11:13 PM – Lots of good closers. Will have a round-up with final thoughts, which will be posted in the morning. A little preview: the candidates who are obviously going to benefit most from this are Fiorina and Rubio. Trump took some punches that he couldn’t handle tonight, but I still don’t know if that affects his poll numbers. Bush had a good solid performance. Christie did well, but isn’t going to light any fires. Same goes for Huckabee, and probably Rand Paul. Cruz’s numbers might not show much movement, but I think he’s definitely one to watch when February and March draw near.
By: Steve Albertson
10:59 PM – Nice way to end things with the light-hearted questions. Great laugh line from Jeb Bush.
By: Steve Albertson
10:53 PM – This has gone on too long.
By: Steve Albertson
10:45 PM – Good take on climate change from Rubio and Christie…the whole global warming/climate change campaign is all about destroying western economies, principally the U.S. Glad to hear someone (Christie) push nuclear energy as a pro-growth alternative to the left’s prescriptions.
By: Steve Albertson
10:45 PM – Good take on climate change from Rubio and Christie…the whole global warming/climate change campaign is all about destroying western economies, principally the U.S. Glad to hear someone (Christie) push nuclear energy as a pro-growth alternative to the left’s prescriptions.
By: Steve Albertson
10:38 PM – Bush says keeping guns out of the hands of people with mental health problems on a state-by-state basis. Says the best approach is to enforce gun laws already on the books, and punish the us of guns in committing a crime. Rubio makes an argument that strong values and culture to anchor people in institutions that would keep them, and those around them, safe.
By: Steve Albertson
10:31 PM – Rand good on freedom, and how one of the principal effects of the war on drugs is putting poor people in prison for a crime that hurts only the person smoking pot.
By: Steve Albertson
10:21 PM – Jeb Bush praising “good decisions” by John Roberts. Curious, no? Cruz picks up on the opportunity to criticize the appointment of Roberts as a mistake, criticizing the consequences of the moderate appointments of G.H.W. Bush and G.W. Bush on the Supreme Court. Bush responds that Cruz supported the nomination of Roberts, Cruz counters that he supported him only after he was nominated, and that a real conservative should have been nominated. I believe Cruz when he says he’d appoint the right judges.
By: Steve Albertson
10:14 PM – Governor Pawlenty needs to light a fire.
By: Steve Albertson
10:08 PM – Carson is dead wrong about not wanting to go into Afghanistan after 9/11. Absolutely the wrong instincts to say the response is to become petroleum independent as a response to 9/11. Lunacy.
By: Steve Albertson
10:05 PM – Bush was all over Trump on his brother’s Presidency. They’re all handling Trump well.
By: Jeanine Martin
10:01 PM – Jeb lands a big punch on Trump about his previous support of Hillary Clinton. Trump attempts a counterpunch by insulting Bush’s brother. Jeb NAILS him, to great applause, about how you can say what you want about George W. Bush, but he kept us safe. Well done.
By: Steve Albertson
9:58 PM – Jeez…The Donald Show is getting old. He’s now saying it doesn’t matter if he doesn’t understand the Middle East because he’ll know it by the time he takes office. Gave a real opportunity to Marco Rubio to absolutely shine on foreign policy. Rubio is really impressive…he would make an outstanding nominee. He’s got some warts (immigration), but what a candidate!
By: Steve Albertson
9:50 PM – The Susan B. Anthony List already has a YouTube clip up with the best applause line of the night, Carly Fiorina’s answer on Iran and Planned Parenthood:
By: Steve Albertson
9:47 PM – Tapper again setting up conflict, this time with a question about who is right–Fiorina or Kasich–about the appropriateness of attacking Hillary Clinton. Kasich wants to keep it positive. Fiorina turns this back on Christie’s attack on talking about candidates’ records, saying this is what the whole debate is about.
By: Steve Albertson
9:42 PM – Finally talking about proposals to reform the tax code. Trump says his plan will be rolled out int he next couple of weeks. Rand Paul talks about a 14.5% flat tax on business and personal income…I like this philosophically, and want to hear more.
By: Steve Albertson
9:38 PM – Carly is kickin’ Trumps butt on all 4 of his bankruptcies! Christie has good answer, addressed to the people, putting down Carly and Trump for arguing with each other about their careers. I blame the moderators for addressing almost everything to Trump or about Trump.
