CNN's Republican debate: Winners and losers
CNN
4:49 AM, Sep 17, 2015
5 hours ago
Three hours and 11 candidates later, here's our quick take on the winners and losers of CNN's Republican debate Wednesday night at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.
Winners:
Carly Fiori
Fiorina insisted in the lead-up to the GOP debate that she belonged on the debate stage with the top-tier White House hopefuls.
She proved as much Wednesday night.
For the second debate in a row, Fiorina was once again the breakout star of the night, taking on Republican front-runner Donald Trump with finesse and capturing the crowd with polished, zinging answers and an impassioned charge against abortion.
Fiorina earned perhaps the biggest applause of the night as she skewered Planned Parenthood.
"This is about the character of our nation and if we will not stand up and force President Obama to veto this bill, shame on us," Fiorina said to raucous applause in what was her biggest moment of the night, one that will appeal to the socially conservative base of the party.
Fiorina dodged an early opportunity to hit Trump but didn't make that mistake again when she was asked to address the businessman's recent comments about her appearance to Rolling Stone, in which he suggested her face would make her unelectable.
"I think women all over this country heard very clearly what Mr. Trump said," she said, once again to overwhelming applause.
New York journalist and CNN contributor Errol Louis said after the debate that Fiorina was "the clearest winner."
"(She) successfully challenged Trump -- criticizing his wisecracks about her personal appearance and challenging his credentials as a global businessman by deftly ticking off hotspots around the world and suggesting ways she would tackle them," he wrote in a CNN op-ed.
Marco Rubio
Rubio proved Wednesday night why so many GOP elites have long considered him a top contender for the Republican nomination: He can weave his strong handle of policy with a compelling personal narrative.
Rubio took on Trump differently than Fiorina or Bush, dispatching the front-runner without attacking him directly, instead steering the debate toward his strengths.
When Trump pointed out Rubio's voting absences in the Senate, Rubio refused to retort with an attack of his own.
"You're right, I have missed some votes, and I'll tell you why, Mr. Trump. Because in my years in the Senate, I've figured out very quickly that the political establishment in Washington, D.C. in both political parties is completely out of touch with the lives of our people," Rubio said. "That's why I'm missing votes. Because I am leaving the Senate, I'm not running for re-election, and I'm running for president because I know this: unless we have the right president, we cannot make America fulfill its potential, but with the right person in office, the 21st century can be the greatest era that our nation has ever known."
Jeb Bush
Bush stood out with several key moments during the debate that reassured his supporters after recently dipping in the polls and grappling with how to handle Trump's staying power in the race.
Bush appeared to come out of the shell of the tortoise he has so heartily embraced as his symbol to give voters a taste of the passion he has struggled to showcase.
"You know what? As it relates to my brother, there's one thing I know for sure. He kept us safe," Bush told Trump to one of his strongest applause moments of the night. "You remember the fire fighter with his arms around it? He sent a clear signal that the United States would be strong and fight Islamic terrorism, and he did keep us safe."
And he also successfully tackled Trump over the billionaire's suggestion that Bush's Mexican-American wife was the reason for his support for comprehensive immigration reform.
"To subject my wife into the middle of a raucous political conversation was completely inappropriate, and I hope you apologize for that, Donald," Bush said. "Why don't you apologize to her right now." Trump declined.
With expectations low, Bush's several stand-out moments and overall improvement over his performance in the first debate sealed his spot as one of the night's winners.
CNN political commentator Amanda Carpenter said Bush's references to his family were immediately beneficial for him.
"I think the most interesting subtext with Jeb Bush in this debate is his newfound willingness to defend his family," said the former Ted Cruz aide. "His best moment of the debate I think is when he came out and reminded everyone that his brother kept America safe. On the same hand, I think that will haunt him in the long term because I think tying himself to his brother's legacy is bad in the long run."
On Thursday morning, Carpenter said the former Florida governor should have been more forceful in demanding an apology from Trump for comments
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Winners:
Carly Fiori
Fiorina insisted in the lead-up to the GOP debate that she belonged on the debate stage with the top-tier White House hopefuls.
She proved as much Wednesday night.
For the second debate in a row, Fiorina was once again the breakout star of the night, taking on Republican front-runner Donald Trump with finesse and capturing the crowd with polished, zinging answers and an impassioned charge against abortion.
Fiorina earned perhaps the biggest applause of the night as she skewered Planned Parenthood.
"This is about the character of our nation and if we will not stand up and force President Obama to veto this bill, shame on us," Fiorina said to raucous applause in what was her biggest moment of the night, one that will appeal to the socially conservative base of the party.
Fiorina dodged an early opportunity to hit Trump but didn't make that mistake again when she was asked to address the businessman's recent comments about her appearance to Rolling Stone, in which he suggested her face would make her unelectable.
"I think women all over this country heard very clearly what Mr. Trump said," she said, once again to overwhelming applause.
New York journalist and CNN contributor Errol Louis said after the debate that Fiorina was "the clearest winner."
"(She) successfully challenged Trump -- criticizing his wisecracks about her personal appearance and challenging his credentials as a global businessman by deftly ticking off hotspots around the world and suggesting ways she would tackle them," he wrote in a CNN op-ed.
Marco Rubio
Rubio proved Wednesday night why so many GOP elites have long considered him a top contender for the Republican nomination: He can weave his strong handle of policy with a compelling personal narrative.
Rubio took on Trump differently than Fiorina or Bush, dispatching the front-runner without attacking him directly, instead steering the debate toward his strengths.
When Trump pointed out Rubio's voting absences in the Senate, Rubio refused to retort with an attack of his own.
"You're right, I have missed some votes, and I'll tell you why, Mr. Trump. Because in my years in the Senate, I've figured out very quickly that the political establishment in Washington, D.C. in both political parties is completely out of touch with the lives of our people," Rubio said. "That's why I'm missing votes. Because I am leaving the Senate, I'm not running for re-election, and I'm running for president because I know this: unless we have the right president, we cannot make America fulfill its potential, but with the right person in office, the 21st century can be the greatest era that our nation has ever known."
Jeb Bush
Bush stood out with several key moments during the debate that reassured his supporters after recently dipping in the polls and grappling with how to handle Trump's staying power in the race.
Bush appeared to come out of the shell of the tortoise he has so heartily embraced as his symbol to give voters a taste of the passion he has struggled to showcase.
"You know what? As it relates to my brother, there's one thing I know for sure. He kept us safe," Bush told Trump to one of his strongest applause moments of the night. "You remember the fire fighter with his arms around it? He sent a clear signal that the United States would be strong and fight Islamic terrorism, and he did keep us safe."
And he also successfully tackled Trump over the billionaire's suggestion that Bush's Mexican-American wife was the reason for his support for comprehensive immigration reform.
"To subject my wife into the middle of a raucous political conversation was completely inappropriate, and I hope you apologize for that, Donald," Bush said. "Why don't you apologize to her right now." Trump declined.
With expectations low, Bush's several stand-out moments and overall improvement over his performance in the first debate sealed his spot as one of the night's winners.
CNN political commentator Amanda Carpenter said Bush's references to his family were immediately beneficial for him.
"I think the most interesting subtext with Jeb Bush in this debate is his newfound willingness to defend his family," said the former Ted Cruz aide. "His best moment of the debate I think is when he came out and reminded everyone that his brother kept America safe. On the same hand, I think that will haunt him in the long term because I think tying himself to his brother's legacy is bad in the long run."
On Thursday morning, Carpenter said the former Florida governor should have been more forceful in demanding an apology from Trump for comments
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