OPINION:
The clear winner in the first Republican presidential primary debate was … former President Donald Trump. There were a number of candidates on the stage on Wednesday night in Milwaukee, but none of them made a compelling case to many Republican voters who are firmly behind the former president.
In addition, the Trump campaign got exactly the headline it wanted with the former president’s interview with Tucker Carlson as the number of views for the show on X, formerly Twitter, far surpassed the viewership for any presidential debate.
Never mind that views counted on the social media platform count even those who look for mere seconds. The narrative was written: Donald Trump was the king of attention on debate night.
Watching from the floor of the Fiserv Forum, I was struck by several things:
Vivek Ramaswamy was clearly channeling candidate Donald Trump. I stood next to then-candidate Trump at the first debate eight years ago in Cleveland. From the moment the cameras went on, he took control. He perfected the outsider approach that won him the nomination and, eventually, the presidency.
Mr. Ramaswamy made a compelling case that the problems we face in America require a fresh perspective. He made complete, clear and concise arguments on a number of issues. Surprisingly, he took most of the incoming attacks and — despite the leaked memo from the super PAC supporting Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis — they came from several of the other candidates.
Along the way, Mr. Ramaswamy took hits over specific issues, exposing some significant holes in national security and foreign policy. Right or wrong, he is probably aligned with the views of most GOP primary voters on aid to Ukraine, but it becomes more of a mixed bag when he talks about Vladimir Putin.
Mr. Ramaswamy will experience a bit of a bump from the debate, as many voters like his message. Still, he will be far behind Mr. Trump. I can’t see voters who love the former president opting to switch to an untested candidate who takes parallel positions to his.
Mr. DeSanits had a solid performance. His big win was assuring donors to his campaign and super PAC that he still has what it takes to be a contender. As I have said before, he would benefit from taking on some of the passion and certainty of Mr. Ramaswamy.
If the eight people on the debate stage were the only people running as Republicans for president, I would say that he did well enough to maintain his front-runner status. So far, however, it still looks like a competition for who can come in second place.
Mr. DeSantis’ campaign and super PAC will need to use some of their resources to push a bolder agenda, and he will have to build on a solid but not outstanding performance at the next debate in Simi Valley, California, at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum.
Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley came across as the most measured of the candidates. Her pro-life answer seemed more geared to the general election than to the primaries, but she may pick up some support from voters who don’t want this issue front and center in the campaign.
While Mr. Ramaswamy ran as an outsider, she made a good point about being a Washington outsider and noted her record as governor of South Carolina. Her use of a well-rehearsed quote from Margaret Thatcher elevated her standing and excited her supporters in the arena.
For much of the first half of the debate, Mrs. Haley seemed quiet. She shined when she took on Mr. Ramaswamy on aid for Israel and overall foreign policy. That moment seems to have been off-script and natural. She should do more of that.
Like Mrs. Haley, former Vice President Mike Pence had to have a breakthrough moment. His aggressive demeanor served him well. Some suggested that he was defensive.
The irony is that he was the only one really defending the Trump-Pence record. Most Republicans like the record, even if they have qualms about the chaos.
The former vice president pushed a traditional conservative coalition agenda. He is unapologetically pro-life and believes we should stand for freedom around the world. We will see if there is a large enough voter block for that in the Republican Party of today.
One key mistake: Most agreed, and none of the other candidates attacked Mr. Pence’s actions on Jan. 6, 2021. He should have moved on but ate up valuable time relitigating the case.
Overall, these four candidates made the case to continue to the next debate. The others did not.
The biggest surprise in that group is Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina. He is a great communicator and a wonderful man, but he was too polite in the debate. He did not get a chance to shine.
Bottom line: Four candidates stood out, and four did not. In the end, none of them made a compelling case to replace former President Donald Trump with them. That makes Mr. Trump the winner.
• Scott Walker is president of Young America’s Foundation and served as the 45th governor of Wisconsin from 2011 to 2019.
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