There wasn’t much substance in the 6th Republican presidential debate, but it certainly was entertaining. The highlight by far was the end of the Donald Trump-Ted Cruz bromance. The two frontrunners went after each other hard and previewed what could be a nasty few weeks ahead.
Cruz won their first exchange over whether he was a natural-born citizen and eligible to be president. He was ready for it and used the issue to suggest Trump was sinking in the polls. It almost seemed like Trump wasn’t ready for Cruz to attack.
But Trump came back hard when Cruz attacked Trump’s “New York values.” Rarely does invoking 9/11 in a political debate work well, but Trump’s response was masterful. Cruz was forced to turn towards Trump, smile and applaud. It was embarrassing.
Overall, Trump won the debate. He may not be as practiced as Cruz, but he’s getting better and this was his best debate yet.
The other battle line was between Marco Rubio and Chris Christie. They’re both trying to be the establishment choice but there’s only room for one. I thought Christie prevailed in their exchanges, though a big wildcard is whether his rough personality plays well across the country. The bigger problem for both men is that they’re being overshadowed by Trump and Cruz.
But Trump is also the clear winner when Cruz and Rubio spar on immigration. Trump has staked out a clear, easily understandable position and can sit back and watch as the two senators tear each other apart. Rubio won the exchange but he only really helped Trump.
As for the others, it’s time for Jeb Bush and John Kasich to leave the debate stage. There’s no room left for them. The Republican party has moved away from their brand of politics and it’s why they consistently poll in the single digits. They’re not going anywhere.
And then there’s Ben Carson. He’s never really belonged on this stage in the first place and his performance left me wondering once again why he’s ever been popular.
