The Winners and Losers of the CNBC Debate

Roll Call ^ | October 29, 2015 | Emily Cahn, Simone Pathé, and Eli Yokley

[Isara]

Sens. Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz delivered the strongest performances in Wednesday night's Republican presidential debate, a group of GOP strategists told CQ Roll call, and should see a bounce in their poll numbers between now and the next faceoff in two weeks.

"Rubio delivered yet another solid performance in which he demonstrated what a good candidate he is. And how formidable he could be in November,” said Jason Roe, who has managed and advised congressional campaigns, including that of former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay of Texas.

“Cruz, I think, had his best night yet. And I think that was courtesy of CNBC. How he took them on and the tone in which he took them on was a real turning point for him and the conversation," Roe said. "He exposed the ridiculousness of the questions and ingratiated every Republican watching to him."

Cruz drew perhaps the loudest applause of the night when he turned on the moderators and the tone of their questions, saying they illustrated why the American people don't trust the media.

“You look at the questions - ‘Donald Trump, are you a comic book villain?’ ‘Ben Carson, can you do math?’ ‘John Kasich, will you insult two people over here?’ ‘Marco Rubio, why don’t you resign?’ ‘Jeb Bush, why have your numbers fallen?'”

Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus led the charge against CNBC afterward, criticizing its "improper and unprofessional display."

CNBC should be ashamed of how this debate was handled. #GOPDebate

- Reince Priebus (@Reince) October 29, 2015

After attacking a question on online fantasy football, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie took issue with being interrupted by John Harwood, one of the network's moderators. "Do you want me to answer or do you want to answer? Because I got to tell you the truth, even in New Jersey what you're doing is called rude," Christie said.

Rubio, Cruz and Christie. Plus Fiorina, I’d argue. Jeb did not turn it around tonight. Trump and Carson missed an opportunity. CNBC? Wow. - Stuart Rothenberg (@StuPolitics) October 29, 2015

Bob Kish, a veteran GOP admaker from Ohio whose client list includes a number of conservative Republicans, called the network the night's biggest loser.

"The questions were immature and petty," he said. "I actually thought they might ‘jump the shark' and question Chris Christie about his weight."

Going into the debate, most of the attention was on front-runners and outsider candidates Donald Trump and Dr. Ben Carson, and on former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush because of his falling poll numbers and reports of donors in revolt over his campaign's lackluster performance so far.

The consensus afterward was that the front-runners did nothing to hurt themselves nor did they do much to stand out.

"Donald Trump and Ben Carson seemed to play it safe because they are leading in the national polls," said Republican strategist Ron Bonjean, a longtime Republican communicator who's worked for leadership in both the House and the Senate. "It was odd that [Ohio Gov.] John Kasich was the only Republican candidate to take on front-runners Donald Trump and Ben Carson. It seemed that most of them just hoped the moderators would go after Trump and that he would simply implode."

James Harris, a Republican consultant who has worked on campaigns in the Midwest and Texas, thought the debate, which was focused on the economy, should have been in Trump's sweet spot.

"Donald Trump missed an opportunity to display his knowledge on the issues - particularly the economy. He isn’t exclusively a reality TV expert, but he didn’t display the breadth of his competency," he said.

Roe called Trump's performance his worst of the three debates, "not even as entertaining as he’s ever been."

And Carson "was just as uninspiring as ever.” But Roe joked that he’ll probably shoot up in the polls now.

Asked to explain that, Roe said he couldn't. Maybe, he said, it’s because “he’s such a polite, likeable, thoughtful guy.”

“No matter who you’re supporting, you can’t help but have a soft spot for the guy.”

The audience apparently did, booing heartily after CNBC's Carl Quintanilla asked whether Carson's association with a controversial nutritional supplement company called his “vetting process or judgment” into question.

After the jeers died down, Carson shrugged toward the audience and said, "They know."

Bush did capitalize on the fantasy football question, pointing out that his team is 7-0, but he did little to quell concerns about the direction of his campaign.

"Jeb might be 7-0 in Fantasy football but he’s 0-3 in debates," Kish said.

Roe said Bush didn't hurt himself, "but I don’t know that he did what he needed to do. These formats are not his strong suit. You can never wait for a debate for Jeb to win the day.”

Florida strategist Rick Wilson called Rubio the night's winner: "He played his game, not the moderators'.”

Rubio seemed prepared for a jab from mentor Bush's attack on his voting record in the Senate on the same day that the Florida Sun-Sentinel called for his resignation if he wouldn't vote more in the Senate.

"I don't remember you ever complaining about [2008 GOP nominee] John McCain's vote record," Rubio said. "The only reason why you're doing it now is because we're running for the same position and someone has convinced you that attacking me is going to help you."

Bonjean cited that turn as one of the reasons he thought Rubio won the night.

"Rubio was like a verbal ninja turning the Jeb Bush attack around effectively enough to make it his own moment," he said.

Rubio always brings questions/answers back to the little guy. Smart.

- Stuart Rothenberg (@StuPolitics) October 29, 2015

Most of the strategists said former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina delivered another strong performance, but doubted she would be able to gain much traction from it.

"Carly is smart and articulate, but she just can’t capitalize on her debate performances," Kish said.

Fiorina had a breakout performance in the last GOP debate, and that provided her with a spike in her polling, but the numbers flattened out soon after.

“Carly delivered another solid performance but don’t think she got the time to capitalize on it," Roe said. "I also think part of the appeal of her first two debates, particularly the second, was that for a lot of people, that was the first time they saw her. They didn’t have an expectation. They were blown away.”

