Tonight’s the night it al begins in earnest. Bloodied noses, dented egos, dogs and cats, living together – it should be AWESOME.

So. Let’s get the particulars out of the way first:

Dateline: Tonight

Where:….WISCONSIN?

Well, hello, Milwaukee!

The two-hour debate will start at 9 p.m. ET on Wednesday. It’s being moderated by Fox News Channel hosts Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum.

Unlike some previous presidential debates, which have been simulcast across a number of major networks and cable channels, the first forum is airing exclusively on Fox News and the Fox Business Network as well as on Fox’s website and other streaming and digital platforms.

In lieu of the network’s YouTube channel, the Republican National Committee has partnered with Rumble — a video sharing platform popular with some conservatives — to livestream the debate. Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said earlier this year this was a decision aimed toward “getting away from Big Tech.”

Another debate partner is the Young America’s Foundation, a Virginia-based outfit headed up by former Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker that bills itself as “the principal outreach organization of the Conservative Movement.”

The eight contenders vying for the nominee crown who qualified and accepted the invitation to attend are: North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, former New Jersey governor Chris Christie, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley, former Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson, former vice president Mike Pence, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and Sen. Tim Scott (S.C.).

Now, there has been a little wrinkle with North Dakota’s gov, Doug Burgum. It seems he was in a pick-up bball game yesterday, and reportedly torn his Achille’s tendon – yeouch. After leaving the ER in Milwaukee on crutches, they’re going to do a walk-through today to see if standing is even going to be an option.

…“We’re hopefully going to make the walk-through this afternoon, and then make an assessment and decide then as to whether he’s going to make the debate tonight,” Trover told ABC News Live on Wednesday morning, referring to when the candidates visit the debate venue before the main event. “Obviously, standing for two hours when your leg has been injured can be quite problematic.”

I’ll certainly wish him the best and know that’s a tough decision to make. But it very well could be damn near “impossible” vice problematic.

As for the folks still able to stand on the stage, obviously the biggest bullseye is on FL Gov ROn DeSantis, and besides taking shots from the stage, he’s got the Trumpistas firing repeated salvos from offstage. They are just all kinds of pissed at him.

…Trump has gone after DeSantis for more than a year, outraged that the politician he helped elect as governor decided to run against him. DeSantis has shrugged off the attacks as evidence that he’s “over the target,” but the level of mockery and volume of criticism from Trump underscore the level of the former president’s deep and personal antipathy.

To drive the point home, the Trump campaign made a “Ron DeSanctimonious Debate Night Bingo” card – among other mocking paraphernalia – that it began circulating online that features DeSantis in the middle square. He’s flanked by sarcastic observations about his tics (“wipes snot” or “bobbles head”) or misleading or disputable shots at his policies (“Ron defends slavery” or “gaslight Covid record”).

In each corner of the 25-square bingo card is the same joke: “Saved by Fox News.”

There was also some slick footwork on X, with what looks to have been Trumpistas mass reporting the DeSantis pac for “violations” and getting it suspended.

X suspends DeSantis PAC's account hours before debate https://t.co/aYWTdzZ9a9

— Fox News Politics (@foxnewspolitics) August 23, 2023

I mean, as guerilla warfare goes, that’s brilliant. It’s back up.

The 3000lb GOP elephant NOT on the stage is the former president, of course.

Oooh! Can I say that?

He’s going to chat up Tucker. But Lindsey Graham and MTG are going to be 2 of the Trump surrogates in the Green Room – my congressman Matt Gaetz along some other folks will be, as well.

DeSantis will have folks like Chip Roy, OK Gov Stitt, and our LtGov, Jeanette Núñez surrogate-wise. I haven’t seen much chatter on any of the other candidates’ cheering sections, but I guess that’s to be expected.

WaPo says inflation is going to be the “hot topic” of the evening, leaving one to assume tap dancing around Trump, and gang jumping DeSantis are going to be the entertainment. It IS a pack, and someone is going to have to distinguish themselves somehow – being polite and waiting for your turn to speak will get you left in the dust if a chance to draw blood arises, especially with a blowhard like Christie up there.

