What Went Down In The Second GOP Debate

[Attorney in Texas]

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by uppityperson (a host of the Latest Breaking News forum).

Source: FiveThirthEight

CANDIDATE AVERAGE GRADE HIGH GRADE LOW GRADE
Fiorina A A+ A-
Rubio B A C
Bush B A- C
Christie B- B+ D
Carson B- B+ D
Cruz C+ B D
Trump C+ B+ D
Kasich C+ B+ D
Paul C+ B C-
Walker C+ B- D
Huckabee C B D





Read more: http://fivethirtyeight.com/live-blog/2016-election-second-republican-presidential-debate/

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More from earlier reporting:

[SmittynMo]

1. So where were the questions about

Income inequality, the destruction of the middle class, the banksters, healthcare, education?


These are items that people want to hear.

[Scuba]

2. The Republicans don't want the people to know where they stand on those issues.

[Roland99]

3. Pffft...silly you

Kim Davis is an American hero. America needs to know all about her and her valiant fight against the War on Christianity!!!!!






or something....

[Attorney in Texas]

5. Do questions about repealing Obamacare count as questions about healthcare? n/t

[valerief]

10. Now how would talking about those things make rich people richer? Use your head!

[ProfessorGAC]

13. And, The People Who Will Vote For These Mopes. . .

. . .care about what those same rich people tell them to care about.

[Lychee2]

15. Their answer is always the same answer: tax cuts for the rich.

So no one needs to ask the question. It's understood.

[PATRICK]

4. It strikes me

that in all the negative dynamics that Jeb is getting in the way. Everyone still fears his money and connections- an entitlement as the serious candidate. His is basically running as a shield for Trump against any winning competition- of which there is arguably none though.

While nothing is being accomplished as Trumps trumps all attacks into mere publicity for himself, Jeb is sucking up all the rest of the wasted time. I think likely that nervous Republicans are shifting to low volume hopefuls like carson, but that is a fruitless exercise in their party. More waste. Possible alternatives seemed panicked into shooting themselves in the foot just to get noticed, thus increasing their lack of credibility and hoping all will be forgotten in some future race over Trump's grave- which is pretty theoretical at this point.

They created this monstrosity and never ever deigned to find even a phony face or semi-competent leader better than what they have. Rubio has obviously been wasting his time preparing for this venture although on paper- if not behind the scenes- he should have had it all.

[marions ghost]

6. "this monstrosity"

--yeah a whole pack of greedy narcissists crawling over each other like crabs in a pot. Not a single one really has the interests of the American people at heart. This "debate" illustrates so well exactly what is wrong with this country.

At this point I think it's safe to say the Corporate Repugs would be extremely happy with Hillary.

[PatrickforO]

7. When I think of the Republican field, one word comes to mind.

Loathsome.

[Blasphemer]

8. I mostly agree with that assessment

I would put Bush below Christie - I think that must be a B for effort.

[Attorney in Texas]

9. I think Trump and Paul did better that 538 ranked them and Kasich did worse

I'd say those who improved their chances (or held their own for Trump and Carson who are already at the top of that dung heap and so "won" by consolidating their position instead of losing ground) include Fiorina, Rubio (sounded like a high school debater but he's so far down in the polls that it may be a step up), Carson, Trump, and Paul (finally sounded like a Libertarian).

Those who took a step back include Kasich, Walker (he looks pretty close to done), Huckabee (he's done), the whole kiddie table (time for them to move on).

And the middle ground who won't move much include Bush, Christie (and by not moving forward, he's probably done), and Cruz.

[Blasphemer]

11. Kasich definitely had a poor outing

He, more than anyone, needed a good showing to back up what has become the conventional wisdom. He didn't deliver. I agree about Fiorina and Rubio. In a parallel universe, Rubio would be hands-down leading this field. It'll be interesting to see what happens with Carson and Trump's numbers. Carson was weak during the first half, but improved in the second half. Trump may benefit, one again, from the feeling that he is under undue attack. Immigration was perhaps not discussed enough for him to benefit from the policy position that most distances him from the rest. He showed more deference to the others than he has in the past and owned his weaknesses so I'm very curious about how his supporters respond.

