Seven contenders for the Republican nomination met on stage in California. Photo: GETTY IMAGES
Donald Trump was accused of being “missing in action.” in action,” but there is no doubt that he would have felt justified in staying away. While his rivals were slinging mud, Trump made it clear that the primary race was over and the general race had begun, addressing Detroit auto workers.
There were plenty of fireworks at the Ronald Reagan Library in California, but none of the candidates on stage proved their ability to stand up to the Republican front-runner. Here's the Telegraph's ranking of each of their debate performances.
Debate Card 08/23/23 — Nikki Haley
Nikki Haley has never looked more comfortable on the debate stage. Her stellar performance in the first debate made her one of the few candidates to improve in the polls and fundraising as a result of the event. That set the bar high for her second performance, which she cleared with ease in California on Wednesday night.
The former UN ambassador and governor of South Carolina was confident and prepared, quickly releasing statistics on virtually every issue she was questioned on. Her killer line was directed at Vivek Ramaswamy: “Honestly, every time I hear you, I feel a little dumber.” It was one of the most memorable evenings.
Debate Card 08/23/23 — Ron DeSantis
Ron DeSantis took center stage and managed to gain the most speaking time. But his performance failed to convince anyone that he was the only candidate capable of defeating Donald Trump. Florida's governor launched an early attack on the former president, whom he called «missing in action.» But he lost some of his edge immediately after Chris Christie delivered a similar blow. Crucially, there were no standout moments to end DeSantis' slide in the polls. DeSantis repeatedly mentioned that he was the only veteran on stage. But he was unprepared to repel enemy fire.
Debate card 08/23/23 — Vivek Ramaswamy
The 38-year-old upstart biotech entrepreneur has gained a cult following for his iconoclastic, anti-establishment approach to race. But tonight his frequent cross-firing worked against him, disrupting the debate in ways the audience was unlikely to appreciate. Mr Ramaswamy has also been accused of apparent inconsistencies — from TikTok to the way he views his fellow candidates. This undermined one of Mr. Ramaswamy's main selling points: his claim to authenticity. He was also the target of one of the biggest attacks of the night. “Every time I hear you, I feel a little dumber,” Nikki Haley told him.
However, Mr. Ramaswamy is a gifted speaker, and he delivered some memorable one-liners (borderline: like «Swiss cheese», fentanyl is a form of «bioterrorism» and Joe Biden is a «hollow husk»), which will buy him valuable airtime.
Debate card 08/23/23 — Chris Christie
Chris Christie brought some light entertainment to the evening with his signature jokes. The best way to mock Donald Trump's absence was by calling the former president «Donald Duck.» But with the debate turning physical at times, Republican voters are likely to forgive Trump's absence. The former New Jersey governor requested more speaking time than Nikki Haley, Mike Pence or Doug Burgum, according to a New York Times analysis. But he never became the dominant stage presence for which he was known.
Debate Card 08/23/23 — Mike Pence
Mike Pence previously said he had been preparing for presidential debates “my whole life.” But tonight he failed to shine. But he didn't seem to realize that the Republican Party had advanced over the years. His traditional conservatism is not gaining momentum. So much so that at times it felt like he had to remind the audience that he was the former Vice President of the United States. Their muted response suggested they weren't too concerned. He repeated several of the attacks he made against Vivek Ramaswamy in the first debate, but they were less damaging in the second. His most memorable line of the evening was a strange comment about his wife (“I slept with a teacher for 38 years” — not a substantive answer to a question about education, Mr. Vice President).
Debate Card 08/23/23 — Tim Scott
Tim Scott was heavily criticized for being too quiet during his first debate appearance. Tonight he was on a mission to fix that in California. He abandoned his «nice guy» persona to take shots at several candidates. The most prominent was also the most bizarre — a storm diatribe directed at his former friend and fellow South Carolinian Nikki Haley. Mr. Scott has certainly bought himself more airtime, but has he shot himself in the foot by undermining his campaign to spread positive messages? Only time will tell.
Debate Card 08/23/23 — Doug Burgum
Doug Burgum's participation in the debate was not confirmed until a few days ago. The North Dakota governor and software billionaire put most of his efforts into setting the stage for the debate, but failed to make the most of the opportunity once he got there. According to an analysis of speaking time, Mr. Burgum received the least, at just over seven minutes.
Who won the second Republican debate?
Свежие комментарии