Hopefully, someone takes the time to take Ramaswamy apart about the contradictions in his terrific campaign patter and what he’s said previously. A little squirm would be entertaining, and he hasn’t run into any pushback of that magnitude yet.

Anyway, it all lights off in a little bit. I’ll have me a big, old glass of a lovely red to help me through and keep my flying fingers limber – in a nod to Vodka Pundit I’m calling it “cabernet blogging.”

Hope to see you right here on this post in a few.

7:58 Okay, I’m here. *slurp*

Shut UP through the National Anthem, you guys

*:04 Oh how nice Gov Burgum made it. And dang, Tim Scott – wave and smile…

8:07 Good strong RDS start. Woot Hits Hunter. Nice tie-in to the Rich Man song

8:08 Christie’s turn. “Need to sell the ideas” He sounds very mellow. Huh. I’d worry about a Christie like this. Wolf in sheep clothing You know he’s dying to snarl Good start

Oh cripes – Baier going after him about NJ but didn’t set him back at all. Well done

8:10 Tim Scott – What have you done to rein in government growing? Voted aginst spending packages. He really is at a disadvantage with governors. Wrote a spending cuts bill. If you don’t send it to DC we can’t spend it. Martha hits him on his yes votes for COVID spending pkgs. Scott rattles off strong Trump economic stats low inflation.

8:12 Vivek now Why you? Oh the personality comes out now with his life story. “American dream won’t exist for our sons” “Need an outsider” “Running from something, we need a Republican who runs TO something”

8:14 To Haley He’s beating you in the polls. Haley doesn’t care – stop the spending and earmarks GOP brought back in. All these guys voted to raise the debt. GOP the big spenders

815 Pence hey, y’all spent a bunch of money. Proud of Trump Pence record. Military, Wall etc, I’m the best prepared, best tested in this race. As VP we spent funding to backfill on military cuts and but we have to cut the spending. I’ll put us back on path to growth and fiscal responsibility

8:17 Vivek is drill frack etc at Pence. He is quick as a whip with the salesman stuff

8:18 Pence I was house conservative leader before it was cool and BOOING commences

DeSantis jumps in. Locking down was a mistake and as your president I will never let the deep state bureaucrats lock you down

Vivek “He invoked me back” LOLOLOLO “Do you want a superpac puppet or do you want a revolutiion”

8:21 What a shriek – Burgum is funny and finally gets to speak. Green new deal “subsidizing China trading “opec for sinopac”

8:22 Hutchinson Prolife gov from conserv state $2B surplus and shrunk gov. That’s what we need in D.C.

8:24 DeSantis: biden was on the beach while those people were suffering. He’s on it. “Is that a yes?”

Oh Vivek just stepped in it “I’m the only one on the stage not bought and paid for” HOLY SMOKES

8:26 CHRISTIE UNLEASHED!!!! vivek sounds like “Chat GPT”

Oh Nikki – that Thatcher quote was weak.

8:27 Haley is not doing herself proud here. Sen Scott are you bought and paid for? Absolutely not. Scott calls Vivek out for being childish. This is the strongest he’s been. I think VR got under his skin.”I’m a southern boy I talk slow.”

8:29 Scott why would we put ourselves at a disadvantage. Best Scott bit so far

*This is the perfect example of why I flunked timing 3 times, including 1 course I paid for. Thanks for sticking with me.*

8:33 Abortion up next. Haley up 1st. SC confirmed 6wk – GOP needs to stop demonizing issue. Let’s find consensus – can we not ban late term, push adoption, protect pro-life medical personnel?

8:35 DeSantis up You have to do what you think is right. Proud to sign heartbeat bill. What Dems trying to do is wrong abortions up to moment of birth. We’re better than what the Dens are selling. Would you sign 6wks ban? I understand states will do things differently

Pence shaking head, Baier calls on him, affirms his faith. “Consensus is the opposite of leadership. Not states issue, moral issue.”

Haley responds “In hands of people where it should be – no GOP president can ban it when we won’t have 70% of the senate”

8:39 Gov Burnam prolife gov of prolife state does not support fed abortion ban. Should be left to the states. The feds stepping into peoples lives. businesses, where do we stop? What will work in NY will never work in ND

Hutchinson says “states” also refers to Congressional representation.

