CNN Undercard Republican Debate: Live Coverage

Rothenberg is right that this undercard debate will have little effect on the horse race, but I think Clare is also right: It is an interesting measure of where the Republican Party stands on these issues. A couple of years ago the GOP seemed like it was becoming more dovish. That seems like a long time ago listening this evening.

Farai, I think this debate’s merit in some ways is the amount that the candidates are hammering away on Syria, the ground troops question, etc. They’re digging into it in a non-soundbite way, I think (at least by debate standards). So, it’s a food for thought hour and change, maybe something for the Big Debate moderators to question the real candidates with.

So, just to get meta for a second, following Carl … what does this debate do, FiveThirtyEight team, and for whom? Will this be the last undercard? Thinking of: