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| Republican debate: Christie goes on attack against Rubio | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| GOFFSTOWN, N.H. — The last Republican debate before the New Hampshire presidential primary began with retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson criticizing rival Sen. Ted Cruz for showing “Washington ethics,” after the Cruz campaign spread false reports that Carson was dropping out on the night of the Iowa caucuses. | |
| “What does that tell you? Unfortunately, that did happen. It gives you a very good example of certain types of Washington ethics,” Carson said. “Washington ethics basically says, if it’s legal, you do what you need to do to win.” | |
| Cruz (R-Tex.) responded by apologizing to Carson: “Ben, I’m sorry.” | |
| That was followed by a sharp exchange between Gov. Chris Christie (N.J.) and Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.), in which Christie raised questions about Rubio’s experience, as a first-term senator. “You have not been involved in a consequential decision, where you had to be held accountable. You just simply haven’t,” Christie began, comparing Rubio unfavorably to President Obama, who was a first-term senator when he was elected. | |
| Rubio responded by turning to a criticism of Obama, and away from his own experience in the Senate. | |
| Christie mocked him for turning to a memorized speech. “When you’re governor of the speech, the memorized 30-second speech where you tall about how great America is, doesn’t help one person,” Christie said. | |
| Rubio responded by saying that Chrstie had been unwilling to return to New Jersey during a recent snowstorm. “They had to shame you into going back,” | |
| After another back-and-forth, Rubio launched into a repeat of his speech from before, about Obama’s failings. | |
| “There it is,” Christie said. “The speech again.” | |
| [Republican debate live blog: Full coverage] | [Republican debate live blog: Full coverage] |
| The debate turned strange even before it began, with candidates and moderators somehow managing to botch the process of walking in. | |
| The problems began with Carson, who was introduced by the moderators, but then did not walk in as other candidates had. Carson waited, even as other candidates passed him and a stagehand waved at him to go on. Then billionaire candidate Donald Trump emerged out of turn, and stood stone-faced near Carson. | |
| That left former Florida governor Jeb Bush to walk around them, tapping Trump -- his debate archenemy-- lightly on the arm. | |
| The debate’s moderators were then flummoxed enough to forget the last candidate on the stage. “Forgot Kasich!” a voice was heard to say. Only then did moderator David Muir introduce the Ohio governor, John Kasich, who walked out last. | |
| Once the debate began, Cruz declined to repeat an allegation that Trump lacked the temperament to be president. “I think that is an assessment the voters are going to make,” Cruz said. | |
| Saturday’s debate, which began about 8:15 p.m. Eastern time on ABC, follows Trump’s surprise loss on Monday in the Iowa caucuses. Trump, who skipped the last debate before the Iowa caucuses because of a feud with Fox News, is still ahead in New Hampshire polls. | |
| “So many things to say, so much at stake,” Trump tweeted Friday. He didn’t make it to New Hampshire to campaign on Friday, as planned, because of a snowstorm. “It will be an incredible evening!” | “So many things to say, so much at stake,” Trump tweeted Friday. He didn’t make it to New Hampshire to campaign on Friday, as planned, because of a snowstorm. “It will be an incredible evening!” |
| Trump will be returning to a different race — and an emboldened group of challengers. Iowa proved, after all, that the race’s bombastic front-runner could be beaten. | Trump will be returning to a different race — and an emboldened group of challengers. Iowa proved, after all, that the race’s bombastic front-runner could be beaten. |
| Christie, Kasich and Bush are all in a desperate political situation here. All three had counted on New Hampshire as the state that would launch their campaign. But it can’t launch all of them; each, at least, has to beat the other two. | |
| “I’ve got to beat Jeb and Kasich here, and if I don’t beat Jeb and Kasich here, I have to think long and hard about whether I go forward or not,” Christie said in an interview with The Washington Post earlier this week. | “I’ve got to beat Jeb and Kasich here, and if I don’t beat Jeb and Kasich here, I have to think long and hard about whether I go forward or not,” Christie said in an interview with The Washington Post earlier this week. |
| [Christie: ‘I’ll perform on Saturday night, and they won’t.’] | [Christie: ‘I’ll perform on Saturday night, and they won’t.’] |