8:42 Scott we cannot have states like CA IL have abortion on demand up to the day of birth. Scott is so good here. We can’t it to IL or MN must solve it with a 15 wk limit

8″43 Crime homelessness next. This should be LIT AF

To Pence: a lot began in COVID error lockdowns to blame? Nope Dem defunding police, bail reform are. About opportunity too – Trump tax cuts go away in 2025 close Fed Department back to the states.
He got off track there

To Christie – 30 shootings in Milwaukee, Dems blame gun what would you do: Christie is proud of being a US Attorney. Appt an attny gen who would instruct atny gens to take over prosecutions of violent criminals, hits Hunter for false gun permit, in a christie admin he goes down for 10 yrs

Vivek: do we have spine to let cops work w/o looking over shoulder, mental help, he uses “spine” a lot. National identity crisis. People are so hungry for purpose and meaning need a tonal reset from the top” Oh, man – he’s a salesman.

Pence defends – we dont have an identify crisis.

Vivek It’s not morning in America

DeSantis: Crime is at a 50 year low in FL (Baier says NOT MIAMI!) hits Soros attnys. Only one guy’s gotten rid of them and that’d be ME

Burgum: No one asks about small town or those crime wave. Need someone who understands small towns

Hutchinson: I was a DEA head, enforce the law, understand we need to stop the fentanyl flow, tools for education. And HE GOES THERE to Trump.

WE’RE BACK and OH CRAP TRUMP TIME

8:58 Christie says “someone’s got to stop normalizing this conduct” “Beneath the office of president of the United States” Oh and here comes the suck-up Vivek “If your campaign wasn’t based on vengeance and grievance” He is so unctuous

Gotta chill the crowd out – Christie has prosecutor face on and is going at Vivek on what he said about Trump in his book. You’ve never done anything to advance this government

9:02 Another question: Trump VPs on the stage, Martha said, Did Mike Pence do the right thing Sen Scott? Absolutely. We should be talking about the weaponization about the dept of justice. FIRE garland and Wray. Vivek can’t STAND it has to interject. GREAT answer from Scott!

9:04 DeSantis dodges Pence ? – It’s not about 2020, it’s about forward not backward.

Pence defends keeping his “oath to the Constitution” deSantis says “Mike did his duty to to the constitution I got no beef with that.” Hutchinson says “Trump is morally disqualified” and uses “INSURRECTION” word. Boos erupt.
Christie sticking up for Pence right now for “standing for the Constitution” before his personal concerns.

haley? Hello? She says Pence did the right thing, give him credit, but trust the American people who will tell you it’s time for someone new. Trump is the most disliked politician.

Burgum Pence did the right thing and says time wasting talking about Trump instead of China.

Oh frick – here goes Vivek “make a pledge to not pardon Trump” What a poseur. He gets more unlikeable as this goes on.

9:12 ARGH UKRAINE

Would not support more aid to Ukraine – only DeSantis and Vivek. Vivek brings up the wide open border and Lord will not shut up. Christie gets to rebut first. brings up the stolen Ukrainian children in reference to his trip there. Pence says we can solve the free world problems and those here. ARGLE BARGLE ARGUMENT

Haley – explain what they’re doing with the money. Girlfriend, talking about percentages compared to EU countries doesn’t make me a fan, hello. It’s THEIR backyard. “You are choosing a murderer over…” I missed it . Everyone started yelling. Haley is screeching at vivek that he has no foreign relation experience.

9:21 DeSantis 1st obligation is to defend OUR country – not sending troops to Ukraine but will to the border

9:22 to Burgum China off of taiwan, sailors arrested – We don’t talk about it Russia has become China’s gas station 10M bbls a day, import food. We need anti-ship missiles on Taiwan to have strength, Russia saw weakness in Ukraine and moved we can’t so that with Taiwan

Kind of garbled

Sen Scott – fire the 87K agents, hire border patrol. Cites fentanyl; deaths, security watch list catches, how many not, $10B finish the wall couple B more surveillance, that should be THE priority. He has gotten into a groove.

