Trump Leads Carson By 14 Points Nationwide

But that’s still an enormous audience for CNBC, which attracted 3.1 million viewers for its debate during the last presidential election cycle in November 2011.

But Rubio is prepared to fire back, saying Bush never criticized other past GOP candidates when they did the same thing – and the only reason he is now is because he’s losing.

Speaking Thursday afternoon, Trump took credit for predicting that tension between Rubio and his former mentor, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, would spill out into the open, but was otherwise largely complimentary of his rivals.

“You can campaign, or just resign and let someone else take the job”, said Jeb Bush, (R) presidential candidate.

Rubio sharply dismissed Bush’s critique as a political ploy by a struggling candidate.

“Do you want to answer, or do you want me to answer?” The candidates have their chance to return the favor.

“Donald Trump’s position, he needs to start being more substantive in the debates and less attacking and really getting his message out there, because I think that’s going to start negatively affecting him as we move forward in the debates”, Dr. Smith said.

While Bush has the financial muscle, organization and support from a super PAC to stay in the race, sooner of later he must demonstrate genuine lift in his poll numbers, with first nominating votes to be cast in just three months.

Two years ago, right as Carson was becoming a nationally known political figure, he opined that the Affordable Care Act, President Barack Obama’s signature health law, was the “worst thing that has happened in the nation since slavery”. 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.

When Carson was asked in the debate why he’d appeared on the company’s home page with the logo over his shoulder, he said that was not done with his permission. “If someone put me on their home page, they did it without permission”, he said. And look at the questions – Donald Trump, are you a comic book villain? And he defended his record in the private sector despite having to declare bankruptcy, casting it as a business technique. And I wish Trump would watch this and get a few ideas for the next debate.

But the record number of candidates for the Republican nomination in 2016 and a lack of clear standout winners in any of these other areas has arguably elevated the debates to centre stage.

The jumbled GOP field is a stark contrast to the Democratic contest, where Hillary Rodham Clinton is strengthening her front-runner status over Vermont Sen.

“You should be showing up to work”, Bush said at the debate hosted by CNBC.

A key Bush supporter in New Hampshire said on condition of anonymity that he believed that his candidate could still pull off a comeback, and said the debate format did little to help Bush or showcase his mastery of policy or problem solving skills. Rubio: I’m here because of the American Dream, and I’m optimistic about the future of this country.

“I’ve asked my staff to reach out to the other campaigns to talk about a change in format”, he said in a press availability before a speech at Colorado Christian University, a small Christian college outside of Denver.