As the Republican primary season intensifies, a surprising trend has emerged in the GOP debates - the candidates seem less inclined to attack front-runner Donald Trump and more focused on criticizing each other. A recent analysis by POLITICO, based on debate transcripts, reveals that with each debate, the contenders have increasingly turned their sights away from Trump, despite his commanding lead in the polls.

The analysis, conducted using transcripts from Rev.com, showed how frequently the candidates, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, and Chris Christie, took aim at Trump, President Joe Biden, and each other across the four debates. It was evident that the volume of attacks directed at fellow GOP rivals overshadowed any direct criticism aimed at Trump, highlighting the fierce race for second place.

During Wednesday night's debate, the candidates engaged in 28 exchanges targeting each other, while directing only nine jabs towards Trump. This pattern remained consistent throughout the debates, even as Trump's lead in the polls continued to grow. In the first debate, when Trump had a 52 percent national polling approval, the candidates launched 10 attacks against him. Now, with his lead at 60 percent, fewer attacks are being made.

One possible explanation for this trend could be the composition of the debate stage. Many of the vocal Trump critics in the race have either dropped out or failed to qualify for subsequent debates. For instance, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson attacked Trump twice in the first debate but subsequently exited the race. Former Vice President Mike Pence also criticized his former boss in the early debates before withdrawing from the competition.

During the latest debate, Christie emerged as the lone major Trump critic on the stage. He lambasted his fellow candidates for seemingly disregarding the fact that Trump was not present, drawing a parallel between Trump and the fictional character Voldemort from the Harry Potter franchise. Christie, who is polling at 2.7 percent nationally, expressed frustration towards the other contenders, emphasizing Trump's significant lead in the polls.

While the reluctance to target Trump may stem from a fear of alienating Republican primary voters, it also demonstrates the significant challenge he poses as the biggest obstacle to securing the nomination. With time running out for candidates to overtake Trump, the attacks against him slightly increased in the fourth debate. DeSantis, in particular, criticized Trump's age and raised doubts about his electability.

Yet, some candidates, like Haley and DeSantis, evaded direct confrontations with Trump during the debate. Haley, who has surged in the polls since the first debate, faced attacks from Ramaswamy and DeSantis but refrained from engaging in an aggressive critique of Trump. Instead, she emphasized the dangers posed by certain countries while questioning the need for a wholesale ban on Muslim immigrants. DeSantis declined to label Trump as "mentally unfit" when pressed on the issue.

In addition to the diminishing focus on Trump, the candidates have also reduced their criticism of President Biden. Although the incumbent president is viewed unfavorably in polls, the candidates have redirected their line of attack. Initially, Biden was targeted nearly twice as much as Trump in the first debate. However, in Wednesday's debate, both presidents were attacked nine times, indicating a shift in strategy to gain approval from the Republican base and independent voters disenchanted with Biden.

While the debates were intended to narrow down the Republican primary field, they have largely become a battle for second place. With Trump maintaining a comfortable lead in the polls, the reluctance to directly confront him further solidifies his position as the frontrunner. As the primary season progresses, it becomes increasingly apparent that the path to securing the nomination will require contenders to address Trump's popularity and articulate their distinctive positions on pertinent issues.