Ahead of CNN’s Republican presidential debate on Wednesday, moderator Jake Tapper said his plan was to pit the candidates against each other, rather than engaging them in his own individual back-and-forths.
“That’s how we’ve been crafting our questions,” he told the New York Times, “so that Senator X will respond to what Governor Y said about him or a policy he proposed, and try to encourage them to actually debate …”
Chris Christie, who is number twelve in the Washington Examiner’s presidential power rankings, diffused that scheme and came out on top.
In the second hour of the debate, Tapper called on former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina to respond to recent criticism from businessman Donald Trump, who had accused Fiorina of failing as an executive.
What followed was an intense back and forth between the two candidates that lasted four minutes, in which both candidates touted their own business records and trashed their opponent’s. Then the governor of New Jersey stepped in.
“While I’m as entertained as anyone by this personal back-and-forth about the history of Donald and Carly’s career, for the 55-year-old construction worker out in that audience tonight who doesn’t have a job, who can’t fund his child’s education, I got to tell you the truth,” he said. “They could care less about your careers. They care about theirs.”
The audience erupted in applause.
“Stop playing the games,” Christie continued. “The fact is that we don’t want to hear about your careers … You’re both successful people, congratulations.”
Christie said the conversation should turn to the middle class “getting plowed by [President] Barack Obama and [Democratic candidate] Hillary Clinton” and “and stop this childish back-and-forth between the two of you.”
Christie received more cheers from the audience.