[Attorney in Texas]

12. Kasich, Walker, Christie, Huckabee, and the whole kiddie table all needed homeruns, and they struck

out with the possible exception of Christie who maybe got a walk.

[Lychee2]

16. Matt Bai says Jeb is cooked and Kasich is the GOP establishment's great hope.

https://www.yahoo.com/politics/jeb-leaves-a-vacuum-who-fills-it-if-you-were-in-129274994226.html

But then, what does Matt Bai know?

[Lychee2]

14. Why did Carly get such good grades?

Do you agree that she did that much better than the others?

(I'm asking you so I don't have to watch it.)

[Hortensis]

17. Graded on a very big curve, and Fiorina definitely struck me as the typical

straight-A girl student in class. No crumpled homework pulled out of a pocket. She studied industriously, remembered what she learned, and turned in lots of nice, neat answers, good penmanship, T's crossed, no incomplete sentences, etc.

I'm serious. IMO, she took it because she put in a typically conscientious female performance and there was no Ronald Reagan to make it all irrelevant by his performance. Even the class clown was off his game.

[Lychee2]

18. I knew that girl.

Little Miss Perfect. She had my grudging respect, but I would never want her for class president.

[Hortensis]

20. :)

[Attorney in Texas]

21. 538: "We’re Bullish On Fiorina And (Still) Bearish On Trump After The Debate"

Micah Cohen:

Carly Fiorina. She’s sitting with an 8 percent chance of becoming the Republican nominee — would you buy or sell her stock?

Harry Enten:

I’d sell. Let me be the old curmudgeon in this group; I continue to believe that a traditional candidate will emerge as the ultimate nominee. I believe her record at HP will eventually bring her down, among other things. That said, I wouldn’t put her chance near 0. Perhaps closer to 3-5 percent. Better than Trump.... Let me point out a few things: 1. I think we need to realize that this is still September. Other more establishment candidates did very well last night. 2. Fiorina self-funded somewhat in 2010. Not exactly someone who relied on the traditional infrastructure.

Nate Silver:

Yay, an actual disagreement! I’d at least hold Fiorina’s stock at 8 percent, and maybe buy ... hold is totally an option ... the thing about Fiorina is that it seems a little off to classify her as an insurgent/outsider. If you’re the CEO of a major company like HP, you’re a part of the establishment. Unless you’re a real weirdo. And if you run for Senate as a Republican in 2010, and run as a surrogate for a bunch of Republican candidates, you’re part of the ​*political*​ establishment too.

Simone Landon:

Who’s Walker? Was he even there last night?

Enten:

Buy. At 4 percent? I’d buy. ... His debate performance was a ball of meh, but he’s the governor of a fairly large bluish-tint state. He won election three times in four years. He’s conservative.

Silver:

Yeah, it’s a buy at 4 percent....his favorability ratings are pretty good and he has “enough” money to survive for a while.... I’m not saying that his stock hasn’t diminished. But I think there’s been an overreaction. A 25-to-1 shot? Sure. I’ll take a few of those tickets.

Cohen:

Jeb Bush at 39 percent: buy/sell/hold?

Enten:

Selling ... 39 percent is way too high.... {Fair price is} somewhere between 20-30 percent. His super PAC still has a ton of money. He leads the endorsement race (if barely). He’s ahead of most of the other traditional candidates in the polls (for whatever that is worth). And I don’t think he is too moderate for the party at this point.

Silver:

Yeah, sell. I don’t really get why he’s at 39 percent. ... {Fair price is} 25 percent? 30 percent?

Cohen:

THE DONALD: 13 percent. Buy/sell/hold?

Enten:

Sell.

Landon:

we all sell on The Donald

[Gothmog]

19. I love Nate's analysis and numbers

[PassingFair]

22. Haha. The only woman is the "most interrupted"...

...most realistic aspect of the debate!

[Attorney in Texas]

23. I think the only woman was the one who DID the most interrupting

[PassingFair]

24. Funny! Can't tell from the chart!

I just assumed that she was interrupted.

[Attorney in Texas]

25. I agree that the chart is completely ambiguous, but I remember her interrupting a bunch last night

[uppityperson]

26. Locking, does not meet LBN SOP. Thank you. Repost in GD or Good Reads please.

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