Republican presidential candidates (with one big exception) take the debate stage tonight

Eight Republican presidential candidates will take the debate stage Wednesday night, for whatever it’s worth. And a ninth—the one currently pulling more than 50% in polls—will skip the debate but appear on Twitter in a pre-recorded interview with Tucker Carlson. Unless one of the eight on the debate stage has a big enough breakout moment to make a difference in the race or someone’s candidacy completely melts down in real time, this event seems fated to irrelevance.

Nonetheless, it is a chance for each of the participants—North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former South Carolina governor and United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, former Vice President Mike Pence, Vivek Ramaswamy, and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott—to try to shape the trajectories of their campaigns going forward. Each has a task.