Experts' Take on the Victor in GOP Primary Debate

Former Vice President Mike Pence had the lengthiest speaking time among the candidates. Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy engaged multiple rivals espousing Trump-esque principles. Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie criticized Ramaswamy, whereas former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley took a dig at both Trump and her party for the growing national debt.

After Wednesday night's debate, certain contenders emerged revitalized, while others wilted in the glare. Yet, determining victors and losers in the initial GOP presidential primary clash remains open to discussion. According to Politico, these experts had the following to say:

Who made the most significant progress?

"Haley," remarked Mike Murphy, a seasoned GOP consultant who led the former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush-affiliated super PAC in 2016. He stated, "Her performance should jump-start her flagging fundraising and give her a media bump, which she really, really needs."

Murphy also lauded Pence, affirming that he "has an uphill road" yet exhibited "strength and character." He added, "[H]e speaks the language of the pro-life movement better than anybody else."

Kevin Madden, a Republican communications expert who held a senior advisory role for Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah in both 2008 and 2012, concurred.

"Nikki Haley had the strongest debate," Madden, who also served as a campaign spokesperson for former President George W. Bush in 2004, told Politico.

"She has a really strong, natural political talent with audiences, and the debate stage allowed her to showcase that," Madden stated, while also naming her the winner in a confrontation with Ramaswamy concerning his viewpoint on Ukraine and U.S. foreign policy.

Stuart Stevens, a seasoned GOP ad creator and former adviser to Romney, expressed a less hopeful perspective on the lineup.

Joe Biden gained the most ground, Stevens told Politico. He described it as "One of his best debate nights."

Who experienced the most significant decline?

According to Murphy and Madden, that distinction belongs to Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., Murphy remarked, "For Scott, the night was a big, missed opportunity."

Madden noted, "He seemed tentative in one of his biggest tests among the klieg lights of a national campaign. He warmed up as the debate went on, but this performance wasn't enough to generate any real, grassroots momentum."

According to Stevens, DeSantis faced the most substantial disappointment. The Florida governor and current second-place contender in the polls should have aimed his criticisms at Biden, positioning himself as the sole candidate capable of challenging the incumbent Democrat, Stevens suggested.

Who had the pivotal moment of the evening?

Haley and Pence both encountered significant instances, according to these experts. However, the specific moment that stands out varies based on the person consulted.

"Nikki Haley had the finest moment of the debate when she confronted Ramaswamy," Madden remarked, whereas "Ramaswamy picking a fight with former Vice President Pence certainly caught the MAGA crowd's attention."

Stevens found Haley's accusation that Republicans were responsible for inflating the national debt noteworthy, albeit solely "because it will appear in a million Democratic commercials."

Regarding Trump?

The most conspicuous aspect of how the candidates onstage approached Trump was their widespread avoidance of the topic, the experts said.

"Trump barely existed in this debate, which is a mixed bag for Trump," Murphy noted. "He almost seemed irrelevant."

Christie, who has positioned his campaign as a bid to prevent Trump from securing a second term, did manage to deliver some jabs at the former president.

"For the most part, the field was either tentative or uninterested in addressing Trump," Madden observed. "This was a missed opportunity, though, since each candidate at least took to the stage in an effort to earn the support and trust of primary voters, while Trump ignored that opportunity.

"If you're running because you believe you're the best person for the job, and you're better than Trump, then you need to say that loud and clear in a forum like this."