GOP Debate Blogging

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9:18 PM: Here’s Rubes’ epic repeat the same stump line three times moment.

9:26 PM: Yep, Cruz does not know what carpet bombing means.

9:30 PM: Debaters have allowed Rubio to get back to scripted lines. Curious whether they’ll come after him again.

9:34 PM: Starting to feel like the major players feel like they made their points or did what they needed to do and are now hanging back.

9:40 PM: For all the bad things I’ve said about Ted Cruz over the last couple years, I don’t think I’ve ever heard him stumble over his words or be at a loss for words. I think he found himself halfway through that torture answer and realized, wow, I’m lost here. This sounds terrible. So he stopped for a moment to try to think how to talk his way out of his answer. It was neither principled nor hardcore in terms of torture and the rule of law. He was lost. I’ve never seen him lost before.

9:45 PM: I’m getting the sense that Christie feels like if he goes after Rubio again it’ll seem like bullying or maybe even a war crime.

9:47 PM: Here’s the write up of the second time Christie went after Rubio, this time over his explanation of abandoning his own immigration bill.

9:50 PM: I’ve give him this. This story of his sister is a strong moment for Cruz. Sort of ruining it now (from my POV, not necessarily his audience) by pivoting to immigrant bashing. But, a strong moment for Cruz.

9:52 PM: Christie also has a very strong moment on drug overdose issue, demonstrates his key argument: that he has real world experience, has been accountable for solutions.

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