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[h=4]With debate under their belt, GOP field looks South[/h]CLEVELAND —<span style="color: Red;">*</span>After debating Thursday before a national television audienceDonald Trump, Jeb Bush, and Scott Walker are among those who will address the Red State Gathering, a group of actvists and bloggers inolved in key Republican primaries next year
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USA TODAY's Ledyard King picks Marco Rubio, Chris Christie and John Kasich as the standout candidates in the first GOP debate in the 2016 presidential race. USA TODAY
Republican presidential candidates gather on the debate stage on Aug. 6, 2015, in Cleveland.(Photo: John Minchillo, AP)
CLEVELAND — After debating Thursday before a national television audience, Donald Trump, Jeb Bush, and Scott Walker are among the candidates who will take their White House bids to<span style="color: Red;">*</span>the<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Red State Gathering, a group of activists and bloggers involved in key Republican primaries next year.
Delegates at the event are<span style="color: Red;">*</span>the kinds of people who make calls and knock on doors for candidates in conservative states that form the base of the Republican Party, said Erick Erickson, editor-in-chief of the RedState website and organizer of the event.
"There's a lot of sweat equity involved in what they do for these candidates," he said.
As they prepare to address the Red State Gathering in Atlanta, the candidates will also be assessing the aftermath of Thursday's debate.
USA TODAY
First Take: Trump gets spotlight, but it might burn
Donald Trump, who has a big lead in Republican polls, found himself on the defensive over his abrasive comments about immigrants and political rivals, his occasional disparagement of women, his commitment to the Republican Party, and the evolving nature of his views on abortion and other issues.
USA TODAY
Trump: The art of the debate
Trump also refused to rule out a third-party presidential bid Thursday night <span style="color: Red;">*</span>should he lose the Republican nomination.
Speaking Friday on MSNBC, Trump said an independent run is only an option.
"I just want to see if somebody gets in that I like, and if I’m treated with respect, I would not run as an independent," Trump said. "But I want to leave the option open just in case that doesn’t happen."
Trump addresses the Red State Gathering on Saturday, as do two other top<span style="color: Red;">*</span>rivals, Bush and Walker.
Bush also had to defend himself during Thursday's debate. He fielded tough questions about support for an immigration plan and Common Core education standards, both of which have been attacked by Red State delegates and other conservatives.
Bush struck an energetic note following the feisty prime-time debate, however, tweeting that he was "fired up by hundreds who came out for post-debate rally in Cleveland. What a night."
Walker had to explain his shifting positions on immigration and other issues.
In a post-debate interview on Fox News, Walker said he wanted to avoid "picking fights with fellow Republicans," and instead "bring the fight back to Hillary Clinton."
ONPOLITICS
The GOP primary debate: Five takeaways
In Atlanta, Red State delegates will hear Friday from Chris Christie, Rick Perry, Bobby Jindal, Carly Fiorina, and Marco Rubio.
Saturday's line-up features Mike Huckabee and Ted Cruz as well as Trump, Bush, and Walker.
The South has been a key part of the Republican political base since the 1960s. Richard Nixon employed<span style="color: Red;">*</span>a "Southern strategy" to win the presidency in 1968, capitalizing on regional opposition to civil rights laws and other actions by the federal government.
This year, southern Republicans are seeking to consolidating their influence by holding primaries on the same day, including contests in Texas and Georgia.
The March 1 event is being touted as the SEC primary, named after college sports' Southeastern Conference.
Presidential candidates are "going to have to swing through the South right after South Carolina," Erickson said, referring to the stand-alone primary in the Palmetto State in February.
USA TODAY
Fact check: The GOP debate
Red State delegates want to hear the candidates'<span style="color: Red;">*</span>economic plans, Erickson said, but are also interested in issues of religious liberty in the wake of the recent Supreme Court decision legalizing gay marriage.
The theme of the event is Vision 2020, with candidates explaining how the country might look after their first term in the White House.
"The first task of any Republican Presidential candidates must be to convince the American people that they, not government, control their destiny," says the Red State website.
As in the debate, Trump's stark and sudden rise to the top of the polls will shadow the political appearances at the Red State Gathering.
USA TODAY
Trump won't rule out third-party bid in lively debate
There are risks for any candidate addressing a large<span style="color: Red;">*</span>group of conservatives, some of whom have been energized by Trump's success.
Janine Parry, professor of political science at the University of Arkansas, said it's hard enough to get attention in a field the size of the Republican race.
The attention given Trump makes it even harder, she said, pressuring candidates to say or do anything to get attention — a potentially dangerous endeavor when it comes to attracting independent votes.
"They may say things they would regret in a general election," Parry said.
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