Post #123

Now, on to the other candidates🔻 In a surprising twist, Ron DeSantis was largely ignored by his lower-polling rivals as the debate turned into a pile on Ramaswamy. Meanwhile, Mike Pence spoke more than anyone else last night and made clear that he chose conviction over politics. He embraced standing up to Trump on Jan. 6 and promised to refuse pardoning him. He forcefully defended the importance of arming Ukraine. And he staked out the most anti-abortion rights position of all the candidates. Nikki Haley and Chris Christie also delivered strong performances — though they’re unlikely to meaningfully shake up the race. Bottom-tier candidates Asa Hutchinson and Doug Burgum didn’t have the break-through moments they needed — and this may be the last time we see them on stage. Similarly, Tim Scott didn’t do enough to make a case for himself as the religious conservative in the race.