The gloves came off from the first question Thursday night as Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz did what they knew they had to in this, the most tense and contentious GOP presidential debate yet. Cruz and Rubio went after Trump on immigration, religious freedom, Obamacare, releasing tax reports, foreign policy and national security.
Though there were still five candidates on the University of Houston stage, expectations were greatest for Rubio and Cruz. It was their last, best chance to stop Trump, to come out of the evening as the last man standing against the billionaire businessman who is the GOP frontrunner in most polls around the nation. Eleven states hold their nominating contests Tuesday.
Entering the debate, Trump was riding high, having won New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada in a row while most polls show him in great shape in most of the states up for grabs on Tuesday. Following his second place showings in South Carolina and Nevada, Rubio hoped to build a little momentum even as polls show him trailing Trump in his home state of Florida. After his third place finishes in the two most recent contests, Cruz looked to win over social and religious conservatives as he tries to win a few states in the South while defending his Texas home base. John Kasich hopes to survive on Super Tuesday until the race gets to friendlier territory like Ohio and Michigan next month. But he will try to pick his spots, including Massachusetts and Vermont. A non-factor in New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada, Ben Carson tried to silence the growing chorus of critics questioning why he’s still in the race.
The debate was co-sponsored by CNN and Telemundo and before it started, both networks promised to focus on Hispanic issues. That was certainly the case at the start of the debate, with immigration and Hispanic outreach. But other issues popped up as the night went on, though building a wall on the Mexican border and Puerto Rico's finances popped up toward the end. Jeb Bush might have dropped out since the last debate, but his family was well represented in Houston Thursday night with former President George H.W. Bush and Barbara Bush looking on.
Though both Rubio and Cruz tried to set up the race as a one-on-one contest against Trump after Super Tuesday, look for the two senators to still be around. Regardless, Trump took far more fire than he had before and he didn’t land blows against his foes as he had in past debates.
Here’s a look at some of the winners and losers from Thursday night.
Ted Cruz. It’s pretty clear the Texas senator’s hopes for the White House depend on how he does in the Lone Star State on Tuesday. There were certainly moments when Cruz seemed to be running for Sam Houston’s old job -- president of Texas -- instead of the GOP nomination, as he played up his ties to the state. Still, despite two recent third place finishes, Cruz had a good night, even doing well by going after Trump from the right on immigration. Cruz also sent a few jabs Marco Rubio’s way, though they weren’t as memorable as his attacks on Trump. When the debate turned to naming Supreme Court justices and religious freedom, Cruz did well, once again going after Trump’s past support for Democrats and for “socialized medicine.” But those attacks had not worked before. Despite that, it was a solid night for Cruz whose integrity and honesty had drawn heat in recent weeks, though the rest of the field did not pummel the Texan on that front on Thursday until Trump hit him on it toward the end. But it might be a little too late. Cruz had held his fire from Trump throughout most of the earlier debates and he tried to make up for lost time Thursday night. Cruz did overplay his hand during one memorable moment when he was pointing to polls showing lots of Republicans opposed to Trump. That didn't play well after Trump beat Cruz in three out of four states. Regardless, Cruz probably did enough to help his chances back home in the Lone Star State Tuesday. The question is, where does he go from there?
Marco Rubio. The Florida Republican went after Trump from the start, even pushing him on immigration. There were some rough moments --Trump scored points by noting the Florida senator had never hired anybody -- but Rubio basically held his own. In a reversal of his showing in his exchange with Chris Christie in New Hampshire, Rubio won a “you’re repeating yourself" battle against Trump. Rubio also did not draw as much fire from Cruz on immigration as he had in previous debates. But much of Rubio’s attacks on Trump ended up with both of them speaking at once, not exactly the best of material for the news shows. Rubio did seem to benefit as establishment favorites were no longer on the stage and John Kasich simply wasn’t a factor in much of the debate. Like Cruz, on immigration, Rubio had the right game plan in going after Trump -- rapping the Donald for bringing in thousands of Polish workers to work construction and for his "phony university" at which students who paid as much as $45,000 in tuition were suing him. But just like Cruz, Rubio might have turned to this tactic too late in the contest. A good night for Rubio, but now comes the challenge: he has to win somewhere.
Losers
Ben Carson. CNN did no favors to Carson on Thursday night, sometimes asking everyone but him specific questions. Besides his opening statement, Carson did not get to talk for the first half hour of the debate. When he did speak, he was pleasant, dignified and vague on the debate stage, but he got no attention from the moderators. With his mild manner, he didn’t shine, even on health-care. Carson finally complained about being ignored and got a little justice, giving him a chance to make his points on taxes, Israel and North Korea, though they were rushed. All signs indicate the celebrated doctor won’t be a factor on Super Tuesday and nothing happened in the debate to change that. Carson once had been at the center of the debate stage, but those days seem a long time ago.
John Kasich. Four man race, huh? The Ohio governor doesn’t look a factor in most of the contests Tuesday and he wasn’t much of one on the debate stage during most of Thursday night, especially in the first half. Kasich was ignored for the first half hour, exposing the weakness of his claim that it’s a four man contest. When he did get the spotlight, he made the most of it, sounding the same themes that lifted him to second in New Hampshire and showcasing his record in the Buckeye State. Kasich actually did very well as he pointed to Ohio’s job climate and highlighted his support for Israel as well as his other foreign policy views. But these moments were too few and far between to really boost his chances Tuesday. Kasich was often lost on the stage as the exchanges between Trump, Cruz and Rubio grew fiercer in the first half of the debate. That’s not where Kasich needed to be even if he is focusing on states that have their say after Super Tuesday. The governor has to survive Super Tuesday and that’s not the easiest of assignments, despite some fine moments in the second half of the debate.
Donald Trump. The frontrunner for the Republican nomination is the favorite to win most of the contests Tuesday night. That didn’t change on Thursday even as he drew heavy fire from both Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio and, yes, pointed questions from the moderators. There were moments when Trump was actually reeling from the two senators ganging up on him over immigration at the start of the debate. But Trump rebounded when promising to uphold religious liberty and slamming Justice Roberts for backing Obamacare, though Cruz once again tried to paint him as a liberal. Even worse, Trump fell into the same trap as Rubio did in New Hampshire about repeating talking points, easily one of the worst moments the GOP frontrunner has had in any of the debates. Yet one thing worked for Trump on Tuesday night: neither Cruz nor Rubio succeeded in making it a two man race. The two senators are still out there, battling to be the alternative to Trump. Overall, not a good night for Trump, but it probably won’t do much to stop him in most states on Super Tuesday. His supporters have solidified behind him. The fight is now for the undecideds, and there are many.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN
