GOP primary debate highlights

Who shone was present and who fell flat

CNN aired the 2015 GOP Republican Party primary debate and drew in 6.3 million viewers. Throughout the debate the usual political and personal attacks ensued, particularly toward presidential hopeful Donald Trump, who danced between scathing remarks and honeyed words.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA (Catholic Online) - CNN reported Wednesday's GOP debate -which lasted three hours with viewers tuning in and out- reached its online peak at roughly 9:45 p.m. 921,000 users tuned in to CNNs live stream, earning it the position of most-watched web stream of a primary debate. 

The Daily Mail reported one of the night's shining moments when CNN moderator Jake Tapper asked Carly Fiorina to respond to Trump's comment about her face last week. Rather than snapping at Trump or hurling an insult his way, she stood tall and replied, "I think women all over this country heard very clearly what Mr. Trump said," earning her one of the loudest applause from the audience that night.

Trump immediately replied, "I think she's got a beautiful face and I think she's a beautiful woman," however the audience refused to acknowledge him.

Another instance occurred when Trump claimed Fiorina had no chance of ever working for his corporation, to which Fiorina questioned whether America could trust its financial situation in Trump's hands, particularly because Trump had declared bankruptcy four times in his career. 

As the two boasted about their business careers and credentials, Chris Christie took the opportunity to steal the show with the following comment:

"While I'm as entertained as anyone by this personal back and forth about the history of Donald and Carly's career, for the 55-year-old construction worker out in that audience tonight, who doesn't have a job, who can't fund his child's education, I've got to tell you the truth: They could care less about your careers. 

"They care about theirs ... stop playing the games ... The fact is that we don't want to hear about your careers ... you're both successful people, congratulations. You know whose not successful? The middle class in this country who's getting plowed over ... stop this childish back-and-forth between the two of you."

Negative attention returned to Trump when Jeb Bush asked Trump to apologize for bringing his wife, who is of Mexican descent, into Trump's views on immigration. 

Bush said, "To subject my wife into the middle of a raucous political conversation was completely inappropriate, and I hope you apologize for that, Donald."

Trump refused to apologize but honeyed his words, saying, "I have to tell you, I hear phenomenal things. I hear your wife is a lovely woman. I don't know her ... I won't [apologize] because I said nothing wrong, but I do hear she is a lovely woman."

Again, Donald Trump was attacked for speaking before thinking. He attacked Rand Paul, saying, "Rand Paul shouldn't even be on this stage. He's number 11. He's got 1 percent in the polls."
Paul replied, "All of the sudden there's a sideways attack at me ... I really think there is a sophomoric quality that is very entertaining about Mr. Trump. I'm very concerned about having him in charge of the nuclear weapons because I think his response, his visceral response to attack people on their appearance -short, tall, fat, ugly -my goodness!

"That happened in junior high. Are we not way above that? Are we not at all worried to have someone like that in charge of the nuclear codes?"

Trump immediately responded with, "I never attacked him on his looks ... And believe me, there's plenty of subject matter," however Trump did make fun of Paul's height, motioning across his chest with one hand, saying, "Rand -I've had you up to here!"

Ben Carson, Ted Cruz, Scott Walker, Mike Huckabee, Marco Rubio, and John Kasich took the back seat as the debate continued to center on Trump.

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