Technically, the seven candidates who stood on the debate stage last night at the Ronald Reagan Library are running for President. They all filed a statement of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission. They are all on the primary ballot. They spent their time meeting the voters of Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina.

But last night’s debate proved that none of them are ACTUALLY running for President in 2024. Nikki Haley and Tim Scott are vying to be Trump’s vice presidential pick. Ron DeSantis and Vivek Ramaswamy are campaigning for the 2028 GOP nomination. Chris Christie is auditioning for a gig on MSNBC. Mike Pence may have a death wish by courting the voters who want to murder him. And no one knows what the hell Doug Burghum is doing.

The debate was a snoozefest featuring mediocre politicians posturing and spending down what remains of their campaign bank accounts. Other than a few glancing, cheesy critiques about Trump not attending the debate, the candidates ignored the indicted elephant not in the room.

Look, anything CAN happen — especially when Donald Trump is involved. But as of right now, the GOP primary is effectively over, and the candidates know it.

Missed Opportunities Galore

To win the Republican nomination, it is vital to beat Donald Trump — who, according to a new CBS News/YouGov poll, is up 30 points in Iowa and 37 points in New Hampshire. These are huge leads, of course, but they are not completely insurmountable. While Republican voters clearly prefer Trump, they are open to other candidates...