Was Debate Carly Fiorina’s Breakout Moment?

In the first of the two Republican debates yesterday, the lower polling candidates squared off in a so-called “Happy Hour” debate. All of the candidates did well but Carly Fiorina truly stood out and her performance might be just the jolt her campaign needed.

The consensus among many in media was that Carly Fiorina won the debate. CNN made note of the tweets declaring Fiorina the winner:

Chris Cillizza of the Washington Post concurred:

Carly Fiorina won the ‘Happy Hour’ debate. By a lot.Carly Fiorina was the only woman on stage at the so-called “Happy Hour” debate on Thursday night. She was also the only one of the seven candidates who made clear that she deserves more attention — and a more prime spot in the debates — as the campaign continues.From the start, Fiorina was poised and confident. She followed a halting and seemingly nervous answer by Texas Gov. Rick Perry with a fluid riff on why she was running and how she was best positioned to beat Hillary Clinton. And, she closed that first answer with this quotable (and good) line: “The highest calling of leadership is to challenge the status quo and unlock the potential of others. We need a leader who will lead the resurgence of this great nation and unlock its potential once again.”

One particularly strong moment for Fiorina came when she was asked about Donald Trump:

Charles Krauthammer also had some kind words for Fiorina:

One more video has to be included in this report. After the debate, Fiorina appeared on Hardball with Chris Matthews and really took the fight to Hillary Clinton. Even Matthews was forced to say he understood why she did so well. Via the Washington Free Beacon:

If Fiorina’s star keeps rising, expect to see her on stage with the upper tier candidates in the next debate.

Featured image via YouTube.

Tags: 2016 Republican Primary, Carly Fiorina, Charles Krauthammer

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