This was a debate I thought would never end. It lasted for three hours and seemed like longer. We even learned from each of the eleven Republican presidential candidates whose face should be on the $10 bill. No blood was spilled, metaphorically speaking. There were no losers.
I divide the field into two groups: those who helped themselves Wednesday night and those who didn’t.
Let’s start with the winners:
Marco Rubio. As strong as he was in the first debate, he was stronger this time. The points he made on foreign affairs and national security were correct and crisply stated. And he showed flashes of humor. Siding with Jeb Bush over Donald Trump, he said he answered in Spanish when questioned in Spanish. “I want them to hear that from me, not from a Spanish translator.”
Jeb Bush. He needed to do well and he did. He took on Trump and mostly prevailed. Asked what his Secret Service nickname should be, if elected, he said Ever Ready. “It’s very high energy, Donald,” he said, answering a Trump criticism. He got the biggest applause of the debate for defending his brother, George W., who’d been attacked by Trump. “There’s one thing I know about my brother,” he said. “He kept us safe.”
Chris Christie. The debate format worked marvelously for him. He argued with Rand Paul, as he had in the first debate in August, and won again, this time on marijuana legalization. Christie opposes it. He shot down Trump on the feasibility of deporting 11 or 12 million illegal immigrants.
Carly Fiorina. Promoted from the jayvee debate, she took full advantage of her new status. She was confident. Her comments were fact-filled on every subject. But she blinked when asked if she would be “comfortable” with President Trump’s finger on the nuclear button. She should have said “yes, absolutely.”
Those who merely treaded water in the debate:
Donald Trump. It was not his night. He interrupted too much, made faces, and all the world could see his claims were devoid of facts. He said he’d be up to speed on foreign policy by the time he’s sworn in as president, which was hardly reassuring. But he surprised everyone, including Dr. Ben Carson, by being well-informed on the use of vaccines. As usual, he was a powerful presence.
Scott Walker. He got a raw deal from moderator Jake Tapper. He got seven minutes of airtime, not enough to make up for his weak showing in the first debate. Trump got 17 minutes. But he defended his record as Wisconsin governor effectively.
John Kasich. He bragged about himself non-stop. He made a strong case for renewing America’s ties to allies in Europe and Asia, ties President Obama has shredded. I don’t quite understand Kasich’s appeal. But it works.
Ben Carson. He was charming and witty, just as in the first debate. This time, he took on policy issues with mixed success. Carson cited Yuma, Arizona, as a border town where illegal immigration is thwarted almost 100 percent of the time. But he didn’t explain how.
Ted Cruz. He was at his best while vowing, if elected president, to keep Iran from ever getting a nuclear weapon. But he got caught for criticizing the nomination of John Roberts for chief justice. Bush noted Cruz had praised Roberts when President George W. Bush appointed him. Cruz was a bit pompous in the debate, but on Fox News afterwards he was relaxed and likeable.
Rand Paul. He let his libertarian colors fly boldly. He objected when Trump said he was the only candidate who had opposed the Iraq War. Paul had too. “Sometimes interventions backfire,” he insisted. And he bravely defended legalization of marijuana, though the libertarian case is weak.
Mike Huckabee. I give him credit for fearlessly defending Kim Davis, the Kentucky county clerk who refused to issue a marriage license to a gay couple. No one else did. Huckabee said his wife should be on the $10 bill. Really.
