Live Coverage Of The First Republican Debate

Google searches in the first 50 minutes of the debate, relative to Donald Trump who we’ve indexed at 100: Trump is still clearly ahead, although not by nearly as large a margin as he is on an ordinary evening. Cruz and Carson seem to be doing better on the Internet than in the debate room; the reverse is true for Kasich. Scott Walker has been very, very quiet.

Jeb Bush has been having to explain his support for Common Core, which some think will hurt his presidential bid. It should be pointed out that most Republicans in Iowa, home to the first contest in the primary season, don’t seem to mind a candidate who favors Common Core standards. In a February 2015 Marist College poll, 57 percent of Iowa Republicans said a Common Core candidate would be acceptable.