Quote:When Jeb Bush and Donald Trump share a debate stage next week, Bush needs to ignore the real estate mogul at all costs —and if that fails, laugh him off.

That’s the advice given by more than half of the POLITICO Caucus, our weekly, bipartisan survey of the top activists, operatives and strategists in Iowa and New Hampshire.

“The old maxim applies: Never wrestle with a pig,” counseled a New Hampshire Republican. “You get dirty, and besides, the pig likes it.”

At the first GOP primary debate, slated for Aug. 6 in Cleveland, Bush and eight other Republicans will share the stage with Trump, the bombastic businessman who is leading the Republican field in recent polls and dominating headlines. Trump has been critical of a host of other GOP candidates, but he is an especially sharp and persistent critic of Bush — even attacking Bush in his own announcement for president.

But insiders have a message for the former Florida governor: do not engage. Many Republicans expect Trump will zero in on Bush in the debate — and how Bush responds could go a long way toward shaping perceptions about his cool under fire. Bush has not tussled as frequently or as heatedly with Trump as other GOP candidates have, and several insiders advised that the longer the focus is on Trump’s battles with the others, the better it is for Bush to quietly consolidate support while others struggle to break through.