The first Republican presidential debate is officially over. Ron DeSantis, Vivek Ramaswamy, Tim Scott, Nikki Haley, Mike Pence, Chris Christie, Doug Burgum and Asa Hutchinson took the stage for two hours. Hosted by Fox News in Milwaukee, the candidates discussed the economy, abortion, Ukraine, Trump and national security.
Who were the debate's winners and losers? How was the overall performance? To answer these questions, we consulted the Voz Media team that was covering the debate live.
Alejandro Suarez Basso
In general, the debate was unexciting except for certain fragments where there were serious discussions on important issues such as Ukraine and foreign policy. In these moments, Nikki Haley had all the answers and Vivek Ramaswamy went against the tide. Ron DeSantis, who although he was flat in my opinion throughout the debate, had a good few minutes on these issues in which he emphasized that funds should be used for Americans instead of for armed conflicts thousands of miles away.
Pence is a snooze who repeats the same thing every time he goes to a debate. Christie is an embarrassment, like a Democratic Party candidate infiltrated in the Republican debate. Haley was quite solid, however she is a candidate who reminds me of Maria Corina Machado in Venezuela in 2012: very strong ideas and contributions, but it's not her time.
🔴 #GOPDebate | Who’s the big winner of tonight? Comment below if other…
— VOZ (@Voz_US) August 24, 2023
The rest were rather irrelevant, and in the end we were left with a feeling of not having a real and viable alternative to Donald Trump. In my opinion, nothing changed last night except for increased "awareness" of Ramaswamy, who should definitely be seen as a winner of the debate, not only for his prominence, but for his closing speech, which was memorable, fresh, simple and to the point.
Winners: Donald Trump (despite his absence), Vivek Ramaswamy, Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley.
Losers: The rest, go home.
Joaquín Núñez
The debate itself was a bit chaotic. Noisy at times, it managed to gather the eight main Republican candidates like a menu for voters to choose their preferences.
In order of expectations, Ron DeSantis' were very high, perhaps too high. It was expected that the governor of Florida would be considered as the best option and that in turn he would defend himself tooth and nail from the attacks that, in theory, he was going to receive on all fronts. However, he never really became a target, so he was able to make his positions clear at all times, appearing quite decisive. Although he did not truly shine, it was an acceptable performance which had some good moments for social media, and it will not lose him any voters.
🔴 #GOPDebate | Mike Pence calls Vivek Ramaswamy a "rookie."
Thoughts?pic.twitter.com/J7MsBeVrDI
— VOZ (@Voz_US) August 24, 2023
Undoubtedly, the big winner of the night was Vivek Ramaswamy. The businessman got what he was looking for: attention. The debate revolved around him from the first time he opened his mouth, paraphrasing James Stockdale in the 1992 vice presidential debate. The author of "Woke, Inc." had organic, rehearsed responses to each and every attack he received, for example from Mike Pence and Chris Christie. As he said in his closing remarks, he left a good first impression, just what the first debate of the primaries is about. We will have to wait and see the impact it will have on the polls.
On the other hand, Tim Scott did not have a good performance. The senator is known to be well-spoken and charismatic, but unfortunately for him he bring these traits with him to Wisconsin. With few moments to remember, he will need to do better in September if he is to rise to second place in the polls.
Nikki Haley had a role similar to that of soccer player Gabriel Demon Hauche: few interventions, but very decisive. She had very good moments for social media, especially quoting Margaret Thatcher, her faceoff with Ramaswamy and the criticism of Republicans' excess spending. Mike Pence had a great night. Despite coming off a bit plain, he was solid on almost every issue. His experience appealed to more traditional conservatives, whom he buttered up with references to Ronald Reagan and God. His best moment from the debate was when the discussion moved to Jan. 6, where he even won the support of his competitors.
