I wouldn’t be surprised if something similar happened in New Hampshire. But there was no indication that ABC planned to extend a last-minute invitation to Fiorina.
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Trump returned to the stage after skipping the last debate before the Iowa caucuses and did none of his familiar debate tactics of bashing other candidates.
Rubio rejoined by telling Christie he had to be shamed into returning to New Jersey from New Hampshire during the recent blizzard.
Christie hit him hard on immigration, asserting that he was trying to wriggle out of responsibility for the failure of a sweeping overhaul plan that Rubio co-authored. “Let’s dispel this notion that Barack Obama doesn’t know what he’s doing”. He took on real water when Chris Christie effectively characterized him as an Obama-like orator who rarely strayed from a script, and Rubio fed that impression by repeating his talking points four times in response. Kasich had a solid night pushing a positive message.
With the GOP establishment impatient for a champion to keep the nomination from Trump or Cruz, those who fail to impress in New Hampshire will face intense pressure to drop out.
“Jeb wants to be a tough guy tonight”, shot back Trump, who is chasing a win in the primary after finishing second in the Iowa caucus this week. I’ll leave you with one X-factor that I believe impacted this debate’s “intangibles” and optics: ABC News reported after the debate that Democrats who were anxious about Rubio’s post-Iowa ascension were “relieved” by his early struggles.
“Who would do something like that?” “And I’m not going any place either”, Carson said, asserting there was “still a place here for faith, integrity, and common sense”.
The debate had no truly game-changing moments, but it had caution flags for some candidates.
Cruz apologized for his campaign’s actions Saturday, but not before Carson jabbed him for having “Washington ethics”. CNN said in a statement Saturday night, “What Sen”.
Texas Senator Ted Cruz was the surprise victor in Iowa. The fact that Sen. “You stayed there for 36 hours and then he left and came back”, Rubio said.
Marco Rubio came third in Iowa and is seen as a rising force, leading many of his rivals to question his credentials. They looked to repeatedly liken him to Obama – also a first-term senator turned president.
Rubio rebutted by saying experience is not necessary a positive thing.
“If I get elected president, head out tomorrow and buy a seat belt, because there’s going to be so much happening in the first 100 days, it’s going to make your head spin”, he said.
“I like Marco Rubio, and he’s a smart person and a good guy, but he simply does not have the experience to be president of the United States and make these decisions”, Christie said.
Rubio also found himself under a withering attack from Christie over immigration reform and the legislation he backed in the Senate for a comprehensive overhaul of the system that he eventually repudiated. But Christie stepped on that message by sarcastically noting that Rubio rarely departs from the rehearsed mini-speeches he delivers on the trail. “That’s what Washington, D.C., does”.
Rubio sought to defend his single term in the Senate, saying he was proud of protecting people from eminent-domain abuse and helping to pass sanctions against terrorist groups. Santorum endorsed Rubio shortly after he abandoned his own presidential bid following the Iowa caucuses.
But Bush interjected to call out Trump for blurring the differences between eminent domain for public and private use.
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“What Donald Trump did was use eminent domain to try to take the property of an elderly woman on the strip in Atlantic City”, Bush said. Regardless, after Bush landed a solid punch on Trump and the crowd punctuated it with several rounds of boos, it’s possible that America’s love affair with the billionaire may be nearing its conclusion.
