The mark of a great candidate, in my opinion, is the ability to defend their own policies without taking a low stab at their opponents. Unfortunately, we saw a lot of low stabs this past Wednesday during the second round of the GOP debate. From Donald Trump's very first statement all the way through the end, it was a contest to offend. Just 15 minutes in, America was ready to turn off the television, because the CNN debate was becoming more and more like an episode of "Basketball Wives." Just like any prime time entertainment, there were some great moments on Wednesday night, surrounded by not-so-great moments. Here are the best, and worst, moments from the GOP debate.
BEST: Jeb Bush admitting he's smoked marijuana.
In a debate about the war on drugs, Jeb Bush made himself the relatable candidate and openly admitted to smoking a joint or two in his glory days. Citizens of the United States: rejoice, as this is probably the last time in your lifetime when a presidential candidate will admit they broke the law. But, it was nice to see a candidate say that they've made their share of human decisions too.
WORST: Marco Rubio's California Drought comment.
Overall, this had to be my least favorite moment in the nearly three-hours of debate. Marco Rubio's intent seemed to be one of two things. A. He was trying to be funny, which failed miserably, or B. He was trying to come off as environmentally conscious, and came off as a total jerk of a politician. Not funny, Marco, not funny.
WORST: Trump's unprovoked attack on Rand Paul.
After Carly Fiorina was asked if she would feel safe with Trump in the White House, she said that was for the voters to decide. Trump was asked to follow up and make a statement on his temperament. He immediately responded that, "First of all, Rand Paul shouldn't even be on this stage. He's number eleven and has less than one percent in the polls." Trump then went on to say he had a great temperament, and he would be a great president. All of us at home were sitting with our mouths open at the obvious display of immaturity and the nonchalance he had about the entire ordeal. I sure wouldn't want this guy negotiating with foreign powers, that's for sure.
BEST: John Kasich's response to Trump's middle-school tactics.
After Rand responded to Donald Trump's attack on him, John Kasich had some wise words for his opponents. Rather than make Americans watching, cringe and change the channel, he suggested that the candidates focus on the real reason they should be debating. Instead of making the debate into reality TV, he thought they should get to the issues Americans care about. Bonus points to Kasich for not wasting our time. Thanks man.
WORST: Carly Fiorina's "emotional" response to the Planned Parenthood videos.
Carly Fiorina succeeded in getting her name plastered in the media this week when she made up some ridiculous story about the infamous (and already proved falsified) Planned Parenthood videos. Fiorina double-dog-dared her democratic counterparts to watch the videos in which, “a fully formed fetus is on the table, its heart beating, its legs kicking, while someone says, ‘We have to keep it alive to harvest its brain.’” Just for the record, this never happened in the videos. It was low to lie about such a hot topic and feed Americans false information. Especially when it's so easily falsified.
In so many words, this was the extent of the second GOP debate. As the race heats up, I cannot wait to see what ensues in the remaining months between these candidates. Will Donald Trump really get the nomination? How many more stabs will these candidates take at Planned Parenthood? Will Marco Rubio's decision to bring his own water make a significant impact on California? Find out Wednesday, October 28, on CNBC, when the Republican nominees take on one another in the third installment of interesting and hilarious debates.
