"Risks, Qualifications, Tickets, and Questions: The First Republican Debate Unveiled"

The first Republican debate will take place without Donald Trump, creating challenges for the other candidates who see it as an opportunity to emerge as the main alternative to the former president. Trump's absence allows the candidates to take free shots at him, but they also need to demonstrate their ability to defeat him. Ron DeSantis aims to stay in second place and needs a strong performance, while Mike Pence hopes to gain ground on Trump and DeSantis. Vivek Ramaswamy wants to introduce himself as an outsider businessman, Nikki Haley and Tim Scott aim to hang on until the South Carolina primary, and Chris Christie plans to attack Trump's failings. Other candidates are eager to boost their name recognition.