Carly Fiorina Wins GOP's 'Happy Hour' Debate Hands Down

Here's the instant analysis from Jonathan Tobin, at Commentary, "If Debates Mean Anything, Fiorina’s On the Way Up":

There’s little doubt that the best performance in the second tier Republican debate came from Carly Fiorina. The former Hewlett Packard CEO showed that she had a strong command of foreign policy as well as economic issues. She’s been scoring points on the campaign trail against Hillary Clinton for months but on the stage in Cleveland she showed herself willing to also take on Donald Trump. She also managed to articulate a conservative vision that channeled GOP icon Ronald Reagan better than any of the others on the stage. Though not all of her competitors sounded as if they belonged in the junior varsity event (though some did), Fiorina was the one that had the Twittersphere saying that she ought to be invited to stay and join the top ten debate at 9pm. But the question is whether even a home run hit at 5pm before an empty arena in Cleveland can influence enough voters to get her into contention?

Anyone who’s been paying attention to the campaign so far already knows that Fiorina has been outstanding on the stump and in her limited exposure in the media. She’s confident, well spoken and understands the issues. Her political resume — one failed attempt at a Senate seat in deep blue California — is thin. But in a field where candidates like Trump and Ben Carson are taken seriously, that doesn’t seem to disqualify her. But to date Fiorina hasn’t gotten any traction in the polls.

Is it because voters agree with pundits that assume she’s running for vice president or a cabinet post in the next Republican administration? Maybe. But it’s also possible that in polls that are largely a function of name recognition (right, Mr. Trump?), she remains an obscure figure.

In 2012 the numerous GOP debates bored a lot of the public and the press as they turned into a reality show more than forums of ideas. But they also had a powerful impact on the shape of the race eliminating some candidates (Tim Pawlenty, Rick Perry) and elevated others (Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum) while giving frontrunner Mitt Romney the opportunity to prove he was the best of a bad lot. Will they play the same role in 2016? Fiorina might not be the best test [case] for that proposition since it’s not yet clear how many people were watching at 5pm. But if they do, then perhaps Fiorina will shoot up in the polls. She ought to get enough of a bump into the first string on the basis of such a strong showing. That’s something that ought to scare the people who will debate at 9pm...

Well, that's what I was saying, but we'll see. We'll see.

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