| But, in the most recent polls, Christie is running behind Rubio, Bush and Kasich. That means Christie will need to make a memorable impression in Saturday’s debate. | But, in the most recent polls, Christie is running behind Rubio, Bush and Kasich. That means Christie will need to make a memorable impression in Saturday’s debate. |
| In past debates, Christie has sought to stand out with brusque put-downs of other candidates, frequently mocking Rubio and Cruz as congressional gasbags who would rather talk than face hard decisions. On the campaign trail recently, Christie has compared Congress to grade school, saying that senators are told where to sit, what to talk about and when to go to recess. | In past debates, Christie has sought to stand out with brusque put-downs of other candidates, frequently mocking Rubio and Cruz as congressional gasbags who would rather talk than face hard decisions. On the campaign trail recently, Christie has compared Congress to grade school, saying that senators are told where to sit, what to talk about and when to go to recess. |
| The good news for all of these second-tier candidates: One-third of likely Republican voters in New Hampshire said that they could change their minds before Tuesday, according to a Suffolk University-Boston Globe poll released Friday. | The good news for all of these second-tier candidates: One-third of likely Republican voters in New Hampshire said that they could change their minds before Tuesday, according to a Suffolk University-Boston Globe poll released Friday. |
| The seventh candidate in the debate will be retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, who has little hope of success in the Granite State; New Hampshire has far fewer evangelical voters, Carson’s base in Iowa. | The seventh candidate in the debate will be retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, who has little hope of success in the Granite State; New Hampshire has far fewer evangelical voters, Carson’s base in Iowa. |
| Carson, however, may still have a path forward, aiming at evangelicals in the Southern primaries, but his campaign is showing signs of sputtering. He recently laid off about half of his campaign staff. | Carson, however, may still have a path forward, aiming at evangelicals in the Southern primaries, but his campaign is showing signs of sputtering. He recently laid off about half of his campaign staff. |
| Carson might use Saturday night’s debate to press allegations that Cruz used “dirty tricks” to steal some votes in Iowa. He says Cruz’s campaign misled voters around caucus time by spreading false reports that he was dropping out of the race. In fact, Carson says, he was just heading home briefly “to get some fresh clothes.” | Carson might use Saturday night’s debate to press allegations that Cruz used “dirty tricks” to steal some votes in Iowa. He says Cruz’s campaign misled voters around caucus time by spreading false reports that he was dropping out of the race. In fact, Carson says, he was just heading home briefly “to get some fresh clothes.” |
| This will be the first GOP debate without an “undercard” preceding it. | This will be the first GOP debate without an “undercard” preceding it. |
| Of the four candidates in the last undercard, two — former senator Rick Santorum (Pa.) and former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee — have dropped out. The other two candidates, former tech executive Carly Fiorina and former Virginia governor Jim Gilmore, are still in the race. But their poll numbers were so low, they weren’t invited to Saturday’s debate. | Of the four candidates in the last undercard, two — former senator Rick Santorum (Pa.) and former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee — have dropped out. The other two candidates, former tech executive Carly Fiorina and former Virginia governor Jim Gilmore, are still in the race. But their poll numbers were so low, they weren’t invited to Saturday’s debate. |
| “The game is being rigged against you--by the political class & the media elites,” Fiorina tweeted in protest. She added the hashtag “#LetCarlyDebate.” | “The game is being rigged against you--by the political class & the media elites,” Fiorina tweeted in protest. She added the hashtag “#LetCarlyDebate.” |
| Gilmore, for his part, used Twitter to complain about Fiorina. He was unhappy that she wasn’t asking for him to be included, too. | Gilmore, for his part, used Twitter to complain about Fiorina. He was unhappy that she wasn’t asking for him to be included, too. |
| “@CarlyFiorina so busy playing the victim, she’s forgotten there r 9 candidates in the race. Let’s stop whining & talk issues #LetThemDebate,” Gilmore tweeted. | “@CarlyFiorina so busy playing the victim, she’s forgotten there r 9 candidates in the race. Let’s stop whining & talk issues #LetThemDebate,” Gilmore tweeted. |