Burgum : We’re taking mass casualties from trans national drug cartels

9:26 Baier cartel members over the border w rifles, invasion? Hutchinson says can’t go against cartels w/o Mexico as partner need to use pressure, and he’s done it. Military has to be limited in use

DeSantis, would support SpecOps into Mex to take out drug ops? YES would do on day1. cartels killing 10s of thousands. cartels control the southern border. Have to protect the country, yes use lethal force. how many more do we let die? Would I treat them as foreign terrorists? you bet.

RDS says you didn’t finish the wall, VP Pence: Not quite sure where Pence is going with all this. Talking about the pressure on Mexico and all, got the Mexs to deploy their guard promises to do same.

Martha w 7 M migrants to Christie what do we do? Christie say stop them from coming first. Enforce the law, do not reward them for being here illegally. Good answers. Don’t take eye off China ball because they’re sending the chemicals it’s an act of war against our citizens. And he would send the illegals BACK.

i LIKE THAT.

Oh YAY commercial!

9:38 DeSantis I’ll stand for our kids and for you as well…We have elevated the importance of American civics

Vivek Allow pubic schools to compete, HS seniors should have to pass civics test. Two parents in the house with a focus on education and achievement

Burgum Martha hits him on trans ban, don’t you think we need it: We protected women’s sports…but the idea very school teacher is indoctrinating kids is just false. What needs to change in education is innovation.

Haley: Get these kids reading. Needs transparency in the classroom, put vocational classes back. I will always fight for girls. Biological boys do not belong in locker rooms

lightening round: Should pres’s pass test:

Pence is funny everyone should lol. NO let the US people decide.

vivek: Do you acuity test: Believes people can tell the difference between an automaton and a thinking person. Compares himself to Reagan? WHUT?

hutchinson: AK have to compete with China – bult computer science classroom. Whoopdeedoo?

Tim Scott a faith question: God can do abundantly above – on education is to break the backs of the teachers’ unions locking them into failing GREAT

DeSantis mandatory service? No. I volunteered. Something that taught me, you check personal agenda at the door. That’s how I would view being president

Christie UFO encounters I get the UFO QUESTION?! hilarious Would you level with the American people – The job of the president is to stand for truth and be a role model for our children and our grand children and teachers unions are the biggest threat, not ufo’s. He handled that really well with great good humor.

WOOT.

Will Cain just noticed no one has laid a glove on DeSantis! BWAHAhaha. Okay, you guys. We are just about there – get your “Beege, these guys suck/these guys were EN FUEGOs” for me. I’ll be in the comments telling you you’re ALL WRONG, lol in a second!

9:55 Patriotic closing statement time. Ima sniffle here

Burgum: Biden choking us, aw his dad died while he in hs. He’s a real guy. Fentanyl, etc. He’s done great for being in apin. Seems super nice.

Hutch: We’re in trouble, failed leadership, no Biden, no Trump we need bold ideas best in our people. Reagan allusion. I’ll bring out the best in America ding ding ding

Tim: Poverty was American dream real, it is alive and it is healthy. Take out a loan you If God made you a man you lay sports…against a man. CUTE AS A BUTTON

Christie: Everyone wants to be pres, I’m the only one who ever beat a Dem incumbent, and another allusion to Reagan. Nice tone tho

Haley: Hubs left for yr long deployment, we should fight for American here, Inflation down, law enforcement, Amercia strong and proud.

Pence: Biden weakened Amerca, war on energ, inflation knows we can bring it back, gop owes people the choice. We proved we could do it and I have faith in this country and the American people

Vivek: Born in 85 taught to celebrate diversity and forgot we were all the same as 76 patriots. Goes through his list. Like his constitution nod.

DeSantis: This is our time for choosing we will send him to his basement reverse the decline. veteran service above self. In Fl showed it could be done, make or break. DAMN I wish I could type faster he rocked it.

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Oh, THANK YOU SO MUCH for spending you late evening with me! I hope my lousy spelling and furious typing didn’t irritate you too much. I am SO delighted it turned out to be completely worth watching and that you all were willing to keep me company.

I’m a lucky gal.

Now, I’m gonna go start fights with every last one of you in the comments!

Seriously. Have a terrific evening and thank you again.