I watched most of the GOP debate in Milwaukee. Here are my reactions, for whatever they're worth.
Ron DeSantis
DeSantis said what he needed to say, did so carefully, made good points, but didn't try for the big smash. I read his strategy as being one of maintaining his second-to-Trump position, and waiting for Trump to crash and burn somewhere among the wreckage of four trials. His truthful brag about removing two Soros-backed DAs was well-received.
My sense is DeSantis suspects the only way anyone not named Trump gets the nomination is if the big, orange guy is taken out by the legal system, by health issues, or by his well-documented foot-shooting propensities. Therefore, the wise strategy for Ron is to look like a good Trump substitute policy-wise, and keep his powder dry. This he did last night. I wish he didn't sound sort of whiny.
Vivek Ramaswamy
Vivek's job last night was to attract attention, and having attracted it, make a good impression. He did part one in spades, he probably uttered as many words as the next two combined. He talked over others, he grinned, he offered off-the-cuff opinions freely, and anyone who watched now has an impression of him.
Part two didn't work so well. I don't know how you saw it, I saw a man who hasn't a clue about foreign policy and that isn't something you fake successfully. He is bright as heck and has a good grasp of what our country should be, and to a large degree once was. I believe he is not ready for the presidency, but may be someday when he grows up, if that's the direction his energies and opportunities take him.
Nikki Haley
Of those on the stage last night, I believe Haley did herself the most good. She made three good points forcefully. First that the way Congress interacts with the two main parties is such that there is no chance it will pass a national law dealing with abortion anytime soon. Thus abortion will remain with the states, per Dodd.
Second, that our support of Ukraine needs to continue, or we will find ourselves fighting Russia inside one or more NATO countries with our troops doing the dying. I believe she is correct.
Finally, her third point dealt with the failure of our public schools to teach every child to read. Reading is the absolutely foundational skill without which very little is possible in a modern, data driven society. The other DrC taught future teachers how to teach reading, and we both are believers in its necessity.
Mike Pence
Pence is in the odd position of needing to defend the administration of which he was a member without defending his former boss with whom he has split. He tried to be more moral than anybody on stage, more religious, and to look and sound the part of president. He was partly successful in this. I don't believe he swayed many votes outside the deeply evangelical community, and he likely had some of those already.
Tim Scott
Scott seems like a really nice man who has shrugged off the inevitable racism he's experienced and become a fine Senator for SC. If a good heart and a willingness to work with others were the main qualifications for president he'd be a shoo-in. Unfortunately the job requires a lot of toughness and spine and that I didn't see.
Chris Christie
Christie didn't have Trump to kick around and, absent that, seemed not to have much purpose in being there. Stylistically, he is very smooth, eloquent, and forceful. As a guy who most likely couldn't carry his own state of NJ, he has no chance and not much of a program.
Așa Hutchinson and Doug Burgum
I haven't a clue why either bothered to show up, maybe to stoke their egos? I'm certain both are talented people with respectable life accomplishments, but that is also true of literally hundreds of people who were not present.
