• by Philip Rosenstein , Staff Writer, November 11, 2015

There was much to look out for in last night’s debate. Would the moderators press Dr. Ben Carson on his controversial statements and his hard to back up stories? Would Marco Rubio reveal himself as the most exciting and formidable candidate? Could Donald Trump regain the spotlight after losing poll position to Carson? Would Jeb Bush perform convincingly enough to re-engage his supporters?

The main questions focused on fiscal, immigration, foreign policy and defense issues and were not as scathing as some asked in the CNBC debate. Trump and Carson seemed to fall behind the more knowledgeable candidates when answering questions.

Carson was briefly asked about issues that have plagued his candidacy in recent weeks. Without a follow-up, the moderators skated above those questions.

Marco Rubio had a strong showing in the debate. He faced off with Rand Paul in what began as a tax policy discussion. Rubio was asked about his proposed enlargement of child tax credits and was pressed on the fact that his plan would cost as much as $170 million a year.

Anti-spending libertarian that he is, Paul shot back, asking if Republican voters wanted a candidate who was not a real conservative. Rubio was able to counter by focusing on the importance of family, noting that “the most important institution in society is the family,” a statement that resonated well with the live audience.

The discussion moved into defense spending, where Rubio said, in his response to Paul’s attack over increased military spending: “Rand is a committed isolationist; I’m not.”

As for Trump, he tried his best to talk about China, a topic he is apparently well schooled in. When debating the Trans-Pacific Partnership, he shifted immediately toward China, only to be called out by Rand Paul who made the point that China isn’t party to the TPP.

Jeb Bush had some good moments, especially when discussing immigration. He was adamant that Trump’s rhetoric would distance Latino voters from the Republican Party. In possibly one of the best debate moments he’s had this cycle, Bush said that Trump’s policies would, “send a signal that we’re not the kind of country that I know America is … They’re doing high-fives in the Clinton campaign right now when they hear this.” 

Still unable to distinguish himself, despite a better performance, Bush's best according to NYTs columnist Frank Bruni is "in the end, a vigorous limp."

Ted Cruz, Carly Fiorina and John Kasich had decent appearances, each with strong moments. Cruz did have a significant oops moment when naming the five federal departments he would eliminate, reminiscent of fellow Texan Rick Perry's debate blunder in 2012. He could only name four.

The big takeaway is that Carson and Trump don’t seem able to stay apace of the more experienced candidates. It shouldn't take long for this to be reflected in the polls.