The Third GOP Primary Debate was hosted by NBC News, and their liberal hosts immediately set the tone that they were going to be more professional than the liberal moderators at Fox News, and exceeded the low threshold. Doug Bergum failed to qualify for the debate, and Mike Pence dropped out. The five candidates opposed to Donald Trump took the stage: Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Vivek Ramaswamy, Tim Scott, and Chris Christie.
Chris Christie For Jersey Mikes
I have to give credit where it is due; when it comes to subs, there’s no candidate I trust more than Chris Christie. Christie had a good moment in which he was asked about how the US Navy should build to match China’s now larger fleet. Christie’s answer was to emphasize nuclear submarines.
This answer resonates with history as Americans pioneered subs against the British during the American Revolution. The Kriegsmarine developed an extensive U-boat program to counteract the supremacy of the Royal Navy. The Imperial Japanese Navy also had an extensive submarine program, but their war doctrine handcuffed their potential to interrupt merchant trade.
With unmanned boats, aerial drones, and satellite reconnaissance, going deeper in the ocean is the most historically precedented way to counteract a naval disadvantage. If anything Christie undersold his answer.
Tim Scott’s Girlfriend Sighted
Tim Scott perhaps gave his best performance yet, schooling NBC on the fact that oil is a speculative market. He managed not to sound cringy as Mike Pence does when incorporating Scripture. It comes across as pandering to Evangelicals. Most memorable, his girlfriend made an appearance.
After GOP donors threatened to stop funding him for being unmarried, Tim Scott is now appearing publicly with who he says is his girlfriend named Mindy. He says they have been dating for “about a year or so.”
— No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen (@NoLieWithBTC) November 9, 2023
pic.twitter.com/oJviNR3u3e
Vivek vs Haley
The beef between Vivek Ramaswamy and Nikki Haley went personal as Ramaswamy performed in attacking Nikki Haley for being a neocon. On TikTok, Ramaswamy pointed out that Haley’s own daughter used the app, which Haley did not appreciate. She would call Ramaswamy scum during the debate.
Haley vs DeSantis
DeSantis performed well but some of his most notable moments came when they traded barbs on China and the environment.
Nikki Haley welcomed them into South Carolina, gave them land near a military base, wrote the Chinese ambassador a love letter saying what a great friend they were.
— Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) November 9, 2023
In Florida, I banned China from buying land. pic.twitter.com/HYhtYKrMZe
DeSantis mentioned how soft on China Nikki Haley was as governor of South Carolina. Haley responded by going after Ron DeSantis for a now-defunct agency. It did not go well.
WATCH: Nikki Haley calls Ron DeSantis a "liberal" on the environment
— Florida’s Voice (@FLVoiceNews) November 9, 2023
"We are absolutely gonna frack. But I disagree with Nikki Haley. I don't think it's a good idea to drill in the Florida Everglades, and I know most Floridians agree with me." pic.twitter.com/PNUgOmmNZb
Moreover, Nikki Haley went after Ron DeSantis on the issue of fracking because Ron DeSantis would not frack… the Everglades. She tried this in Florida.
Conclusion
The environment of the primary was reset by the 2023 Election results. So it’s not clear how much this debate will change the race. Two of the campaigns on the stage, Scott and Christie aren’t gaining any traction. Vivek peaked a long time ago. It’s clear that it’s a three man race.
