Posted on 09/18/2015 7:17:14 PM PDT by VinL
The six-hour Republican conclave here is (finally) over and we have all the details over at our premium site and in the printed paper Saturday.
Some highlights and leftovers that didn’t make the main story:
Yes, the news early in the day was that Donald Trump bailed at the last minute, but judging purely from audience reaction, the 10,000 activists here for the Heritage Action Presidential Forum were equally enamored of Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and former CEO Carly Fiorina. Cruz got the warmest welcome when introduced while Fiorina left the stage to thunderous applause.
Cruz was clearly more relaxed in this setting, on stage alone, than he was during Wednesday night’s three-hour televised debate in California. His son-of-a-preacher cadence was more at home before a sympathetic crowd and his talking points landed like laser-guided, drone-fired missiles.
Fiorina, meanwhile, started slowly, her soft voice difficult to hear. But, as soon the crowd began to lift her up, she was off and her responses to a series of questions got stronger as she went.
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio was close to perfect, too, and used his sense of humor and mastery of the issues to excel. For whatever reason, however, the crowd didn’t roar quite as loudly for him.
Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush all did perfectly fine, though none stood out.
Dr. Ben Carson, was nearly as good as Rubio.
Each candidate was asked to record a video answering one question: How would you as president create an atmosphere where there is opportunity for everyone and preferential treatment for none? The candidates’ submissions ranged from glossy, expensive productions for Rubio, Cruz and Paul, to poorly lit missives by Fiorina and Gov. Bobby Jindal.
(Excerpt) Read more at politics.blog.ajc.com ...
Jeb Bush started right out with Boos over common core.
Carly?! I thought she was terrible! The debate she did well but tonight...awful....gack!
I loved Cruz, especially after he got warmed up and I liked Jindal.
Hmmmmm.... Great ticket!! Tactically, regionally, demographically: Cruz-Fiorina
Huh? I’ve heard from a couple of people that Jindal was awesome, yet he’s a mere [negative] blip in this article. What gives?
She is an admitted Hagel practitioner.
Very very problematic.
Please don’t fall for her act.
“Fiorina left the stage to thunderous applause.”
Then I stopped reading.
Agree: Cruz-Fiorina would be an unbeatable ticket by any measure!
I suspect when the new post-debate polls come out Trump will be in free fall. He’s been riding the free tv media exposure and unless he unloosens some of his cash and gets back on message with an ad blitzkrieg, he’s done.
As Trump burns out Cruz is going to rise in support.
I can tolerate one fantasy, but not two.
OOoof! Don’t taze me bro!
Maybe they were happy that she was leaving.
I read that too quickly and thought it said she is an admitted Kegel practitioner.
I watched Cruz, Walker, and Rubio, thought they all did well—especially Cruz, who brought down the house!
Yuck! Hope you rethink that.
TDS will do that to your judgement.
I had “winning” in mind with 53% of voters being female.
If that ticket becomes reality , shall we make a small wager - say 5,000 yen - that they lose ?
You go with “electable” above everything else?
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