The Republican candidates for president got together last night in Iowa for the last debate before that state’s first-in-the-nation caucus. Well, most of them did. Donald Trump, the frontrunner in nationwide polls as well as in Iowa, skipped the gathering in favor of his own event.
Trump announces veterans charity event to air on CNN… https://t.co/xVTa2QsjTF
— DRUDGE REPORT (@DRUDGE_REPORT) January 28, 2016
Some people questioned whether his charitable impulses were genuine.
Since 2009, Trump has donated more $$$ to…the Clinton Foundation than to veterans groups. https://t.co/S9UeDZNceP
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) January 28, 2016
Others considered how the organizers might fill his place.
Fox News should find a drunken racist hobo, slap some fake hair on him, and have him sub for Trump at the #GOPdebate.
— el Sooper ن (@SooperMexican) January 27, 2016
But before any of that, we sat through the preliminary debate, starring Carly Fiorina, Jim Gilmore, Mike Huckabee, and Rick Santorum. Previous happy hour debates had contributed something to the conversation, but this one, featuring candidates polling at a combined 4.3 percent, provoked mostly exasperation.
Wait. There is an undercard debate?
— Michael B Dougherty (@michaelbd) January 28, 2016
I will not watch the undercard I will not watch the undercard OK I’ll watch the undercard why am I watching the undercard I swore I wouldn’
— John Podhoretz (@jpodhoretz) January 28, 2016
The GOP undercard debate has passed into the realm of experimental theater. It is an absurdist comment on the pointlessness of existence.
— Peter Suderman (@petersuderman) January 29, 2016
Beyond Gilmore’s return and a few good lines from Fiorina, little said looked likely to improve any of the candidates’ standings.
It’s time to send the undercard debate to the ash heap of history.
— Pradheep Shanker MD (@Neoavatara) January 29, 2016
An hour later, the more popular candidates filled the stage: Jeb Bush, Ben Carson, Chris Christie, Ted Cruz, John Kasich, Rand Paul, and Marco Rubio. Without Donald Trump at center stage, the conversation immediately turned to … Donald Trump.
Fifteen minutes into the debate Trump’s gonna arrive like pic.twitter.com/SLJCdc8M8d
— Mark Agee (@MarkAgee) January 29, 2016
Cruz worked to fill the void.
. @tedcruz says they’re all “fat & stupid” says Carson is a “terrible surgeon,” & “now that we’ve gotten the Trump portion out of the way..”
— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) January 29, 2016
Okay, Ted Cruz just finished off Donald Trump — and then made a good play for his voters. Nicely done.
— Robert Tracinski (@Tracinski) January 29, 2016
The rest of the opening statements were oddly paternal.
Paul asked to throw father under bus. He declines. Talks about liberty instead, throws Cruz under bus for not showing for Fed audit vote.
— Mollie (@MZHemingway) January 29, 2016
When your boy gives you a shout out mid-debate #GOPDebate pic.twitter.com/9BzSvChIJ3
— Independent Journal (@INJO) January 29, 2016
JEB: my dad is strong RUBIO: my dad is stronger CRUZ: my dad can literally lift a car over his head
— sadvil (@crylenol) January 29, 2016
After that, the debate quickly turned to policy matters.
I’m getting very confused. People seem to be debating substantive questions, policy issues. You call this a GOP debate?
— Megan McArdle (@asymmetricinfo) January 29, 2016
I’m about the 5,000th person to note the fact that we’re getting actual substantive policy debate here but this is really amazing.
— (Stephanie) Slade (@sladesr) January 29, 2016
Cruz talked tough about ISIS, then demanded more time.
Hi my name is @SenTedCruz and no matter what the question is I’m just gonna say I’m gonna kill the most ISIS #GOPDebate
— Katherine Timpf (@KatTimpf) January 29, 2016
Ted Cruz always looks like a waiter just asked him, “Is Pepsi OK?” #GOPDebate
— Eliza Bayne (@ElizaBayne) January 29, 2016
“My name was in that answer!” “He said CRUISE missile.”
— jimgeraghty (@jimgeraghty) January 29, 2016
The moderators stood firm.
Cruz should really not try to win a debate with Chris Wallace tbh
— Leon Wolf (@LeonHWolf) January 29, 2016
Ted Cruz, your “MSM is being mean to me” schtick is really not going to work on Fox News.
— Megan McArdle (@asymmetricinfo) January 29, 2016
wow it’s hard to believe people find cruz unlikable
— andy levy (@andylevy) January 29, 2016
They would continue to do so throughout the night.
See, Donald–Megyn is mean to everyone. You’re not special.
— Amy Sullivan (@sullivanamy) January 29, 2016
Megyn Kelly looks like she just arrived on a sleigh from Narnia. If she offers you Turkish Delight, don’t eat it! #GOPDebate
— Christopher Orr (@OrrChris) January 29, 2016
What if Megyn and Chris got a Democratic debate?
— Katherine Miller (@katherinemiller) January 29, 2016
The Fox News crew then asked questions tailored to each candidate. Kasich reminded the crowd of his experience in government.
“I was there in 1989…” Kasich makes the case he’s a professional politician who was in Congress when Rubio, Cruz & Paul were in highschool
— Marc Caputo (@MarcACaputo) January 29, 2016
“I was there when Madison wrote the commerce clause.” — Kasich
— Charles C. W. Cooke (@charlescwcooke) January 29, 2016
you know when you get a cab driver who’s like, I was a brain surgeon in my home country? that’s Kasich
— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) January 29, 2016
Paul talked about policing and prison sentencing.
