Fox Business’ stringent debate criteria may have been good for those of us who were tired of seeing 10 or so candidates on stage all trying to get attention, but it also meant that some candidates would be relegated to the earlier undercard debate.
The criteria required candidates to place in the top six “based on an average of the five most recent national polls recognized by Fox News,” or in the top five in either Iowa or New Hampshire based on Fox News-selected polls. This left former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul out in the cold, so to speak.
Paul opted to not participate at all. Fiorina, who has said she would “debate anyone, anytime, anywhere,” is appearing in the earlier undercard debate. This is her second appearance in the undercard. In August, she was in this debate but impressed the audience so much that her poll numbers increased and she was moved onto the main debate stage.
Her performance Thursday night has already proven once again why she belongs on the main debate stage. She wiped the floor with former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum.
From her opening shot at Hillary Clinton (“Unlike another women in this race, I actually love spending time with my husband”) to her spirited responses and digs at Donald Trump, Fiorina shined.
Fiorina was also asked about the recent sex assaults in Cologne, Germany, and echoed the sentiments of many who are worried about letting refugees into the U.S.
“Of course I’m worried about similar problems in the United States. We cannot allow refugees to enter this country unless we can adequately vet them and we know we can’t,” Fiorina said. “Therefore we should stop allowing refugees into this country.”
Throughout the entire debate, Fiorina had the energy that has been lacking from her performances on the main stage. Perhaps being given a platform to shine and not have to interrupt in order to be heard was what her campaign needed to remind voters that she has something to offer.
After her first appearance on the main stage, Fiorina stood out, but her campaign squandered that momentum by avoiding more TV interviews (instead focusing on campaigning). Yet it kept her out of the eye of millions of voters, and although her performances in the following debates were stellar, they did not stand out among the soundbites of the other candidates.
This time, she needs to capitalize on her success.
Ashe Schow is a commentary writer for the Washington Examiner.
