State of play in the GOP: Trump rivals see reasons for hope

WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump's rivals emerged from the second Republican debate newly confident that the brash billionaire will fade if the nomination fight takes a more substantive turn, and that they can play a role in taking him down without hurting their own White House ambitions.

Even if Trump does falter in the coming weeks, several dozen Republicans interviewed by The Associated Press after the latest debate said no candidate is positioned to seize control if there's a void atop the unruly Republican field.

In post-debate calls with donors and other supporters, Bush advisers singled out his defense of his brother, former President George W. Bush, when Trump challenged his record.

With the implicit backing of GOP officials, Fiorina's campaign lobbied debate host CNN to change the participation criteria to allow her to participate despite her low poll numbers.

While many question her ultimate viability, the businesswoman is viewed as a powerful political weapon in the GOP's push to court women, particularly in a 2016 contest that features Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Thursday in New Hampshire, he declined to correct a questioner who wrongly said President Barack Obama is a Muslim and asked what Trump planned to do about terrorist training camps on U.S. soil.

Polling is notoriously unreliable at this stage of a campaign and heavily influenced by name recognition.

Because Trump is largely financing his own campaign, the whims of wealthy donors offer little insight into his standing with voters.

For other candidates, fundraising will consume the rest of their month ahead of the looming Sept. 30 deadline for reporting their money totals to federal regulators.

Donors and fundraisers for most candidates are predicting a paltry showing, given that the reporting period covers the traditionally slow summer months — a time they say was further exacerbated by the puzzle of Trump's enduring prominence.