What can we expect from the third debate?

Former Gov. Chris Christie, former ambassador Nikki Haley, Gov. Ron DeSantis, Vivek Ramaswamy and U.S. Sen. Tim Scott will speak on Wednesday night during the third debate. The NBC News host promises to focus on the domestic ramifications of events abroad – namely Russia’s war on Ukraine and Iran-backed terrorists’ war on Israel – and touch on Tuesday’s election results. According to NBC executives, the debate topics are intended to support Republican Party voters make their decisions. Of course, these will be NBC News topics thinks issue for GOP voters, and with Kristen Welker and Lester Holt leading the hearing, it remains to be seen how relevant their questions are.

But in Hialeah, just a few miles from where the five candidates will face each other, a man who is already supported by many of the more likely primary voters will hold a dueling rally. Former President Donald Trump, according to the latest Real Clear Politics poll averagehas a lead of over 40 points over Republicans debating in Miami.

Those who follow Trump and are about to hit the debate stage have been chasing momentum since the beginning of their campaigns, and the dwindling number of candidates eligible for RNC-certified matchups is proof that some are unable to generate enthusiasm among GOP voters . Some Trump challengers have seen gains in polls after previous debates, but any momentum that emerged from those forums has only sparked a race for second place behind Trump, according to early state polls. Still, the debating candidates insist they’re not trying to become vice president — at least not Trump.

As the primary election draws closer for Iowa GOP voters, time is running out for non-Trump candidates to reach and win over GOP voters – of course, nothing is certain until the primary contestants’ choices are officially recorded during the caucuses and primary nights — but so far the attempts have failed to significantly narrow the gap between Trump and the rest of the field.

DeSantis, thanks to the recent support of Iowa GOP Gov. Kim Reynolds, has gained recent support in the Hawkeye State, but it remains to be seen how much of an impact it will have in Iowa as Reynolds and DeSantis focus more on the primary contests in 2024 in several early states Haley saw an uptick in post-debate polls, but there’s only so much debate left and there’s still a lot of work for her – or any other candidate – to do to close the gap and provide a earnest challenge to Trump.

So what will happen on Wednesday evening? If NBC News’ preview of topics turns out to be right (read: if moderators can keep the candidates on topic), we can expect Haley and Ramaswamy to confront each other on foreign policy. With the third debate taking place in Florida, expect DeSantis to continue to reference his victories as governor of the Sunshine State to highlight how he has already proven he can win for conservatives at the state level. Senator Scott will likely raise issues from the world stage to reinforce his recent message about the need to reject anti-Semitism on America’s campuses and in our cities, and on domestic issues, ask him to highlight his work as a legislator for conservatism principles in policies designed to support Americans cope better with their families in the face of the economic crises caused by Biden. Hopefully Chris Christie will have more Jersey zingers from his side of the stage and will probably engage in his usual mockery of Trump for not showing up to the next debate.

Both Trump at his rally and GOP challengers on the debate stage should make the case for why they can not only win the White House but also deliver victories for undervoted Republicans in 2024 and in elections during their administrations. After Tuesday’s result, the Conservatives are once again tired of defeat.

There has been plenty of blame, but voters want a plan to turn things around, not more excuses. Those who want to lead the country should explain how they will restore America’s national security in the face of increasingly unsafe threats. They should clearly explain how they will turn the economy around and provide Americans with relief from “Bidenomics,” rather than just throwing it around as a buzzword. They will likely be asked to state their position on abortion given the results of Tuesday’s vote in Ohio, and they should be clear. They should outline their foreign policy plans to end the chaos caused by Biden’s weakness on the world stage.

Whether anyone on the debate stage manages to defeat Trump in the 2024 primaries should be a secondary issue for him. What voters really want to know is whether Republicans can decisively beat Democrats. No matter who the candidate is, if they lose in the general election, none of these debates will have much meaning or success. Merely attacking Biden and his party for the chaos they have caused hasn’t worked in the medium term, it hasn’t worked in this week’s off-year elections, and it doesn’t seem likely to work in 2024.

Recent election days have clearly shown that asking voters the question: “Are you better off now than you were X years ago?” is not a compelling argument to vote to change the status quo. Instead, candidates must explain what they will do, why it will work and how it will make Americans’ lives better, more prosperous and safer.

Of course, every candidate participating on Wednesday night will claim to be the winner of the debate, either outright or through some key hit that lands on another candidate. Ultimately, however, the favorite in the race on Wednesday evening will be Trump’s rally in Hialeah. According to polls, his nomination is still a lost cause. The legal proceedings have not weakened his numbers, and it remains to be seen what the outcome of these proceedings will mean for his – and America’s – ability to deal with this unprecedented situation.

Editor’s note: Townhall will be livestreaming the third GOP debate on the blog, beginning Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET.