The big favorite Donald Trump was the only candidate who exceeded the 10 percent threshold to take part in the vote. But as he has done six times before, the former Republican president is hesitant to run because of his overwhelming lead in the polls.
In style if not substance, Wednesday's individual debate could resemble a preview of the general election debate we witnessed. Only Haley and DeSantis will take the stage. There is no place to hide and no other candidate can stand in his way.
Among the most memorable moments from previous debates was Haley's feud with Vivek Ramaswamy. All this is a thing of the past as Ramaswamy did not cross the electoral threshold this time.
DeSantis allies are also quick to point out that Chris Christie also won't be there to defend Haley like he did at the last debate.
However, the same challenges also apply to DeSantis. The Florida governor has improved as a presidential candidate, but he's not particularly natural on stage. This is notable because body language and tone of voice may play a larger role in this encounter, as both are almost constantly in front of the camera.. When a man and a woman appear on the scene, another dynamic arises.
Who could forget the image of Trump accompanying Hillary Clinton during the 2016 general election debate? The emergency is real In less than a week,Iowa Republicans will vote. The two candidates are fighting with all means to establish themselves as a clear alternative to Trump. To achieve this they need a boost from the debate to take a strong second place in the Monday clubs.
DeSantis is especially concerned that the race doesn't end up worse than second place, since he's basically been living in Iowa for months and has moved his national campaign headquarters here.
And he actually predicted a total victory over Trump.All this urgency is likely to set off fireworks on the debate stage.
We're told Haley may want to focus more on Trump than DeSantis, but DeSantis won't make it easy. With his campaign's survival at risk, he will seek to cut spending. Haley has had some of her best moments in past debates when things got heated - at least for Ramaswamy - and her team insists they won't be intimidated.
That could make it difficult for CNN anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash to control the action Wednesday night.
AND HIS GAFFA?
Haley proved to be an enthusiastic debater. But in recent days she has stumbled on the campaign trail as pressure - and attention - increased ahead of the voting phase of the campaign.
His gaffes give DeSantis clear lines of attack.And he will probably use them aggressively.
Haley made one of her first big mistakes when she refused to cite slavery as the cause of the Civil War during a recent campaign stop in New Hampshire. She was later criticized for speaking out about her black friends during a CNN town hall. While neither is likely to pose a major problem for Iowa's predominantly white Republican electorate, he certainly angered Iowa voters when he claimed that New Hampshire, which will hold its presidential primary on Jan. 23, would "fix" Iowa's vote.
And DeSantis won't make it easy to ignore his mistakes.
YOU HAVE PROBLEMS
When it comes to politics, Haley and DeSantis largely agree.
Both support aggressive restrictions on abortion – at least at the state level. Both support tough policies to end illegal immigration. Both are against so-called “woke” programs aimed at promoting social justice.
Both raised their hands to say they would support Trump if he became the Republican presidential nominee, even though he is a convicted felon.However, it is likely that some political differences will emerge in the debate scene.
Haley represents the old guard of traditional conservatism: a particularly strong foreign policy and fiscal discipline. DeSantis has aligned more closely with Trump's populist Republican wing, which favors less foreign intervention and is less cautious about Social Security and Medicare, which are the main drivers of domestic spending.
There are also vague topics where we expect conflict.
While both are deeply conservative, DeSantis' policies are in some areas more in line with the MAGA movement, which has become a staple of the modern Republican Party. We'll see how Haley reconciles her traditional conservative ideals with those that emerged under Trump.
If he wants to pose a serious threat to Trump, he cannot afford to anger either wing of the party.
COUNTERPROGRAMMING
Regardless of whether Trump is present or not, Trump plays a key role in virtually every debate given his status as the heavy favorite in the race. Let's hope this is the case on Wednesday evening too.
It's worth noting that Haley recently refused to rule out becoming vice president if the opportunity arose.
However, if voters want to hear directly from Trump on Wednesday evening, all they have to do is change the channel.
The former president will take part in an hour-long town hall on Fox News, starting at exactly the same time as the debate on CNN. And if recent town halls with Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum are anything to go by, Trump could be facing some tough questions.