CNN: "So, who won the Republican debate?" [View all]
CNN asked a wide variety of blather mouths who won the debate, and here's what they said (in summary):
David Gergen: Kasich, Fiorina
Dan Pfeiffer: Rubio (Loser: Jeb Bush. After several bad weeks, Jeb Bush could really have used a good night. He didn't have it. Bush, like Huntsman in '12 and Dukakis in '88, seems to shrink under the klieg lights. He was nervous, halting, and just painfully uninspiring. Politics in our polarized age is about motivation and Bush gave no indication that he could motivate anyone to get out of bed and vote on a rainy day in November.)
Tara Setmayer: Rubio (loser: Jeb Bush (who terribly underperformed by the way); Breakout performance: Carly Fiorina)
Mel Robbins: Trump (Loser: Women)
William Howell: Rubio (Loser: Trump)
Donna Brazile: Trump (losers: Paul, Christie)
Buck Sexton: Rubio, Cruz, Paul and Christie (losers: Bush, Trump, Huckabee and Carson)
Dean Obeidallah: Carson, Bush, especially Trump, Kasich. Fiorina
Maria Cardona: Fiorina, Kasich, and Hillary Clinton for all of the fodder the candidates gave her for the general election campaign) (Loser: Bush)
Julian Zelizer: Who was the biggest loser? American democracy. This is no way to pick who will run for president. Democracy deserves a more serious conversation.
Tom Rogan: Fiorina , Walker (loser: Paul)
Raul A. Reyes: Kasich (loser: Walker)
Karlyn Bowman: Rubio, Walker, Carson (loser: the GOP
the party needs to rethink these cattle calls)