By: Jeanine Martin
9:36 PM – Tapper sets up an attack line for Trump in asking Fiorina about Trump’s criticism on her leadership at HP. Really? This is how you advance the debate in a meaningful way? By facilitating the exchange of insults? Christie makes a good point about stopping the childish back and forth between Fiorina and Trump…but his criticism is misplaced. It’s the moderator’s fault for the questions being asked, and the repeated tendency for him to troll the candidates for headline-grabbing exchanges.
By: Steve Albertson
9:29 PM – Trump right on birthright citizenship. Fiorina asked about why what he says is pandering. She deflects, and talks about having to amend the Constitution (while Trump is talking about approaching it through legislation and the courts). Didn’t come across as well as other in other statements, but makes a great point about the problem being that Democrats simply don’t want to solve the problem. Rand Paul sides with Trump.
By: Steve Albertson
9:25 PM – It’s been a long time since we’ve heard from Huckabee, Walker, Christie…maybe some others. They’ve really been focusing on Bush, Carson, Rubio, Trump, and Fiorina.
By: Steve Albertson
9:23 PM – Ted Cruz giving props to Trump…it is clear Cruz is positioning himself to pick up the scraps after any potential Trump explosion. Says he’s the only candidate on the stage who hasn’t supported amnesty. Not sure that’s true…
By: Steve Albertson
9:20 PM – Rubio’s personal story continues to be inspiring. Great answer to why he gives interviews in Spanish, one that does a better job of appealing to Americans’ good nature on immigration than Jeb was able to do.
By: Steve Albertson
9:18 PM – Jeb … CANNOT WIN going after Trump on immigration. He just can’t. Jeb’s views on immigration aren’t from his wife, they are from his Catholicism. I’m *begging* for someone to talk about the Drug War.
By: Chris Beer
9:17 PM – Carson squirming on his criticism of Trump’s deportation plans. Jeb scoring good points on Trump’s criticism of his stance on immigration because of his Mexican-born wife. (Another instance where Trump has to back off and say the woman involved is lovely).
By: Steve Albertson
9:12 PM – Carly seems to be the inner thus far. Jeb needs to worry less about Trump and more about Kasich.
By: Chris Beer
9:09 PM – Carly Fiorina really just put Trump in his place on his “Look at that face” remark. Handled brilliantly.
By: Steve Albertson
9:05 PM – Carly REALLY good on Iran Deal and Planned Parenthood. Biggest applause of the night.
By: Jeanine Martin
9:05 PM – Carly REALLY good on Iran Deal and Planned Parenthood. Biggest applause of the night.
By: Jeanine Martin
9:05PM – DAMN! Carly had been trying to angle in over two different discussions, Iran and Planned Parenthood, and gave an answer linking the two, knocking it out of the park. Gave by far the strongest responses of the night on both. This is the kind of answer that won her the first debate. The right mixture of a moral approach, strength on policy details, and a level of energy and determination that will play very well, I’m betting.
By: Steve Albertson
8:56 PM – WOW! Mike Huckabee hits a solid triple on the issue of making accommodations for the religious freedom of the Kentucky clerk who refused to license gay marriages. I didn’t agree with him, but he made a very compelling argument. Why can’t we accommodate her objections? It’s not about not licensing now-lawful marriages, only about making a small change to allow her to continue to serve without violating religious beliefs.
By: Steve Albertson
8:52 PM – This is what happens when the moderators establish a pattern of favoring fireworks over favoring substance…the candidates start to clamor to be heard, with the squeakiest wheels getting the grease. It’s unseemly, and it doesn’t serve the public well. #DebateFail, CNN.
By: Steve Albertson
8:51 PM – Hugh Hewitt takes over, asks a sophisticated question of Trump, and he fumbles. Rubio runs rings around him. Rand Paul is back to being Rand Paul again…the non-interventionist is back. Not sure if it will work, but it couldn’t hurt.
By: Steve Albertson
8:49 PM – Hugh Hewitt takes over, asks a sophisticated question of Trump, and he fumbles. Rubio runs rings around him. Rand Paul is back to being Rand Paul again…the non-interventionist is back. Not sure if it will work, but it couldn’t hurt.
By: Steve Albertson
8:44 PM – Kasich comes across as very sober and serious. He’s positioning himself to be the less-objectionable establishment alternative to Bush. REALLY interesting bit from Rand Paul, criticizing the mainstream conservative take on the Iran deal and Mideast foreign policy, taking on directly Rubio and Fiorina.
By: Steve Albertson
8:39 PM – Holy cow…I forgot Ted Cruz was there.
By: Steve Albertson
8:38 PM – Rubio is SPOT ON when he talks about the weakness of U.S. foreign policy, and how we’ve facilitated Putin’s reassertion of the Russian Empire. Fiorina follows on in perfect alignment of what Rubio said. Trump isn’t in their league on the substance of this.