Now people expect her to perform that way and are no longer blown away, Roe said.

As for the rest of the field, most said the governors - Christie and Kasich - had their moments.

"Kasich did what he came to do - mix it and up get feisty, and focus on his record," Roe said. "He did a good job of that, but I don’t think he was a breakthrough. The same with Christie.”

Bonjean thought Christie and Cruz made their own moments.

"Chris Christie and Ted Cruz also did extremely well by jumping into the fray and giving their own answers without prompting," he said.

Most panned Sen. Rand Paul and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and questioned the viability of their campaigns.

While no one saw the Wednesday night debate, or the undercard that preceded it, as a reason for anyone to drop out of the race, "Paul and Huck ought to," Wilson said.

Kish thought Paul's days are numbered.

"I think Rand is next to drop. I bet he stays in for the Milwaukee debate [in two weeks] but he’s clearly on his last leg.

[Isara]

FYI

[Isara]

Presidential Candidates Comparison (Bush vs. Carson vs. Cruz vs. Rubio vs. Trump)

Please click on the pictures at the top of the columns for more details on the ratings of the candidates.

Budget, Spending & Debt
Civil Liberties
Education
Energy & Environment
Foreign Policy & Defense
Free Market
Health Care & Entitlements
Immigration
Moral Issues
Second Amendment
Taxes, Economy & Trade

More at Conservative Review: https://www.conservativereview.com/2016-presidential-candidates

Note: If you don't like the ratings for any reason, please contact Conservative Review's Editor-in-Chief, "The Great One," Mark Levin. But I have to warn you that you may get this response from him: "GET OFF THE PHONE, YOU BIG DOPE!"

[MNJohnnie]

Rubio seemed prepared for a jab from mentor

Of course he was. Last night was political Kabuki theater designed to inoculate Rubie from being tagged "Jeb 2.0" when Bush drops out of the race.

[Nervous Tick]

Ted Cruz, “Green Board” all the way. That’s my man!

[yoe]

Bush did capitalize on the fantasy football question, pointing out that his team is 7-0..."

Zero significance and zero solidity.

[Uncle Miltie]

“a group of GOP strategists” = GOPe.

Bet on it.

[Bogey78O]

CNBC was the bigest loser. The moderators were hostile to the debaters by trying to cut down everything they stated and did their best to not engage debate.

[TheConservativeParty]

Agree with you.
CNBC could have done no worse by using Interweb Trolls for their inquisition panel.

[Pirate Ragnar]

In my opinion, Trump added nothing to what he has been and Carson was dummy 101. Cruz is the class of the group. He is thoughtful, highly intelligent and takes no crap. Go Ted.

[Patton@Bastogne]

.


First, there's no doubt that the MSM-Debate folks were trying to screw Dr. Ben Carson ....

just like they did Herman Cain in 2012 (et al).



It's not "fair", but it's "blood sport politics".

Accordingly, Dr. Ben Carson's campaign staff effectively did serious damage to their boss for NOT being pro-active about the question of Mannatech.

Somebody on Dr. Ben Carson's staff should be FIRED.

Period.



It's a "legal fact" that once money or "renumeration" trades hands, the two parties involved have an "association".

That's what the RICO laws are all about.

Quid Pro Quo.



It's my suspicion that the Mannatech product genuinely helped Dr. Ben Carson's medical condition.

That's a good thing.



But Dr. Ben Carson (for reasons I cannot even imagine) labeled questions about his "association" with Mannatech as ...

liberal news media lies and "propaganda".



WHY did Dr. Ben Carson do that ?

Didn't he know the story and evidence (including pictures that I've posted today at Free Republic) were AVAILABLE to EVERYONE ?

Hell, it only took me FIVE minutes at Google to locate a score of images showing Dr. Ben Carson speaking at Mannatech conferences ($ 120,000 for three speeches).



Doesn't Dr. Ben Carson and his Campaign Staff KNOW-REMEMBER the 2012 Herman Cain debacle ?

Haven't they EVER heard of "Google Searches" ?

Holy Mackerel ... what COSMIC incompetence on display.



And folks still believe that Dr. Ben Carson is "intellectualy" (not mentioning the MORAL aspect) of running a SUCCESSFUL presidential campaign against Hillary Clinton ?

Dr. Ben Carson is a BRILLIANT surgeon --- BUT a complete, utter ARROGANT FOOL to think that he can HIDE "anything" during a presidential campaign.

Period.



Doesn't Dr. Ben Carson and his campaign Staff REMEMBER how the MSM interviewed people who had been Junior High School colleages of Mitt Romney in the 2012 campaign ?

Rest assured ... EVERY malpractice lawuit (imagined or real) against Dr. Ben Carson ...

and EVERY traffic stop sign violation ...

and EVERY "scorned" romantic woman in his life ...

and EVERY disgruntled and jealous staffer / nurse / janitor ...

who's ever been within 100 miles of Dr. Ben Carson ...

will be BRIBED to LIE about him ...

and that doesn't include "questionable" donations from Mannatech, Walmart, Captain Kangeroo, or Mother Theresa.



These are the reasons that I consider Dr. Ben Carson's lie (in front of 11 million TV viewers) the "beginning of the end" of his 2016 presidential campaign.

Heck ... Jeb Bush and Hillary Clinton's "Opposition Reseach Teams" probably have already collected the serial numbers on the $ 100 bills used in the $ 120,000 total transactions between Dr. Ben Carson and Mannatech.



Dr. Ben Carson's 2016 presidential campaign is "over".

Period.




.