Logic vs. emotion. The tug of war over the direction of the Republican Party was on full display as the 11 leading GOP candidates took to the stage from the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library Wednesday night to discuss the issues.
Within a three-hour window, these 11 Republicans battled over the issues in an effort to stand out among themselves. Controversial front-runner Donald Trump entered the debate polling at the top, with retired neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson closing in, and businesswoman Carly Fiorina making waves nationally. Did Trump solidify himself as a legitimate threat? Or was he overtaken by a field of candidates ready to take center stage? Let's rank the 11 candidates performance and recap the GOP debate.
11. Mike Huckabee.
The former Arkansas Governor has the weakest debate of any of his peers. Huckabee went a substantial amount of time before even being addressed for a question. He seemed most relevant during the discussion of Kim Davis, the county clerk who refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Despite this, he further demonstrated his lack of understanding of this particular issue. Other than this, Huckabee gave standard conservative responses and refused to challenge any of the other candidates' claims and beliefs. On a night that revolved around debate and discussion, this lack of immersion ultimately hurt Mike Huckabee.
10. Ted Cruz.
Ted Cruz falls low on the list for the same reason as Huckabee. Cruz stayed true to His Tea Party roots, vowing to rip up the Iran Nuclear Deal. There was discussion On Cruz's plan to shut down the government to defund planned parenthood, an idea John Kasich opposed. Cruz spoke to his people, but did not have any memorable moments that could have flipped GOP voters in his favor.
9. Rand Paul.
Paul is fighting a losing battle. He has a great fervor for his beliefs, however his issue is he leans toward a liberal viewpoint among a stage of dedicated conservatives. From the very beginning he was met with criticism from Donald Trump and he never recovered. Despite his willingness even in the first debate to challenge the front-runner, none of his points ever stick. His views on Iran, that he would negotiate and consider the deal, do not register well with many Conservatives. Paul was polling at one percent, and after this debate, he should consider turning it in.
8. Ben Carson.
Dr. Ben Carson entered this debate one of the more intriguing candidates this time around. He was gaining ground on Donald Trump and had solidified himself as the number two GOP candidate. That being said, this debate seemed the prime opportunity to seize the top spot and he did not deliver. In no way did Carson have a bad debate. He stuck to who he is, the reserved, calm man with a relatable sense of humor. He explained his points well, but for some reason was not able to have as much of a standout performance as his first debate. There's no doubt he will continue to climb the polls, as his performance did not hurt him. It simply did not live up to its potential.
7. Scott Walker.
Walker has been losing ground, and you could tell he knew it based on how he started this debate. He had a great deal more intensity than the first debate and took Trump head on, even referring to the business man as an apprentice. The issue Walker faces is after his hot start, he quickly faded to irrelevancy. He stumbled, and by the end had failed to bank on an opportunity at new found life coming out of this debate.
6. John Kasich.
The Ohio governor had quite the confusing debate. Much of his argument seemed to revolve around that he was the voice of reason. He was the one who could unite political parties and get things done. He spoke on his record and certainly had numbers to back up his points and promises. He refuses to take part in political attacks, but went extended periods of time without speaking. Governor Kasich had an average debate, one that will not positively or negatively affect his standing.
5. Donald Trump.
By all means, Donald Trump did not have a strong debate. His true colors showed early in berating Rand Paul's appearance. He was attacked often by a range of candidates and clearly did not know how to respond to some. Many of his plans have no substance, including his immigration plan, as discussed by candidates. His most memorable moment was not even truly his, he simply set the stage for it, which we'll get to later. The only reason Trump makes it this far up the list is the numbers. His supporters are behind him no matter what, as a poll on CNN after the debate shows currently that 44 percent of people believe Trump won the debate, with Fiorina in second at 23 percent. There's no disputing no matter what happens to this man, his numbers don't reflect his performance.
4. Chris Christie.
Christie had gone relatively unnoticed up until this night. He defended his views adamantly, and allowed himself to appeal more toward Conservatives on issues like abortion. Had had one of the more memorable moments of the night as he chastised Trump and Fiorina for arguing and not discussing the issues he believes matter to everyday Americans. Christie had a far better performance this time around and should resonate better with Republican voters.
3. Marco Rubio.
In the first debate its easy to feel as though Marco Rubio faded into the background, as he did. This time around, that was not going to happen. He interestingly challenged Donald Trump without launching a direct attack. He played to his own strengths and incorporated his own story in order to connect on a more personal level with viewers. He came off as intelligent and charismatic, and reminded people why he was one of the early Republican frontrunners. Overall, a strong debate for Marco Rubio.
2. Jeb Bush.
After an abysmal first debate, Bush responded in the best way he could have here. He showed a great deal of enthusiasm, and stood up to the personal attacks of Donald Trump in a bold way. He enthusiastically defended his brother, George Bush, to the applause of the crowd, and demanded an apology for personal attacks against his wife (to which Trump declined). He also provided a level of humor we don't usually see and was willing to shake hands with Trump after the debate had ended. He did all of this while reminding Republican voters of his conservative views and record. Overall, this debate couldn't have gone much better for Bush, and was just what he needed.
1. Carly Fiorina.
Going into the first debate, the former Hewlett-Packard CEO was viewed as an afterthought. She proved everyone wrong. Coming into the second debate, this time on the main stage, many once again questioned how she would perform. Make no mistake -- coming out of the second debate, the clear winner is Carly Fiorina. In response to an obvious bait attempt by CNN to get her to smear Donald Trump for his comments on her face, she elected to simply state, "I think women all over this country heard very clearly what Mr. Trump said." This moment was the most memorable of the night, and was met with arguably the loudest applause of the night. She defended what many perceive as failures as a businesswoman. She highlighted her views on foreign policy, abortion, and most of the other issues Conservatives care about. She was the only one who elected to not put a woman on the $10 bill at all. She looked like she belonged, and she certainly stood out.
This debate showcased two different sides of the Republican party, and it's unclear which direction they are heading. After this debate, hopefully we will see a few names drop out of the race and we can get a clearer view of the frontrunners. The next debate will be the first Democratic debate and will also be broadcast on CNN on October 13.
