Not all the jockeying was on debate stage

likely to overshadow increasingly nasty jockeying between former Florida governor Jeb Bush and Rubio, the home- state protege he used to praise. Before the debate, the Bush team previewed criticism of Rubio as an untested leader who would have trouble defeating Hillary Clinton in the general election; the Rubio team responded with a reel of video clips showing Bush lauding him.

Nor was it likely to steal the headlines from the mocking tone of Trump has taken on the stump toward questions about the credibility of Carson, his chief rival.

This is a presidential field of record size that remains so fluid even the long- shots relegated to the undercard debate still can hope to graduate to the main stage and vie for the nomination.

In a year in which outsiders have thrived, Trump and Carson are in a contest to be the finalist for voters who think a lack of government experience not only isn’t a fatal flaw but might be an asset.

And Bush and Rubio, not to mention Ohio Gov. John Kasich and several others, are trying to hang on to become the establishment alternative in the finals — the sort of contender who in the past has won the nomination once insurgent fires have cooled. That’s why Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal targeted New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie in the undercard debate, repeatedly labeling him a “big- government Republican” who couldn’t be trusted to bring about conservative change he said Washington needs.

Former New York governor George Pataki, bumped even from that secondary debate Tuesday but still hoping his campaign could revive, predicted Trump’s time would pass.

“As voters continue to look at his comments and his statements, whether it’s attacking veterans, attacking Mexicans, his absurd position to deport 11 million people who are here, they will say, ‘ We’re had our fun, we’ve had our reality- show host who is anti- Washington, but we need somebody who can govern,’ ” Pataki told USA TODAY’s Capital Download.

To be clear, there are no signs that’s happening yet.

The debate, with more time for answers and less pushback and follow- up from the moderators, did focus more than previous forums on policy, from the challenge from China to the Federal Reserve’s decision to keep interest rates at near zero for the past seven years. Christie promised to “fire a whole bunch of IRS agents;” Huckabee vowed to eliminate the tax agency entirely.

In fact, the candidates have a fair amount to debate on economic issues.

While all the GOP contenders call for cutting taxes, the approaches they back differ in fundamental ways, from a national consumption tax to a flat rate based on Biblical tithing. When it comes to an issue like entitlement spending, the differences among them range from curbing benefits for more affluent seniors to reviving the idea of personal savings accounts as part of the Social Security system.

Bush called for rolling back “every single regulation” that President Obama has imposed.

The main debate featured eight contenders who scored an average of 2.5% or more in four recent national polls: Trump, Carson, Rubio, Bush, Kasich, former CEO Carly Fiorina, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul. The undercard debate had four more: Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum and Christie.

When the Republican field does narrow to two or three, the policy positions the candidates are beginning to detail undoubtedly will matter more.

Trump has proposed slashing the top tax rate, now 39.6%, to 25%. Rubio proposes more than doubling the child tax credit, in effect a big tax cut for middle- income families, as well as major tax savings for the wealthy. Carson backs a flat tax of about 15% based on the Biblical idea of tithing. In the debate, Kasich warned against the “tax schemes” of his competitors that he said would “put our kids in a hole” by exploding the deficit.

On the Democratic side, the debate already has involved more policy details. That reflects a smaller field and the wonkish tendencies of frontrunner Hillary Clinton and challenger Bernie Sanders, the Vermont senator who has grounded his campaign on liberal policies aimed to address economic inequality.

Both Democrats now support an increase in the minimum wage — Clinton to $ 12 an hour, Sanders to $ 15 — and both oppose the Trans Pacific Partnership trade deal that is President Obama’s biggest final legislative priority. Both propose raising taxes on the wealthiest Americans; all the Republicans back tax plans that in effect would cut them.

In the general election next November, that will be a real debate.

SCOTT OLSON, GETTY IMAGES Ben Carson watches as Sen. Ted Cruz, R- Texas, speaks during the Republican presidential debate sponsored by Fox Business and The Wall Street Journal in Milwaukee on Tuesday.