The 5 Stories You'll Care About in Politics This Week

— -- Republicans are splitting apart, while Democrats are set to get together. The two men who ran for No. 2 three years ago are looking like number ones in their respective parties. And Donald Trump somehow isn’t part of the conversation, not even when he invited a Hispanic woman to join him on stage and brandish a magazine with his family on it. (That really happened.)

Here’s a glimpse at some of the stories the ABC News political team will be tracking in the week ahead:

PRINCE PAUL

House Republicans don’t have a leader, and the only man they seem to want to take them out of the current mess doesn’t want the job. House Ways and Means Chairman Paul Ryan is being cast as a potential savior for a GOP that's just torn down a potential speaker, after pushing aside the current one. It's a remarkable and scary moment for the GOP, with key votes coming up on government funding and the debt limit. Ryan is reconsidering his firm denial of interest, and the fact is Republicans don't have a good backup plan.

TOGETHER NOW

The era of Hillary Clinton not engaging with her Democratic opponents will almost certainly come to an end on Tuesday, with the first Democratic debate. The showdown in Las Vegas will come as Clinton has shifted course to cope with the rising challenge posed by Bernie Sanders, and the potential one posed by Joe Biden. Clinton's fresh breaks with the Obama White House will surely be scrutinized, as will Sanders' ability to shine when the crowd isn't packed with his supporters. The debate will also be a desperately needed opportunity for Martin O’Malley, Lincoln Chafee, and Jim Webb to gain some attention in the race.

SPACE FOR JOE

It's hard to see how someone not on the debate stage could wind up being the story of the week. That's where things stand, however, a function of ballot timing and Joe Biden's personal schedule. Associates expect a decision by the vice president on whether to enter the presidential race by week's end, perhaps shortly after the debate. That would allow him to appear at a key forum in Iowa as well and start qualifying for primaries. The big question for Biden will be whether he can build a campaign that can compete with Clinton's organization, as well as the energy behind Sanders.

DOCTOR'S ORDER

Dr. Ben Carson has spent much of his time as a frontrunner explaining -– not just what’s in his new book, but whatever happens to be on his mind at the moment. His comments on guns -– he said he would rush a mass shooter, and thinks the Holocaust may have been less severe if the Nazis had less gun control -– have drawn quizzical looks from his rivals and the press. Carson is getting scrutiny on issues for the first time, but he's already managed the seemingly impossible: He's gotten Donald Trump off of front pages.

INTRAMURALS

Some of the most intriguing and consequential skirmishes of the Republican race don't involve Donald Trump. (OK, some do.) There's Jeb Bush vs. Marco Rubio, with Bush tweaking Rubio’s missed Senate votes and his Super PAC getting its tracker kicked out of Rubio events. There's Rand Paul vs. Ted Cruz, in a battle for libertarian and tea party hearts and minds. There's Bobby Jindal vs. the RNC, with Jindal angling for an elusive main-stage debate invite. And there's Donald Trump vs. Donald Trump, with the candidate who's taking on everybody wrestling with what his next phase should be.