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Transcript/Script((PLAYBOOK SLUG: Republican Debate #4 Preview (TV)
HEADLINE: US Republican Presidential Candidates Look for Edge in Final Debate
TEASER:
PUBLISHED AT:12/04/2023 at 9 pm
BYLINE: Carolyn Presutti
CONTRIBUTOR:
DATELINE:
VIDEOGRAPHER:
VIDEO EDITOR: Mary Cieslak
SCRIPT EDITORS: Page, Reifenrath, Mia Bush
VIDEO SOURCE (S): zoom, NBC News (last debate), Reuters, AP, Al Qassam Brigade, Israel Defense Forces
PLATFORMS (mark with X): WEB __ TV _x_ RADIO _x_
TRT: 2:18
VID APPROVED BY: mia
TYPE:
EDITOR NOTES: ))
((INTRO)) [[Only four Republican presidential candidates have qualified to take to the stage for a fourth and final debate of the year Wednesday, meaning the audience will hear more from each candidate before the U.S. primaries begin in 2024. VOA’s Senior Washington Correspondent Carolyn Presutti tells us what else they need to do to “break out from the pack.”]]
((NARRATOR))
((November 8, 2023))
((Courtesy NBC News))
((***MUST KEEP UP COURTESY THROUGHOUT CLIPS ))
When they gathered a month ago, five debated.
((NARRATOR))
Now with stricter qualifications, the candidates have narrowed to four for the fourth debate. Each will have two critical goals: to break from the pack and to distinguish themselves from Donald Trump. So, look for more attacks on the former president. Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has been branded as the “never-Trump” candidate, but the others have shied away from angering Trump’s voter base.
Andra Gillespie is a political scientist at Emory University.
((Andra Gillespie, Emory University Political Scientist))
((zoom))
((14:50))
“I think the question and the difficulty has been identifying what are the issues and concerns that animate that non-Trump wing of the party, so either the wing of the party that is decidedly anti-Trump or the people who voted for Trump because he was the Republican nominee, but people ... they're not wedded to him, and they might be open to the suggestion of voting for some somebody else, particularly if Trump starts to look too embattled because of all of his legal issues.”
((NARRATOR))
((graphic))
Despite those legal issues, which include 91 felony charges, Trump maintains a commanding lead.
Last week’s polling shows Trump with a 60% lead over Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley. For the fourth time, Trump will not join the debate.
((Mandatory Courtesy: AP/Al Qassam Brigades)) ((Video: 1st shot only))
((NARRATOR))
New to discuss in Wednesday’s debate will be the hostage releases in the Israel-Hamas war.
((Mandatory Courtesy: AP/Israel Defense Forces)) ((Video: 2 shots of Soldiers ))
The candidates share the same Republican Party line of supporting Israel.
((End Courtesy))
But look for them to fault Democratic President Joe Biden for not negotiating the release of more Americans. They could also differ on war tactics. Aaron Kall is the director of debate at the University of Michigan.
((Aaron Kall, University of Michigan))
((zoom))
“I think though there will be a question of the ceasefire and whether or not that should exist, you know, keep doing that to try to get more hostages back. Or if that’s not successful, then they must allow [an] offensive operation in Gaza to go forward in order to try to get the hostages eventually gone. So just bad tactics for what’s going to yield the best results.”
((NARRATOR))
These candidates will have two hours Wednesday night to speak to Republican voters — the first state caucus vote is six weeks away.
((Carolyn Presutti, VOA News. ))
