The GOP debate was unnerving. The candidates spewed fire and brimstone and the audience largely loved it.
Trump was an asshole.
Rubio glitched out and relied too heavily on ultra-conservative mantras that come across as forced.
Cruz was aggressively creepy and unfunny and was legitimately frightening at times. He appears to be truly evil.
Kasich was weirdly friendly and giddy. Knowledgeable but deeply unpresentable.
Bush looked like an awkward man against the ropes, but it worked at times.
Carson makes me feel relaxed and soothed, but I still have no clue what he is saying, ever.
All in all, it was good, old fashioned American fun and I am eager to see the results of NH. Trump's numbers there have been buoyant, and his performance in this debate has been largely discussed as a success. I think the smart money is on him. Independents being permitted to vote will hurt Trump though. A big percentage of voters are independents and we really don't know who they will vote for, but Trump's net favorability rating is damn low with independents so I'm guessing this will cut into his lead. Look for Rubio and Cruz to both increase their lead against what polls show now, and likely Jeb as well.
http://www.economist.com/blogs/democrac ... arco-rubio
Other thoughts: viewtopic.php?f=5&t=5553