In Case You Missed It:

“[Christie] Had The Most Consistent Debate, Start To Finish… A-”

“One would think that answering the moderator’s question is an important part of the debating process, but most candidates consider it optional. Not Christie.”

CNN
Todd Graham, Professor of debate at Southern Illinois University
November 9, 2023

“I know, right. I didn’t see it coming either. The former New Jersey governor was the biggest surprise. During the debate, I thought Chris Christie was doing well, but it wasn’t until after the debate when examining my notes that I noticed something peculiar. The Christie debating trademark was missing. Usually, his moments of brilliance are –— as Senator Tim Scott would probably understand — sandwich-boarded by acts of self-flagellation. But that didn’t happen this time. Christie eliminated his errors and in so doing, had the most consistent debate, start to finish.

“One would think that answering the moderator’s question is an important part of the debating process, but most candidates consider it optional. Not Christie. Yes, he could have been much stronger with his first answer on how he differentiated himself from Donald Trump, but unlike others onstage, at least he mentioned Trump’s legal issues.

“Christie was on point with direct answers from there on out. He was flat-out great in justifying our support of Ukraine, a debate Christie can win against anyone. On other topics, Christie taught me that nuclear subs are our best deterrent of China and they should be upgraded/ built before other ships. Plus, I liked his answer on inflation – on why energy drives most prices, so our energy policy should be our focus to address inflation….

A-”

-###-