What Just Happened?

Well, what did not happen is that not one of the GOP candidates did anything to   distinguished him or her self from the current Front Runner. In Spectator, Amberly Athey intrepidly tackles the night’s low and highlights.

The Winners:

• Vivek Ramaswamy, entrepreneur, came across as arrogant, clumsy., which wore off as he settled down to set himself apart from the field. He provided cover to Ron DeSantis.
• Dave Burgum: Governor of North Dakota, with a just torn Achilles tendon, gets marks for just showing up. His humble and charming demeanor surprised everyone when he took his first question about Bidenomics and used it to intelligently tie economic decline and energy offshoring to national security.
• Ron DeSantis: Florida’s governor performed well, remaining focused and disciplined. Another plus? He avoided becoming the evening’s punching bag. Will his opponents regret passing the opportunity of taking the fight to him?
• Donald Trump: A win to the candidate watched by millions of people: the long form interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson on X, formerly known as Twitter.
• Tim Scott: His inexplicable dullness wasn’t a death knell to his campaign. His response about the weaponization of our justice system won him points.

Losers

• Mike Pence: His moral superiority and aggressive interruptions were “something else.”
• Nikki Haley: an out of touch position on foreign policy. “Peace through strength is a legitimate strategy, but propping up unwinnable wars with American aid is not.”
• Asa Hutchinson: Bad. Why was he there? A plus for him: no one raked him over the coals for his votes regarding “gender-affirming care” for minors.
• Chris Christie: His one-man kamikaze mission to take down Trump is not going well.

Ep. 19 Debate Night with Donald J Trump pic.twitter.com/ayPfII48CO

— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) August 24, 2023