It's hard to believe that last night's Republican underdog debate happened in the 21st century. Candidates argued that America should put troops on the ground in Iraq, defund Planned Parenthood and said that gay marriage was not that law because it was a rogue Supreme Court decision. For Republicans, this was a devastating sign of what's ahead: the party is completely out of touch with the American people. Oddly, the economy was barely mentioned during the debate. Amid an ugly performance by unpolished candidates, mostly on the fringe of their own party, Carly Fiorina stood out with a decisive victory.
Carly Fiorina
Fiorina was aggressive: in her closing statement, she argued that she would be the best candidate to fight Dems in 2016. But she coupled her battle-tone with sharp well thought-out comments that were easy to follow. In a wash of empty clichés, Fiorina emerged as a legitimate candidate with the iron to take on Hillary Clinton, the presumptive Democratic nominee. Fiorina steered clear of entrenching herself in the foreign policy debates of the night, instead focusing on distinguishing her leadership abilities: she fought for change at HP, beat cancer, and now she's coming for America. Her theme throughout the debate was that America should be a country where all people have the opportunity to fulfill their potential, talking about her rise from secretary to CEO. Even Rick Perry acknowledged Fiorina's position of strength, saying he'd rather have her negotiating the Iran deal than John Kerry.
Rick Santorum
The levels of ignorance from other candidates varied. Santorum compared SCOTUS's marriage ruling to Dred Scott -- an ugly comparison if I've ever heard one. He called the decision a "rogue decision" saying that the Supreme Court does not have the power to make laws. When asked what he would say to a child brought illegally into America, he said that his father was not allowed to emigrate to the U.S. from Mussolini's Italy, but that it was "worth the wait." On the economy, he basically claimed that a 20 percent flat tax would be the answer to America's problems -- deja vu anyone? Trying to frame himself as an outsider, Santorum talked about his campaign - -27 years ago -- to unseat an incumbent. The effect was that he only further dug himself into the hole of being a classic Washington insider.
Lindsay Graham
As a friend of mine commented on Facebook, "Lindsay Graham looks physically ill when he's speaking here." The career politician came off as being aloof and completely detached from reality, lacking passion in his debating. Graham consistently and repeatedly stated that he'd start another Iraq War, putting boots on the ground. The brief moment in which he seemed human -- he talked about his parents dying in his 20s -- was overshadowed by repeated attacks on Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. The only issue where Graham stood out was climate change -- bucking the Republican norm by acknowledge that it's real and America needs to do something about it.
Jim Gilmore and George Pataki
You probably didn't know this guy even existed. Jim Gilmore -- the former Virginia governor entered the race on July 30th and left no impression at all. The bland speaker said he would "lower taxes for everyone" - basically what politicians have promised for debates and failed to deliver. Former New York Governor George Pataki claimed that having entered the private sector after three-terms as governor, he was now an outsider. Then he claimed he'd repeal Obama's executive orders -- just like he did when he succeeded Mario Cuomo as Governor of New York. He too barely left an impression -- except that he is rusty and unfit for the rigors of the campaign trail.
Rick Perry
The candidate didn't say anything particularly stupid during the debate, which given his track record, could mean the debate was a glowing success. The candidate opened the debate with a convoluted opening statement that failed to answer the question of "why should we vote for you?" which seems like it's as basic as they get. He spent much of the debate touting his success as Governor of Texas and his experience defending the border with Mexico against illegal immigration.
Bobby Jindal
Bobby Jindal, the sitting Governor of Louisiana came off positively unlikable, which may not be new for him. The Republican has an approval rating in the mid-thirties and loses his own home state in polls that pit him against Hillary Clinton. The candidate repeatedly harped on social issues -- like defunding Planned Parenthood. He clearly enjoyed calling Hillary Clinton a socialist, as if his favorite part of the process is making exaggerated statements about other people. Constantly on the attack and with his voice constantly on edge, the candidate just sounded annoying.
The underdog debate will set the stage for a debate among the better polling candidates tonight. The key takeaways are that the candidates highlighted all the wrong issues and that none came off as serious contenders, putting her in a good position to pick up momentum on the road to Iowa. Fiorina will be an interesting candidate to watch -- especially as a possible vice presidential pick.