🔴 #GOPDebate | Nikki Haley: "Trump is the most disliked politician in America. We cannot win a general election that way."pic.twitter.com/PZn0bnqaCv
— VOZ (@Voz_US) August 24, 2023
Of the anti-Trump group, Doug Burgum, Asa Hutchinson and Chris Christie, the most prominent was the former governor of New Jersey, perhaps because of his more confrontational style. He knows how to make memorable moments (ask Marco Rubio), but he did not make use of this ability the way some visualized. Nor did he play the "Trump card." Burgum and Hutchinson had some good moments but were overshadowed by the ferocity of their competitors; possibly too overshadowed.
Winners: Vivek Ramaswamy, Mike Pence and Ron DeSantis.
Losers: Tim Scott, Asa Hutchinson and Chris Christie.
Sabrina Martin Rondón
I was very surprised by Pence's performance. I honestly thought he would get lost among all the candidates. I expected much more from DeSantis, who I believe missed an opportunity to establish himself as the most likely alternative to Trump in a general election. He could have been stronger on the topics proposed by the moderators.
The candidates most opposed to Trump didn't have a good night either. I can only highlight Burgum's initial joke regarding his injury, but not much else. Tim Scott was the disappointment of the debate. All the momentum that his campaign had been dragging was truncated on stage.
🔴 #GOPDebate | Vivek Ramaswamy: “I'm the only person on the stage who isn't bought and paid for, so I can say this. The climate change agenda is a hoax!”pic.twitter.com/Zu34qE8YYN
— VOZ (@Voz_US) August 24, 2023
Ramaswamy took his chance and left a good impression on those who didn't know about him.
Winners: Mike Pence and Vivek Ramaswamy.
Losers: Tim Scott and the anti-Trump team.
Emmanuel Alejandro Rondón
Finally, Republican voters were able to see their candidates debate their proposals on stage. For that fact alone it was a good night for the GOP.
The debate was entertaining and had several surprises. One of them is that DeSantis, second in the polls, didn't get the attention one would expect from the other contenders. This was a strange situation, without Trump on the stage, the logic would seemingly be to go after the governor of Florida.
🔴 #GOPDebate | Haley to Ramaswamy: "You have no foreign policy experience and it shows!"pic.twitter.com/OjszNCSyOT
— VOZ (@Voz_US) August 24, 2023
It was a very good night for Vivek Ramaswamy. Republican voters who had not seen his videos on Twitter undoubtedly saw him taking aim at Haley, Pence and the rest of the candidates. He is charismatic, although perhaps he came off a tad arrogant, or at least that's how it seemed. DeSantis, although he did not shine, achieved his goal: not signify a stalled campaign. The attention on Ramaswamy allowed DeSantis to have a calm debate and close with great force. He remains, in my opinion, the only candidate who could compete with Trump, even if he is getting further and further away.
The one that surprised me the most was Pence. He seemed like the adult on stage despite having to defend himself on many complicated issues. He was strongest on the Jan. 6 issue, explaining that he acted not as a "traitor," as many see him, but as a public servant who respects the Constitution.
🔴 #GOPDebate | Ron DeSantis: "This election is not about January 6 of 2021, it's about January 20 of 2025."pic.twitter.com/fdjL6u2R83
— VOZ (@Voz_US) August 24, 2023
Chris Christie, one of the few genuine anti-Trumpers on stage, definitely didn't have a good night. He sought to fight, to impose himself, and the only thing he achieved was appearing detestable. In addition, Ramaswamy took a shot at him, saying, "You would sound more believable if your campaign wasn't based on attacking and taking revenge on one man." That hurt. Tim Scott was disappointing. It was unclear what he brings to the table. He victimized himself too much and definitely didn't have a night that could lead him to unseat DeSantis in second place.
As for Asa Hutchinson and Doug Burgum, I'm still trying to figure out what they were doing on stage. With all due respect, they belonged on the couch at home in North Dakota and Arkansas.
Winners: Vivek Ramaswamy, Ron DeSantis and Mike Pence.
Losers: Doug Burgum, Asa Hutchinson and Chris Christie.