By: Steve Albertson
8:37 PM – Question to Trump about Russia. This is getting REALLY old, every question is either to Trump or about Trump! It’s ridiculous! Trump is really getting on my nerves. He’s awful. Where’s the moderator? Is anyone in charge of this circus?
By: Jeanine Martin
8:35 PM – I don’t think Bush comes off well on the attack regarding Trump and where he tried to put his money to influence policy. Not that he isn’t right, but he won’t win a sparring contest with Trump and needs to avoid that. Trump will man-handle him.
By: Steve Albertson
8:30 PM – Trump is being a jerk with his smirky facial expressions. Are the moderators going to let the debate be all about Trump? Walker coming on strong and looking good.
By: Jeanine Martin
8:29 PM – This is really messed up, but I feel like I’m watching a #jimmyfallon impersonation of Donald Trump, not the @realDonaldTrump. #GOPDebate #CNNDebate
By: Jamie Radtke
8:29 PM – I won’t be voting for him, but I like how Chris Christie is combative in a good way. Not arrogant and nasty like Trump can be.
By: Steve Albertson
8:26 PM – Walker parries well. Kasich inserts himself to decry the unseriousness of the ad hominem that has characterized the beginning of the race.
By: Steve Albertson
8:25 PM – I’m not liking how this is being managed. This is not a quality job of moderating. Not only is Trump getting every other word, and Tapper is coming across as more circus ringmaster than serious moderator.
By: Steve Albertson
8:22 PM – Jake Tapper, right out of the gate, tries to start a fight between Carly and Trump. Carly demurs, and says she’ll let the voters decide whether Trump should have his “finger on the button.” Trump’s response is to first take a nasty swipe at Rand Paul. In a good line, Paul eviscerates Trump as “sophomoric” and “junior high.” As if dedicated to proving that point, Trump insults Rand Paul’s looks. Good lord.
By: Steve Albertson
8:16 PM – MORE OPENERS: Carly, I think, has the message that hits the mood. I suppose we’ll see in the polls over the coming days. Kasich went there…”shining city on a hill.” Chris Christie had a good gimmick in looking at the audience for the reason why he’s running.
By: Steve Albertson
8:16 PM – OPENERS: I wish Rand Paul would stop ending his debate statements with a sour look and pursed lips. Huckabee is such a smooth speaker. I love listening to Marco, but the water bottle joke fell flat…no one remembers that. Ben Carson really comes across as humble and likable, but unenergetic. Trump’s opener was good…less bombast and more principle. Bush gave a good, traditional optimistic conservative talk. Same with Walker, but with more of an outsider twist.
By: Steve Albertson
8:11 PM – I’ve said before I expected that Trump has to burst the Carly bubble before it fully forms. I think that’s going to define much of what Trump does (in addition to what we’ve come to expect from him). Everybody else will be swinging at Trump (and some at Bush).
By: Steve Albertson
8:09 PM – A lot of nervous faces…Christie looks relaxed, Fiorina is smiling and laughing. The three guys in the middle (Trump, Bush, Carson) are looking very serious.
By: Steve Albertson
8:00 PM – Didn’t watch the whole undercard debate with the Bobby Jindal, Lindsey Graham, Rick Santorum, and George Pataki. But I did catch an interesting exchange between Jindal and Graham, where Jindal was expressing frustration at Washington Republicans who promise the moon but don’t deliver. Graham went after Jindal and Ted Cruz for attacking leadership over not defunding Obamacare or Planned Parenthood. According to Graham, they want to shut the government down, which is irresponsible and incompatible with “governing,” and he’s “tired of hearing” people like them talk about it. With all do respect to Sen. Graham, when you surrender upfront and concede that the Congress no longer has the power of the purse, you have permanently boxed yourself into what’s essentially government via an imperial presidency. Why can’t the Congress pass a budget that, for instance, defunds Planned Parenthood, and then put it on the President for not signing it? Who is more irresponsible in that scenario, the branch which is exercising its Constitutional prerogative, or the branch that is holding spending power hostage to its radical, barbaric agenda? We lose this fight because we have folks like Graham whose first instinct is to surrender before the fight even starts.
By: Steve Albertson
7:00 PM – We’re expecting fireworks! It should be fun. Live coverage will begin at 8:00 pm, and will go through to the bitter end hours later. We are expecting the unexpected, plus a lot of barbs aimed at and coming from Donald Trump. Stay tuned.
