Carly Fiorina Trumps Trump
On September 16, the eleven top tier GOP candidates clashed on stage in a much-anticipated debate. While this group remained relatively unchanged, there was one notable addition, former Hewlett Packard CEO Carly Fiorina. With such a crowded field, some of the candidates were expected to have a break out moment. The debate, sponsored by CNN and moderated by Jake Tapper, quickly devolved from an issue-based discussion to a contest of personalities. Despite this devolution, the debate captured important glimpses of the candidates, and provided the perfect platform for shaking up the current poll numbers. Read on for an analysis of the candidates’ performances.
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The Clear Winner: Carly Fiorina
The newest addition to the top tier debate, Fiorina proved why she belonged there from the beginning. Out of the gate, she was all business: highly intelligent, informed, and, most importantly, presidential. Fiorina’s laced her comments with an anti-corruption message. She attacked inefficient government, pledging to dive headfirst into pressing issues. Additionally, her comments were perhaps the most specific of the night. For example, she went a step further than just saying “I’ll make our military stronger.” Fiorina called for the rebuilding of the Sixth Fleet and the missile defense program in Poland, aggressive military exercises in the Baltic states, and sending thousand of additional troops to Germany. By spitting out all these specifics, Fiorina demonstrated her knowledge and capability, while playing up her advantage as a political outsider.
Highlight of the Night: Silencing “The Donald.” When asked to respond to Trump’s derogatory comments about her physical appearance, she answered (with a look that would send shivers down anyone’s spine), “I think women all over this country heard very clearly what Mr. Trump said.” Trump backpedaled, but Fiorina clearly won that round.
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Performed Well: Chris Christie, Marco Rubio, Jeb Bush
Chris Christie came out of the gate swinging, showing a much stronger debate performance than on the August FOX News debate. His brash, combative style that resonated well in the polls in 2012/2013 was much more evident. During the debate, Christie took a more moderate tone advocating for drug treatment over imprisonment, and addressing climate change, saying there needs to be an economic incentive to be green. He continually argued for the middle class and the working man, saying that he doesn’t want a presidency all about him, but rather about everyone.
Highlight of the Night: Agreeing with Donald Trump that Social Security needs a serious overhaul—and that wealthy people, like himself and Trump, should be excluded from the system.
Marco Rubio brought a youthful, humorous vigor to the debate stage. In his opening statements he joked about bringing his own water, referencing his infamous water sip during the 2013 Republican Response to the State of the Union. Regarding the issues of interest, Rubio often linked many of the problems to his own family’s struggle to achieve the American Dream. Furthermore, he showed policy expertise by warning of the dangers in the Middle East and of Russia’s increased aggression. Overall, Rubio’s strong presence and intelligent comments reminded people that he is still a frontrunner in the race.
Highlight of the Night: When Trump attacked Bush and Rubio for speaking Spanish while campaigning, Rubio responded by saying: “free enterprise and limited government is the best way to help people who are trying to achieve upward mobility and if they get their news in Spanish, I want them to hear that directly from me, not from a translator at Univision.”
Jeb Bush improved considerably from his last debate appearance. Despite sparring with Trump on several occasions, Bush carved out a place for himself on the stage. He tried to distance himself from his brother and father by highlighting his softer stance on immigration. Of all the candidates, he did talk the most about improving the economy and seeking 4 percent growth. His solid performance should help him rebound in the polls following the last debate.
Highlight of the Night: Like Rubio, Bush’s shining moment came when Trump attacked him for answering a question in Spanish. Bush responded by saying that if he is asked a question in Spanish, he will respond in Spanish.
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Honorable Mentions: John Kasich, Ted Cruz
John Kasich deserves recognition for a decent performance. In a smaller setting, his comments on foreign policy and his personal achievements would have been the highlights of the debate. Kasich continually stressed the need for cooperation with our allies and members of other political parties. However, on a stage overrun with huge egos, Kasich’s mild Midwestern manner was lost on the crowd.
Highlight of the Night: Closing statement was eloquent and focused on healing the wounds of hyper-partisanship that have plagued the country in recent years.
