It's gonna be a bloodbath: A GOP debate guide

5. Do the candidates go after Trump? Of course, it’s entirely possible Trump comes out throwing elbows and the debate descends into chaos (like that time Rocky fought Thunder Lips, the wrestler played by Hulk Hogan). Based on my reading of the debate rules, a candidate who is mentioned by name gets to respond. This is an important rule, because one assumes that “time of possession” (the amount of screen time each candidate receives) is a large factor in terms of his ability to “win” the debate. In a rational world, where the other non-Trump Republican candidates would cooperate, they might agree to simply not mention Trump’s name—thereby depriving him of any extra time. The problem is that several of the candidates will have an incentive to pick a fight with Trump. The downside, of course, is that Trump might embarrass them. But the upside is there’s no better way to ensure your video clip gets played on a loop the next day than to tangle with Trump. For obvious reasons, the cable news networks will be biased toward showing that kind of footage. And, you don’t get knocked out by Trump, the assumption is that all publicity is good publicity. In other words, the worst thing that can happen to you in this debate is to be an afterthought (this could be a danger for someone like Scott Walker, a top-tier candidate who’s not known for his charisma). Getting into a skirmish—even if you don’t necessarily win—guarantees attention and press coverage.