GOP field slowly being winnowed to viable candidates

It’s crucial to separate what happened at Wednesday night’s marathon GOP presidential debates from how the candidates’ campaigns are going to seize the Republican nomination.

Being skilled at verbal fisticuffs isn’t the same thing as being qualified to serve as leader of the Free World.

Consider Carly Fiorina. She killed it on stage, looking prepared and tough. The best moment was her pitch-perfect response to Donald Trump’s classless remarks about her appearance: “I think women all over this country heard very clearly what Mr. Trump said.” In discussing the need for a stronger military and other matters, Fiorina flashed a no-nonsense, almost icy, persona that could help attract hard-line GOP backing.

Still, Fiorina lags badly in public opinion polls. She lacks rough-and-tumble political experience. In the debate’s aftermath, media were hard at work disclosing the times she fudged some facts on her business skills and what was really in the Planned Parenthood videos.

Trump, by contrast, flubbed his way through much of the night. He was sluggish, off pace, good for a laugh but not cogent comments on matters of importance to Americans. Trump’s almost willful ignorance of foreign affairs was exposed for all to see. In a particularly disappointing moment, he inaccurately linked vaccines and autism.

And yet, when it comes to the campaign for votes, Trump’s mad-as-hell base of supporters seems oblivious to his faults. He has made gaffe after gaffe in recent weeks — all while his poll numbers have crept higher. Bluster, insults and egotism do not a president make, though, and we hope Wednesday night marked the beginning of a sharp drop in his public support.

A few others with respectable knowledge of key issues did well in the main debate, and that should help them attract attention and campaign funds.

Marco Rubio had savvy moments that made him sound more knowledgeable and thoughtful than most, including on his wheelhouse issue, immigration reform.

Rand Paul raised valuable counterpoints on American involvement in the Middle East, and launched a useful conversation on medical marijuana, legalization and states’ rights.

The so-so performances of a few other leading contenders likely will haunt them as they seek to stay relevant.

Jeb Bush scored few points in his sparring matches with Trump and others, including on immigration issues that he should own by now. Bush remains perhaps the leading default candidate but did little to enhance his status as the contender of choice.

Ben Carson, who has inexplicably reached second place in some national opinion polls, was outmatched on immigration, national security and other matters. And John Kasich generally failed to build on his reputation for offering thoughtful approaches to serious concerns.

A handful of candidates either proved that their campaigns are going nowhere (Rick Santorum, George Pataki, Bobby Jindal, Mike Huckabee and Scott Walker) or that they are in the last throes of their long-shot bids (Chris Christie, Ted Cruz, Lindsey Graham). Christie had a few good moments. Cruz’s tough-guy stance played to his base. Graham, in the second-tier debate, was easily the evening’s most affable candidate — he promised more bipartisan drinking to solve problems; he set the hawk bar high, but as with the others, will find the going from here still difficult.

The GOP field will be winnowed considerably in coming weeks, for good reasons. Only a handful of these candidates have the qualifications or the political skills to be the next president.

This story was originally published September 17, 2015 at 5:42 PM with the headline "GOP field slowly being winnowed to viable candidates."