Ted Cruz only gets an honorable mention as the sole candidate to praise Donald Trump, in reference to Trump’s strong positions on immigration. Later in the debate Cruz said he would shut down the government in order to defund Planned Parenthood, a move that was highly unpopular with the other candidates.
Highlight of the Night: In his closing statement, Cruz appealed openly to various conservative interest groups, shouting, “Kill the terrorists!” to the cheers of the audience.
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The Losers: Scott Walker, Rand Paul, Ben Carson, Mike Huckabee, Donald Trump
Scott Walker deserves an “A” for effort, but unfortunately effort doesn’t necessarily translate to political success. Though he mentioned Ronald Reagan in nearly all of his statements, this strategy distracted from his own achievements. Additionally, many of the other candidates attacked his record as governor. While Walker didn’t do anything particularly bad, neither did he do anything good to help his case and turn his falling poll numbers around.
Highlight of the Night: In his closing statement, he advocated state’s rights and pushed for power to be returned to the states, making him one of the few candidates to openly advocate that point.
Rand Paul tried to be the libertarian alternative in the Republican field, but was unable to successfully promote his positions. He did mention that his foreign policy would be considerably less hawkish than most of the candidates on the stage, and even went so far as to say that he would never commit ground troops to Iraq to fight ISIS. However, most candidates ran circles around his relaxed demeanor. Like Walker, he avoided any political minefields by saying the wrong thing, but sometimes not saying enough is just as dangerous.
Highlight of the Night: In his opening statement, Paul stated he would fight to have the people restrain government, not the other way around.
Ben Carson should be applauded for his intellect and refusal to be baited by the moderators, yet his soft-spoken demeanor saw him overrun on the stage. While he raised good points on immigration by advocating for a work-to-stay policy, the more vocal candidates distracted from his quiet logic.
Highlight of the Night: When asked whether Trump was correct in saying vaccines cause autism, Carson demonstrated his intellect by quickly dismissing Trump’s irrational claims.
Mike Huckabee was at worst crazy and at best bizarre, as seen in his opening statement where he compared the Republican field to the “A Team.” In one of his more noticed lines of the night, he advocated to remove the income tax and replace it with a consumption tax. Huckabee spoke the least out of the candidates, and the comments he did make seemed more like afterthoughts. For a candidate low in the polls, this debate did little, if anything to boost his standing.
Highlight of the Night: In perhaps the most cringe-worthy line of the night, Huckabee compared abortion to horrors of slavery.
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In last place is none other than The Donald himself. His personal attacks and unspecific generalized statements were completely out of place on a stage where other candidates highlighted their strengths and intellect. Carly Fiorina in particular kept him on the defensive, while other candidates landed well-placed blows on the current frontrunner. Trump’s “policy statements” were essentially personal attacks on candidates’ backgrounds, and the only shred of policy he mentioned was building a wall between Mexico and the United States. Trump’s swagger faded as the debate progressed, and he failed to make any noteworthy statements in the second half. Given other candidates’ strong showings, Trump’s lead may be approaching its end.
Highlight of the Night: Bizarrely insulting Rand Paul on his poll numbers and looks without any provocation.
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Fun Facts From the Debate!
Wondering which woman the candidates want on the $10 bill and what they want their Secret Service code names to be? Thankfully, CNN asked these hard questions:
Woman on the $10 Bill
Chris Christie- Abigail Adams
John Kasich- Mother Teresa
Carly Fiorina- Declined to comment saying to put a woman on currency is just a gesture, and that real change would come when “every woman has the opportunity to live the life she chooses.”
Scott Walker- Clara Barton
Jeb Bush- Margaret Thatcher
Donald Trump- His daughter Ivanka Trump or Rosa Parks
Ben Carson- His mother
Ted Cruz- Rosa Parks
Marco Rubio- Rosa Parks
Mike Huckabee- His wife
Rand Paul- Susan B. Anthony
Code Names
Chris Christie- True Heart
John Kasich- Unit 1
Carly Fiorina- Secretariat
Scott Walker- Harley
Jeb Bush- Eveready
Donald Trump- Humble
Ben Carson- One Nation
Ted Cruz- Cohiba
Marco Rubio- Gator
Mike Huckabee- Duck Hunter
Rand Paul- Justice Never Sleeps