Luke Skywalker
Super Moderator
{vb:raw ozzmodz_postquote}:
[h=3]Trump:<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken[/h]Donald Trump (Getty Images)
Talk of Donald Trump easing back and letting his opponents throw the punches at the debate proved wildly false, as the real estate tycoon came out swinging with his trademark flare. He declined to endorse the GOP nominee if it’s not him. He refused to rule out an independent run. He insulted Fox News moderator Megyn Kelly. He made fun of Rosie O’Donnell. He refused to walk back his inflammatory statements on the undocumented. He shrugged. He smirked. And as the cheering crowd underscored, he proved he’s not going anywhere. “Donald Trump is hitting a nerve in this country,” conceded opponent<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Ohio Gov. John Kasich.
[h=3]Rand Paul’s eye roll[/h]The Rand Paul eye roll to Chris Christie at the #GOPDebate https://t.co/hf318QSoWD
— Frank Thorp V (@frankthorpNBC) August 7, 2015
In a heated exchange with New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, the Kentucky senator was caught on camera rolling his eyes when Christie mentioned hugging families of 9/11 victims. Christie was responding to a Paul attack line about Christie hugging President Obama. The moment was a distraction<span style="color: Red;">*</span>from Paul’s larger point defending his opposition to domestic surveillance of American citizens. The Christie-Paul tangle nabbed the top social media moment on Facebook, which co-hosted the debate.
[h=3]John<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Kasich’s home-field advantage[/h]Ohio Gov. John Kasich (AP)
The Ohio governor barely cracked the top 10<span style="color: Red;">*</span>field, but the home-state setting played to his advantage. Kasich, who has battled image problems about his temper, offered a compassionate conservative stance defending his expansion of Medicaid and acceptance of gay marriage as the law of the land. His comment about recently attending a gay wedding received audible applause from the GOP crowd, a notable departure from the 2011 GOP primary debate during which a gay soldier was booed.
[h=3]Tough questions[/h] After an awkward and slow start,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Fox News’<span style="color: Red;">*</span>trio of moderators, Bret Baier, Chris Wallace, and Megyn Kelly received early and consistent praise throughout the evening for asking tough questions on domestic and foreign policy. Not all of the candidates agreed.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>“Some of these questions, I must admit, were a little long winded and a little convoluted,” Santorum told Hugh Hewitt.
I think the winners in this debate are the @fox moderators
— Adam Goldman (@adamgoldmanwp) August 7, 2015
Props to the Fox moderators for drawing out important differences, pressing candidates on their own positions and contradictions.
— Peter Baker (@peterbakernyt) August 7, 2015
We can declare this winner: Fox moderators, who were prepared, tough, and fair
— Rich Lowry (@RichLowry) August 7, 2015
I thought Fox moderators were excellent. Tough questions all around.
— Dave Jamieson (@jamieson) August 7, 2015
[h=3]Carly Fiorina had a great night[/h]Carly Fiorina (Associated Press)
The former Hewlett-Packard executive didn’t<span style="color: Red;">*</span>poll high enough to<span style="color: Red;">*</span>earn<span style="color: Red;">*</span>a slot on the main stage, but she was the breakout star of the “Happy Hour” debate Fox News hosted earlier in the evening for the seven candidates who didn’t<span style="color: Red;">*</span>crack the top 10. Her even, focused demeanor and zingers against Donald Trump, Jeb Bush and Hillary Clinton made her the standout in an otherwise lackluster<span style="color: Red;">*</span>forum. Conservative pundits lauded her performance. Former speaker and 2012 candidate Newt Gingrich tweeted Fiorina “is clearly the big winner in the first debate.” She also enjoyed the biggest surge in Google searches on the second-tier candidates.
Carly Fiorina, Donald Trump, Jeb Bush, John Kasich, Rand Paul, 2016<span style="color: Red;">*</span>
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