Primary debate.

Without him on stage, little-known pizza company owner Herman Cain got more air time, scored a bunch of one-liners and, almost overnight, went from barely registering in the polls to a legit contender who a few months later would actually be leading Romney and Texas Gov. Rick Perry in the polls.

Of course, Cain eventually crashed out, but the point is Trump is opening the door for one of the eight contenders on stage to gain some momentum among hardcore primary voters - the people who are most likely going to tune in tonight.

Is that you Vivek Ramaswamy? Doug Burgum? Asa Hutchinson?

Jeremy Wallace, Texas politics reporter

jeremy.wallace@houstonchronicle.com

Who's up, who's down

Up: Dade Phelan.

The Texas House Speaker told a crowd in Port Arthur this week that officials with General Motors have told him that Texas is on the shortlist for a manufacturing facility that Phelan compared to what Toyota has near San Antonio. The Beaumont Enterprise was there and reported that Phelan credited the state's tax incentive programs that he's defended at length for putting the state in the running, adding GM "wants to be in Texas." GM already has a plant in Arlington that they just reinvested $500 million into.

Down: Donald Trump.

Conventional political wisdom says he shouldn't debate his opponents with such a big polling lead. But when was the last time Trump did something conventional? He's certainly opened the door for other Republicans like Ron DeSantis to make his case without Trump tearing into them like he did to Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio and Jeb Bush in 2015.

What do you think? Hit reply and let me know.

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Pick of the day

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What else I'm reading

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