Unlike in previous GOP debates, when Trump dominated the conversation or Fiorina had a standout night, the third matchup was more nuanced.
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CNBC’s problems were further compounded by the network’s meandering commentary between the night’s two debates, which was widely panned on Twitter.
But the candidates levelled one complaint after another on stage and off it.
“It’s not a very nicely asked question, the way you ask it”, Trump responded. He also ended the debate by ripping CNBC in his closing statement. To most people, it’s sounded like “because I’ve led”, or “did I mention I’m a Bush?”
A moderator disputed Trump’s claim.
“I’ve used that to my advantage as a businessman”, Trump said. “You know that. That is not right”. Ted Cruz said early on.
Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush suggested rival Marco Rubio resign his Senate seat at a testy economic debate Wednesday marked by frequent personal attacks and several heated clashes over tax policy.
“Senator, we asked our viewers to send in questions, as the moderators did such a lousy job getting to the issues”.
Cruz contrasted these questions with those at the Democratic debate, even though that event was put on by CNN.
“This is not a cage match”, Cruz said.
Ohio Governor John Kasich and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie are each seeking to break through with more mainstream voters.
“I think the bigger frustration that you saw is all of those candidates on the stage had prepared for a substantive debate”, Rubio said.
Next up was retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, who has surged to become a front-runner along with Trump in recent weeks.
As moderator Carl Quintanilla continued to press Carson on his association with a controversial nutritional supplement company, asking if it speaks “to your vetting process or judgment in any way”, the audience erupted in boos.
That’s easy to answer. “I thought they would bring forward a pretty fair forum here tonight. If they’re looking for an entertainer-in-chief, I’m probably not your guy”. I did speeches for other people – they were paid speeches. It is absolutely absurd to say that I had any kind of relationship with them. And I think it sort of took the evening into a space it didn’t need to go to.
To me, the consummate insider always had at best an outside chance.
Fiorina made one of the best fiscal points of the night when she urged a return to zero-baseline budgeting (see WORLD’s “Addition by subtraction”), but moderators did not use it to spark a policy conversation. “They know”, he said of the audience. Both insist they will make extraordinary things happen just because they are once-in-a-lifetime leaders. Nevertheless, Christie’s long list of complaints about Obama’s Department of Justice were a reminder that the New Jersey governor’s appointees are facing federal corruption investigations.
Bush tried to get back into the spotlight with remarks criticizing government intervention in the markets-which he immediately followed with an endorsement of regulation for the daily sports fantasy sports industry. “Wait a second: we have $19 trillion in debt, we have people out of work, we have ISIS and al-Qaeda attacking us”. But Bush doesn’t really like attacking.
“What should we do?”
CHRISTIE: What we should do is to be investing in all types of energy, John, all types of energy.
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Ignored for a good portion of the debate, Christie was able to fight on friendly territory when the discussion turned to entitlement programs such as Social Security. “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”. “How are we going to do this?” the governor asked.
