So, in case you missed it, here is a summary of my favorite responses of the evening. Enjoy!
Ted Cruz
Prior to the debate, I had all but written Ted Cruz off. His reputation in the Senate is one that is divisive and argumentative and his campaign doesn't seem to have any traction. However, every single one of his responses last night were spot on. He was clear, compelling, and established himself as a contender in this election. In a response to a question regarding the relationship between Russia and Iran, Cruz demonstrated thorough knowledge of foreign affairs and even invoked the memory of Ronald Reagan. Not bad Ted, not bad.Ben Carson
Every single answer Ben Carson gave was brilliant. Every. Single. One. He alone was the candidate who thoughtfully and thoroughly answered the question asked. Unfortunately for Carson, he isn't charismatic. He speaks slowly and deliberately, and while that allows him to answer well, it doesn't engage the audience. I could pick any one of his answers to display here, but I will end with his answer to how he would help race relations in the United States. It is a beautiful response.Marco Rubio
Marco Rubio was excellent last night. In fact, I might say that Rubio walked away the winner from last night's debate. He looked fresh and youthful and his responses were informed and well-spoken. His best answer came in his response to a question about his stance on abortion.
Rand Paul
Rand's closing remarks were perfect. He closed with, "I'm a different kind of Republican" and he's right. He demonstrated that over and over again in the debate. It is clear that Rand Paul has a rigid ideological framework that guides his decision-making and honestly, I find that incredibly attractive in a candidate. That framework gives the voter confidence that they can accurately guess how their candidate/politician will respond to any given situation. Rand Paul used his closing statement to make a thoroughly convincing argument that he should be the party's nominee.Jeb Bush
Jeb Bush didn't stand out last night. Overall, his responses weren't awful, but they weren't inspiring either. He was a forgettable component of last night's debate, but that may not be a bad thing. Of all the candidates, he came into the debate with the most credibility and had the most to lose from a bad debate. He didn't stumble. He didn't say anything compelling either. However, I am going to credit him with the best debate answer of the night. When responding to a question asking whether he called Donald Trump a "clown," his response was a textbook example of a pivot response. He quickly responded to the question and then used it as a platform to reiterate his campaign talking points. Brilliant.
Donald Trump
I was prepared for cringe inducing statements from "The Donald" and he didn't disappoint. There were so many times when I was completely befuddled by his lack of focus. Make no mistake, Donald Trump is brilliant. He is clearly a strategist on par with Bobby Fisher and his entire campaign up until this point proves that. Donald Trump is a man of strong feelings, but last night demonstrated that he has not molded those strong feelings into reasoned arguments and inspiring plans of action. Last night left me wondering, "does he really think that he can win the presidency, or is this an elaborate, and expensive, attempt to direct the national conversation?" If he thinks he can win the presidency, he may not be as brilliant as I have given him credit for. If he is trying desperately to mold the debate, then he is brilliant and more. Donald Trump's Republican credentials may be dubious, but his ability to shape this primary season has been shockingly powerful. People clearly like blunt honesty and Mr. Trump has given that to them in hefty doses. I can't find a video that I consider Trump's best, instead I am posting a video that I think was his worst. Megyn Kelly asked Trump when he became a Republican and his response was not reassuring.If subsequent debates are anything as compelling as last night's event, then this is going to be a great campaign season.
