Debate in Iowa could move needle for Republicans

DES MOINES - On Thursday, top Republican presidential candidates will take a debate stage in Iowa, and just 96 hours later, the state's Republicans will anoint their choice for the party's nomination.

Scheduled so close to the caucuses, Fox News' two-tiered debate at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines has the potential to wield heavy influence on undecided Iowans.

'Absolutely. If you look at the past polls, a big percentage of caucusgoers make up their minds in the last three or four days. This will be the last big event during that time period. I would assume it's going to play a role in who people decide to support,” said Chris Wallace, one of Fox News' debate moderators.

Most recent polls on the Republican field in Iowa show a close race for the top spot between Donald Trump and Ted Cruz. Marco Rubio consistently shows third, but well behind the front-runners.

Many voters at Iowa campaign events say they are choosing between Cruz and Trump, or Cruz and Rubio. So-called establishment or moderate candidates like former governors Jeb Bush, Chris Christie and John Kasich still are trying to curry favor with Iowa Republicans. Rand Paul hopes his libertarian message catches on like his father's did here in 2012.

Thursday's debate provides one last big opportunity.

'I think I could make the argument - we'll see how things progress with the campaigns across the country - that this could be the biggest debate of the entire year. Because it's right before the first contest,” said Jeff Kaufmann, chairman of the Republican Party of Iowa.

One candidate who does not plan to be on the debate stage is Trump. The billionaire businessman, former reality television star and GOP polling front-runner in Iowa and beyond, Trump declared Tuesday he will not participate in the debate because of what he says he has been mistreated in the past by Fox News debate moderators, particularly Megyn Kelly.

The remaining candidates will try to sway many still-persuadable caucusgoers. A Quinnipiac University poll published this week showed only 2 percent of likely Iowa Republican caucusgoers are undecided, but a whopping 39 percent said they might change their mind.

'It's just four days before the caucuses, so we feel a keen responsibility to provide the voters with the information to do some comparison shopping so they can figure out who they're going to support on Monday night,” Wallace said.

The debate questions will cover a wide array of topics and moderators at this advanced stage of the campaign will attempt to find 'unplowed ground” among the candidates, he said.

'The challenge now is to focus on what the key issues are, what's on voters' minds, what's on the candidates' minds, what the key points of distinction are among them on various issues, and to bring those out,” Wallace said.