After looking forward to the rally/debate, I turned on CNN when Wolf Blitzer was on and fell asleep before the Trump event. I saw the people outside lined up for it and that's about it. When I woke up, I had missed the entire thing. I went over to Fox News and they were at the point where they were a question right before closing statements. So, I missed that, too.
I went back to CNN and watched their entire post-debate analysis (8 person panel with Anderson Cooper) - 4 of the 8 on the panel were a Trump supporter, a Cruz supporter, a Bush supporter who is also friends with Rubio and a Republican Strategist who worked on the Romney campaign.
Without first reading the posts of those who posted before me (so as not to bias what I heard myself), this is what I'm gathering from the CNN post-debate analysis. Please tell me if you disagree after watching the debate yourself:
1. Jeb Bush had a very strong debate. The jury is out whether this was because Trump wasn't in his head or because he's got nothing left to lose so he felt relaxed.
2. Rand Paul had a strong debate although it's not clear to me why.
3. The majority believed Cruz picked the wrong debate timing-wise to have his worst debate night. (Note: I've posted that Cruz would not fare as well on defense with everyone gunning for him instead of Trump.) He whined (not my word) about everyone attacking him because the moderators egged them on with their questions. I do not know what those questions were. He was booed by the audience in a clip shown on CNN. For what, I can't recall.
4. Fox News keyed up videos clearly originally aimed at the Trump they were expecting. (I have no idea what was on the videos but I found it strange that CNN assumed we did because we were watching the debate not their own coverage of the Trump event.)
5. Trump probably made the right decision not to play but not for the Ailes/Kelly/Veterans reason. They pretty much said he did the right thing to protect his lead. They are also comparing it to Hillary/Sanders. Sanders doesn't want a debate right before NH votes because he's leading and he's demanding that if he agrees to it, she has to first commit to 2 dates in the Spring apparently right before the states vote where she's leading.
6. The CNN fact checker looked at 4 statements made during the debate, 2 they deemed false (Cruz and someone else, Rubio, I think) and 2 they deemed true (1 by Carson and 1 by Paul).
7. Rubio sounded canned (not the exact word they used but what was implied is he's too polished/over-rehearsed).
8. The debate was boring and no one heard anything new. Everyone is still in agreement it will be turnout, not the debate, that determines the outcome on Monday. A CNN person gave the turnout numbers that will determine who will win.
9. There are an awful lot of Iowans who are still undecided (Or are they? They are stating this based on their reporters asking people for which candidate are they voting the night of the debate. Could it be some Iowa voters just don't want to tell the reporters on camera?)
10. The debate isn't going to change the votes of people who had made up their minds before the debate.
11. Per CNN panel, John Kasich was at the Iowa debate but he was not really speaking to Iowans. He was speaking to New Hampshire voters.
12. CNN interviewed Huckabee (they may have interviewed Santorum, too, but if so that happened while I was sleeping) after the Trump event and he seemed happy as all get out for the attention and as someone on CNN said, probably saw and spoke to the biggest crowd outside of the debates since he decided to run.
13. The only name I never heard was Fiorina...and Gilmore meaning Huckabee and Santorum probably made a good decision to attend the Trump event or no one would be talking about them, either. Both were seen in a CNN clip I saw after it was over.
14. The number of people who registered and never caucused for the Republicans was given on CNN. Of that amount, the number who were formerly Democrats was also given. Sad to say I don't recall the number but if CNN had it on Thursday night, we'll probably read it today. David Axelrod (a CNN panelist) said that Republican caucusing is easier to do than Democrat caucusing. Apparently, Republicans do less talking and their ballots are secret.
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