This Rand answer on criminal justice reform is wonderful. Everyone should talk like this. Shout it from the rooftops.
— Seth Mandel (@SethAMandel) January 29, 2016
That question, about policy body cams, might be the best user/viewer debate question ever.
— Sean Davis (@seanmdav) January 29, 2016
Cruz got a question about repealing Obamacare, but the audience wanted to hear more.
“Personal, portable, and affordable,” says Cruz about his Obamacare repeal plan. Good slogan. #GOPDebate
— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) January 29, 2016
Wait, nobody but Cruz gets that question about healthcare?
— Dan McLaughlin (@baseballcrank) January 29, 2016
Bush talked about Puerto Rico.
That was a good answer from Jeb that only I and muni bond holders cared about.
— Ben Domenech (@bdomenech) January 29, 2016
For Rubio’s question, Kelly played clips of him speaking about amnesty and tried to nail down his precise immigration policy goals.
Oh wow, this is crunch time for Marco Rubio. TOUGH question from Megyn Kelly about amnesty w/past statements.
— Jeff B/DDHQ (@EsotericCD) January 29, 2016
The candidates haven’t laid a glove on Rubio, but Megyn Kelly just did.
— Noah Rothman (@NoahCRothman) January 29, 2016
He gave a solid answer, and Bush followed up with his own.
Have I mentioned that Marco Rubio is a really talented politician? That question should have crucified him and he walked away uninjured.
— (Stephanie) Slade (@sladesr) January 29, 2016
Kelly: “Jeb, can you give a worse answer than Rubio on immigration?” Jeb: “Yes, I can.” #GOPDebate
— Sweet Meteor O’Death (@smod2016) January 29, 2016
This is a bizarrely heated echange between two guys who totally agree on an issue.
— Phil Kerpen (@kerpen) January 29, 2016
Jeb: Marco, you changed your position too except you moved right instead of left like I …wait, where am I going with this #GOPDebate
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) January 29, 2016
Cruz got a similar question about immigration, contrasting his past statements to his current platform.
Cruz trying to defend immigration amendment w/o admitting it was a maneuver to kill. Risk of poison pills: you may have to swallow your own.
— Megan McArdle (@asymmetricinfo) January 29, 2016
Rubio added some fuel to the fire.
“The lie that ted cruz campaign is based on” whoa
— Rich Lowry (@RichLowry) January 29, 2016
Paul tried his best to blow things up.
Rand Paul just threw a grenade into Ted’s hot tub and walked away smiling. +1000
— Amy Miller (@ThatAmyMiller) January 29, 2016
Kasich answered a question about an earlier statement conflating Christian charity and the welfare state.
Kasich is back in his wheelhouse. One of the GOP’s problems is many who struggle think the GOP doesn’t care about them. Kasich cares.
— Ari Fleischer (@AriFleischer) January 29, 2016
Wallace: Can you talk about how pious you are when the cameras are rolling? Kasich: You bet!
— Michael B Dougherty (@michaelbd) January 29, 2016
Rubio talked about religious liberty. He was pretty enthusiastic.
Rubio: Americans are generous because of their Judeo-Christian beliefs. It’s true, even if they don’t know it.
— John Podhoretz (@jpodhoretz) January 29, 2016
Rubio really hitting the religion stuff hard tonight.
— Blake Hounshell (@blakehounshell) January 29, 2016
why is rubio so angry when talking about jesus’ command to care for the poor
— The Scandalous DJT (@AceofSpadesHQ) January 29, 2016
Paul also talked about liberty, and the necessity of virtue in a free society.
. @RandPaul is so strong on balance between virtue and libertarianism.
— Jillian Melchior (@JillianKayM) January 29, 2016
@RandPaul says laws protecting unborn children are imps, but VIRTUE is key: “The only restraint consistent with liberty is self-restraint.”
— Mollie (@MZHemingway) January 29, 2016
“This nation was founded on Judeo-Christian-AquaBuddha values.” ~ Rand #gopdebate
— jon gabriel (@exjon) January 29, 2016
Carson, momentarily forgotten, came back into the debate with a question about Russia and NATO.
“Putin is a one-horse country: oil and energy.” – Ben Carson saying things
— Blake Hounshell (@blakehounshell) January 29, 2016
Carson has been through the desert on a horse with no name.
— Jeffrey Goldberg (@JeffreyGoldberg) January 29, 2016
Without Trump there is no one to defend Putin.
— Debra J. Saunders (@debrajsaunders) January 29, 2016
Cruz ended on a high note, unless you’re an Iowa corn farmer.
Cruz is right on ethanol and everybody else is wrong, including Branstead.
— Charles C. W. Cooke (@charlescwcooke) January 29, 2016
Ted Cruz has HUGE STONES to tell Iowans that subsidies for their corn crops are bad.
— Mollie (@MZHemingway) January 29, 2016
YES! Ted Cruz had the guts to call for eliminating ethanol mandates and subsidies in Iowa.
— jimgeraghty (@jimgeraghty) January 29, 2016
How I feel when Cruz rips ethanol in front of a crowd that loves it: pic.twitter.com/RNQ2oX99Yr
— jimgeraghty (@jimgeraghty) January 29, 2016
Most of the candidates had some high points and some low. In the end, though, the winner was obvious:
My candidate won and yours lost! Good night, America! #gopdebate
— jon gabriel (@exjon) January 29, 2016
