WASHINGTON -- Presidential hopefuls participating in the first Republican presidential debate last month in Cleveland approached the elephant in the room gingerly, giving businessman Donald Trump and his brawling persona a wide berth as they auditioned before a primetime audience for the first time in the campaign.
But the gloves are sure to come off Wednesday in the second GOP presidential debate at the Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, after weeks of polls showing Trump solidifying his lead over his rivals in nearly every early primary state. The surge is a remarkable turn of events given the real estate mogul's penchant for making controversial statements that would likely sink a more traditional candidate.
CNN, which is hosting the debate, and the candidates have both predicted major fireworks (for different, albeit mutually beneficial, reasons). The campaigns of one-time frontrunners are eager to display some testosterone in hopes of assuaging nervous supporters holding the purse strings. And the moderator, CNN's Jake Tapper, has promised to pit candidates against each other, practically guaranteeing some quality television. Indeed, the show might resemble something akin to a toddler's birthday party featuring one real Trump piñata currently moving off the shelves across Southern California in record numbers.
Perhaps the biggest development since early August (aside from former Texas Gov. Rick Perry's quiet yet predictable flameout) is the rise of famed neurosurgeon Ben Carson, another outsider who has never held elected office. The soft-spoken Carson, who has a habit of making controversial statements, has rocketed into second place by taking a more low-key approach. Reflecting on his performance in Cleveland, where he largely flew under the radar, Carson recently expressed his desire for a “fair share” of debate time. But it's doubtful, given his non-confrontational persona and his comfortable position in the polls, that he'll spend much time attacking Trump.
Instead, Carson will likely do what has worked so far in the campaign: kill his rivals with kindness. He displayed some of that ethos in an interview with the Wall Street Journal on Sunday, in which he backed off questioning the businessman's faith and shrugged off Trump calling him an "OK doctor."
"I agree. I am an OK doctor. I constantly was amazed at incredible things that were happening in my career. I’m still amazed as I look at them today. … I don’t see it as an insult. It’s OK with me," Carson said in response.
Other candidates aren't planning on being so forgiving.
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, according to The New York Times, is preparing some "dignified zingers" to counter Trump's near-constant attacks of being a "low-energy" candidate. As one of the men standing immediately next to Trump at the debate, Bush will likely have the first opportunity to engage in some close-quarters combat -- though he will almost certainly need to wield something stronger than a "dignified zinger."
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker has also promised to put on a more "aggressive" performance after a lackluster showing at the first debate. The "Midwestern nice" governor has seen a complete collapse in the polls since Cleveland, and he'll be looking to shake up the race by continuing to tout his accomplishments against Democrats in Wisconsin. It remains an open question, however, whether he will engage in the Trump smackdown, as he'll risk alienating his like-minded conservative base.
The most interesting exchange may come between Trump and former Hewlett Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, who recently made the main stage after CNN changed its polling criteria -- seemingly as if to guarantee her the 11th spot at the event. As the only female candidate in the race, Fiorina is uniquely positioned to challenge Trump (and Hillary Clinton) on women's issues. The fact that Trump has been mocking Fiorina's face has only emboldened the businesswoman, who fired back by cleverly proclaiming that she was "proud of every year -- and every wrinkle.”
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who is polling in the single digits nationally, joked earlier this month that he may just "go nuclear" if he doesn't receive his fair share of questions -- a real concern given the number of candidates on stage.
In case you forgot -- and it seems Republican primary voters might have done so based on early polling -- Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas) are still in the race. They'll look to go on offense in hopes of generating some, if any, buzz to resuscitate their flagging campaigns.
But what about Trump? How is the frontrunner preparing for this onslaught of criticism, and who is he planning to go after?
"In terms of targeting -- any voter. I want them to vote, I want them to love Trump and know I'll do a good job," Trump said last week in an interview with Jimmy Fallon on "The Tonight Show."
"As far as candidates, to me they’re all the same," he added, garnering a round of laughter. "They’re really all the same."
For more on the current status of the race as told by HuffPost Pollster, which averages all available surveys, check out the chart below: