BOULDER, Colo. — Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio fought for control of the Republican’s establishment wing in Wednesday night’s third GOP debate, as insurgent outsiders Donald Trump and Ben Carson defended the seriousness of their White House bids, underscoring the volatile two-track fight for the party’s presidential nomination.
Bush, once seen as the top Republican contender, entered the debate in the midst of the most difficult stretch of his White House campaign. He quickly targeted Rubio for his spotty voting record on Capitol Hill, signaling that he sees the Florida senator as the candidate most likely to block his political path.
“Marco, when you signed up for this, this was a 6-year term and you should be showing up for work,” said Bush, who is struggling to right his campaign after being forced to slash spending in response to slower fundraising. “You can campaign, or just resign and let someone else take the job.”
Rubio, who has had a close relationship with Bush, responded sharply: “The only reason you’re doing it is that we’re running for the same position and someone has convinced you that attacking me will help you.”
Three months before primary voting begins, the Republican contest remains crowded and unwieldly. Yet the contours of the race have been clarified, with outsiders capitalizing on voter frustration with Washington and candidates with political experience hoping the race ultimately turns their way.
Trump, the brash real estate mogul, has dominated the Republican race for months, but was a less of a factor Wednesday night than in the previous two debates. He largely refrained from personal attacks on his rivals, which has been a signature of his campaign, even taking a light touch with Carson, who has overtaken him in recent Iowa polls.
Carson, the soft-spoken retired neurosurgeon who came into the debate with a burst of momentum, stuck to his low-key style. He sought to explain his vague tax policy, which he has compared to tithing, in which families donate the same portion of their income to their church regardless of how much they make. And he insisted he had no involvement with supplement maker Mannatech, although he acknowledged using its product and giving paid speeches for the company, which has faced a legal challenge over health claims for its products.
Carson said it was absurd to allege he’s connected to the company. “If someone put me on their home page, they did it without permission,” he said.
Trump bristled when asked by a debate moderator if his policy proposals, including building a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border and deporting everyone who is in the U.S. illegally, amounted to a “comic book” campaign. And he defended his record in the private sector despite having to declare bankruptcy, casting it as a business technique.
“I’ve used that to my advantage as a businessman,” Trump said. “I used the laws of the country to my benefit.”
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz garnered enthusiastic applause when he criticized debate moderators for trying to stir up fights among the candidates, casting it as a sign of media bias against Republicans – a popular line with GOP voters.
“How about talking about the substantive issues people care about?” Cruz said. The senator has been seeking to position himself to inherit Trump’s support if the businessman’s campaign collapses.
Wednesday’s debate in Colorado, an important general election state, focused on economic policy, including taxes and job growth.
Rubio turned questions about his personal finances into an opportunity to tout his compelling personal story. The son of Cuban immigrants, Rubio said he didn’t inherit money from his family and knows what it’s like to struggle to pay loans and afford to raise a family.
“I know what it’s like to owe that money,” Rubio said. “I’m not worried about my finances. I’m worried about the finances of everyday Americans.”
Ohio Gov. John Kasich and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie are each seeking to break through with more mainstream voters. Kasich in particular was aggressive from the start in bemoaning the unexpected strength of unorthodox candidates.
“We are on the verge of perhaps picking someone who cannot do this job,” Kasich said.
Also on stage were former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul and former technology executive Carly Fiorina, the star of the second GOP debate. Fiorina, the former Hewlett Packard CEO, has struggled to capitalize on that strong performance and has faded toward the back of the pack.
The four lowest-polling candidates participated in an earlier undercard event: South Carolina Sen. Lindsay Graham, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and former New York Gov. George Pataki. None has gotten close to breaking into the upper tier of candidates.
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