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 After the histrionics of last week's gathering in Detroit, the
four remaining candidates are likely to search for higher ground as
they offer closing arguments to Republican voters, particularly
those in Florida and Ohio, who vote next Tuesday in nominating
contests for the Nov. 8 election.
The burden is particularly heavy on U.S. Senator Marco Rubio of
Florida and Ohio Governor John Kasich, who must do well in their
home states or face pressure to exit the race.
While Kasich is holding his own against Trump in Ohio opinion polls,
Rubio has lagged far behind Trump in Florida.
Trump's victories in Michigan, Mississippi and Hawaii on Tuesday
added to his momentum after a week of attacks by mainstream
Republicans who are offended by his statements on Muslims, women and
illegal immigrants and alarmed by his threats to international trade
deals.
The tough-talking billionaire businessman told CNN on Wednesday he
expected the debate to be a "nicer, softer, lighter debate, I hope."
But he added: "I'll be ready. I'm the only one who can beat
Hillary," a reference to Democratic presidential front-runner
Hillary Clinton.
 The tone could be set by Trump, 69, who forecast before several
previous debates that he would take a more measured approach, only
to quickly get into a verbal brawl with his rivals.
The CNN-hosted debate will be held at the University of Miami at
8:30 p.m. (0130 GMT on Friday).
"I would focus on a positive uplifting message that takes us back to
why they're running for president and what's at stake in this
election," said Eric Fehrnstrom, a senior adviser to 2012 Republican
nominee Mitt Romney.
In Detroit last Thursday, Trump came under sustained fire from
Rubio, 44, over parts of his business empire such as Trump
University, a now-defunct venture that critics said offered a flimsy
education. U.S. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas piled on Trump over his
past support for Democratic causes.
Trump blasted Rubio throughout the debate as a lightweight and Cruz
as a liar.
'KIDS EMBARRASSED'
The Trump-Rubio debate clash in Detroit followed an abrupt change in
Rubio's campaign to begin raising personal questions about Trump,
such as saying he had small hands, a statement Trump saw as a
reference to his penis size.
Rubio said he now regretted the personal insults.
"In terms of things that have to do with personal stuff, yeah, at
the end of the day, it's not something I'm entirely proud of. My
kids were embarrassed by it, and if I had to do it again, I
wouldn't," Rubio told MSNBC on Wednesday.
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Cruz, 45, who would like to knock Rubio and Kasich out of the race
so he could draw more support from anti-Trump Republican voters,
will seek to use the debate to position himself as the best Trump
alternative.
"Trump is clearly trying to reach out and be a little more
statesmanlike," said Cruz backer Saul Anuzis, a former chairman of
the Michigan Republican Party. "Cruz is going to make the case as to
why he can beat Trump and be the viable alternative. From our
perspective, we think it's a two-man race, we're the only one with a
path."
Rubio is fighting for survival and is facing something of a last
stand in Florida. Rival campaigns said Rubio may feel a need to
return to the optimistic message he stuck to for months before
getting sidetracked by Trump.
Rubio told Fox News on Wednesday the campaign was always going to
come down to who wins Florida.
"The nominee has to win Florida. You can’t be the Republican nominee
if you don’t win Florida," he said.
Kasich, Rubio and Cruz have one shot at denying Trump the nomination
- preventing him from assembling the required 1,237 delegates to win
the nomination outright, which would mean delegates would have to
choose the nominee at their July 18-21 convention in Cleveland.
Trump said on CNN on Wednesday that 1,237 was an "artificial number"
and that if he entered the convention with more delegates than his
rivals, he should be the nominee.
While he has vowed to wage war against the party if he is denied the
nomination at the convention, Kasich, 63, said it was possible for
Republicans to have a contested convention and emerge united.
"Can you go to a convention and come out united? Absolutely," he
told a Fox News town hall on Wednesday.
(Reporting by Steve Holland; Editing by Peter Cooney)
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