WASHINGTON 鈥� A lot happened during Wednesday night鈥檚 prime-time, three-hour debate among the 11 front-running Republican presidential candidates. But the morning after, a collection of political analysts and observers told 海角精品黑料 they had very similar takeaways: It was a good night for Carly Fiorina, and a bad one for Donald Trump.
Andrea Mitchell, host of 鈥淎ndrea Mitchell Reports鈥� on MSNBC, said聽the abrasive appeal of the billionaire developer leading the GOP field didn鈥檛 translate in front of a more sedate, establishment-Republican crowd. She dubbed the night, 鈥淭he beginning of the Trump collapse,鈥� also calling Fiorina 鈥渢he star of the night.鈥�
Washington Post political reporter Chris Cillizza added that 鈥測ou could make the argument that she鈥檚 won both the debates that have been held in this race.鈥�
Glenn Thrush, of Politico, said聽that the attitude of the other candidates toward Trump was very different from that of the previous debate held in Cleveland.
鈥淭he first debate, everyone was sort of apprehensive and kind of held their fire on him,鈥� Thrush said. This time, however, the gloves started to come off.
鈥淓very single other candidate on that stage had a more serious approach to the issues than (Trump) did,鈥澛燭hrush said.
THE FIREWORKS CAME聽when Fiorina, the former Hewlett-Packard chief executive whose recent polling surge got her into the main-stage debate, addressed Trump鈥檚 recent criticism of her looks.
鈥淚 think women all over this country heard very clearly what Mr. Trump said,鈥� she said, receiving聽an ovation from the audience.
Charlie Mahtesian, senior politics editor for Politico, said聽Fiorina鈥檚 performance, which also included a pointed mention of Trump鈥檚 bankruptcies, could offer聽a playbook for the GOP candidates going forward. He called her 鈥渢he one person who taught the Republicans how to take on Donald Trump 鈥� go head-to-head with him and win.鈥�
Trump answered Fiorina鈥檚 response to his comments about her looks by saying, 鈥淚 think she鈥檚 got a beautiful face, and I think she鈥檚 a beautiful woman.”
鈥淚 love the way 鈥� that his idea of cleaning that up is telling her, 鈥楴o, you鈥檙e not ugly; you鈥檙e beautiful’,”聽Thrush said. 鈥�(Trump) still thinks he鈥檚 on 鈥楾he Apprentice,鈥� and that he鈥檚 still judging everybody.鈥�
Steve Roberts, ABC News political analyst, calls Fiorina 鈥渢he clear winner鈥� of Wednesday night鈥檚 debate. She offered specific recommendations behind her general policy preferences, whereas 鈥淭rump is all about attitude.鈥�
Roberts found Fiorina 鈥渇ar sharper on the issues鈥� than neurosurgeon Ben Carson, who currently comes in second in most polls, or Trump.
Fiorina’s聽strong comments about Planned Parenthood, currently the target of a defunding effort in Congress, might be off-putting to a general election crowd, Mahtesian said. But he notes that it is聽early in the campaign. 鈥淲e鈥檙e still talking about the Republican base.鈥�
Dan Balz, chief correspondent of The Washington Post, agreed that Fiorina 鈥渉ad a very good night.鈥�
DESPITE THE LENGTH聽of the debate, which would seem to give everyone on the crowded stage a chance to shine, the analysts agreed that it wasn鈥檛 a good night for the bottom-of-the-pack candidates.
Former Arkansas Gov.聽Mike Huckabee, for example, went without a question for 45 minutes.
鈥淪everal of the fringe candidates really faded into the woodwork,鈥� Roberts said. He found Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker also 鈥減articularly ineffectual. 鈥� He really has one thing to say, which is, 鈥業 stood up to the unions in Wisconsin; elect me president.鈥� And that鈥檚 not a platform.鈥�
Cillizza agreed, saying that Walker 鈥渨as someone who needed 鈥� to be in the main conversation, and he just wasn鈥檛.鈥�
The one bottom-of the pack candidate who聽really helped himself, Roberts said, was New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who occasionally took on Trump and 鈥渢ried to turn this debate around and saying, 鈥榃hat I really care about are ordinary voters, not this Washington insider talk鈥�.鈥�
Thrush called Carson, who has recently surged into the No. 2聽spot among the crowded聽field, 鈥渁n outsider (who) doesn鈥檛 come with all the baggage and bombast that Trump does.鈥�
He saw tweets that said Carson seemed like he was on Xanax. But he told 海角精品黑料, 鈥淧eople like Xanax.鈥�
MSNBC’s Mitchell, on the other hand, felt that Carson is beginning to fall based on 鈥渢he commander-in-chief questions.鈥�
She added that former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who tangled with Trump over the presidential legacy of his brother, President George W. Bush, 鈥渇inally managed to show that he鈥檚 more aggressive, without getting nasty and getting down to the level of name-calling.鈥�
She deemed the night 鈥減robably a lifeline鈥� for Bush鈥檚 sagging campaign.
ABC News’ Roberts, however,聽felt Bush 鈥渃ontinues to flounder, continues to be pretty low-energy … not even in (Fiorina鈥檚) class when it came to forcefulness.鈥�
鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 a knockout performance,鈥� Mahtesian said聽of Bush. 鈥淏ut he lived to fight another day.鈥�
IN THE END,聽nearly all the analysts who spoke to聽海角精品黑料 Thursday morning predicted that the fall of Trump was imminent.
Roberts likened Trump鈥檚 popularity to 鈥渁 summer fling: 鈥楬e鈥檚 a celebrity. He鈥檚 amusing. I want to shake his hand because I want to shake Kim Kardashian鈥檚 hand.鈥� But when you start evaluating him through a different lens: Can he really be president? Can he keep us safe? 鈥� Those questions are going to gain more traction, I think.鈥�
鈥淲hen a debate goes on for three hours,鈥� Balz said, 鈥溾�� they have to get into the substance.鈥� And when that happened and there was no one to counterpunch against, 鈥淭rump kind of faded away.鈥�
Trump鈥檚 return to political gravity has been predicted for a long time, though, Cillizza warns.
鈥淗e seems to gain ground (after) things that normally would hurt people.鈥�
Mitchell agrees, issuing a caution聽for all her fellow analysts and political enthusiasts everywhere:
鈥淯p until now, frankly, we鈥檝e all been wrong at analyzing this extraordinary election.鈥�
