Reaction to the Republican Debate

After 12 debates, the Republican presidential race is now like a baseball game that has gone into extra innings. Everyone is just waiting for someone to win.

It’s odd that the candidates waited so long to have a substantive debate. I’ve watched more than 24 hours of GOP debates since last fall and this was the first time they really discussed issues. It low energy but it was a welcome break from the clown show. It might have been the best debate for all four candidates.

Marco Rubio was the clear winner tonight and he got stronger as the debate went on. He was once again the candidate the GOP establishment thought they knew. With the exception of a disastrous exchange with Chris Christie several weeks ago, Rubio is a very good debater. But that one moment may have changed the trajectory of the entire race.

Donald Trump succeeded in trying to be “presidential” — if your idea of a president is George W. Bush. He didn’t engage in insults and kept cool. But in a debate that focused almost entirely on public policy, it’s clear Trump has no idea what he’s talking about most of the time. Had these debates been more substantive from the beginning, it might have been a very different race. At this point, if Trump doesn’t talk about his penis he sounds presidential.

Ted Cruz was also very good. But the college debating champion is so focused on being the most conservative candidate on the stage that he sometimes loses sight of the broader race. Cruz firmed up his position as the main Trump-alternative in the last two weeks but he did little to advance his candidacy tonight.

John Kasich was solid but easily forgettable when the other candidates stay out of the mud pit. It’s hard to see how this debate either helped or hurt him.